How often do you encounter a situation where a candidate with a perfect resume and recommendations is hired, only to find out later that they are not a good fit?
Or how often do you find yourself at job interviews trying to present yourself in the best possible light, only to be rejected with a phrase like “too good — miracles don’t happen”? Or during the interview, when you’re asked to name your weaknesses, you genuinely don’t know what to say, as any “weaknesses” can be seen as strengths upon closer examination, and you end up being turned down for the job because they claim you have “inflated self-esteem.”
Sometimes, an employer asks for a “little business plan” to evaluate a candidate. They assess whether the candidate’s vision, or rather the feeling of the right vision, aligns with the employer’s hidden thoughts.
The latest trend has been to rely on “ objective “Profile assessments, which in themselves do not provide a 100% guarantee, as the results depend on the candidate’s momentary mood or, again, the candidate’s perception of their role.”
Sometimes, the candidate’s evaluation is attempted to be “fitted” to certain criteria. numerical and binary factors No, it’s not about height and weight, but rather work experience, industry expertise, sales volumes in monetary terms, and so on.
Employers, like blind kittens, fumble around in search of a “guaranteed” way to hire the right candidate. Often, using certain criteria, such as the aforementioned “excellent resume and outstanding recommendations,” actually means not choosing a selection method for candidates, but rather opting for a way to avoid responsibility.
So, when children misbehave, they don’t think about whether it’s “right” or “wrong,” but rather whether they’ll get “scolded” or “not scolded.” If a candidate doesn’t work out, there will always be a backup justification—like, “Look, everything was in order.” There’s the resume, the recommendations, the assessment, and the little business plan. In other words, the primary criterion for selection is not one’s own assessment of “yes” or “no,” but the evaluation of others: “Will they scold me or not?” This is a byproduct of our educational system, and it lives on in people. There are very few among us who are willing to take on the risk of responsibility, including the responsibility of hiring people. Even company leaders don’t want to fall flat on their faces and are swayed by “documented” evidence; they conduct interviews in the presence of others and choose the path of “collective irresponsible evaluation.”
What is the problem with this whole system of resumes, interviews, recruiters, and assessments? The issue is that during this process, we don’t see the real person. We can’t even touch them. Is that person sitting in front of us? Ha! That’s Hamlet or D’Artagnan or Edmond Dantès sitting there. It’s a role. The person in the interview starts playing a part. The recruiter or interviewer does too. We’re in a role-playing game. You can’t understand the character of Innokenty Smoktunovsky, Georgy Vitsin, or Johnny Depp just by watching their roles in movies.
So, what should those do who are genuinely looking for people to join their team? Those who are less concerned about being “scolded” and more focused on results? Those who don’t get swayed by what’s written in resumes, whether positive or negative? The recipe is simple — take both yourself and the candidate out of the role-playing game. If you liked the candidate during the interview, dedicate another 1-2 hours of your time to them. You can say that the interview is over, that everything went well, and it’s time to handle the paperwork, then relax and chat with them “about life.” Or invite them to lunch or dinner, explaining the invitation as a necessity to discuss future collaboration or casually asking, “By the way, have you had lunch today?” If you enjoy being around this person, if nothing raises any red flags, if no “horns” have emerged from under the blanket, if you are able to understand that…in factWhat drives this person, what they say, and what they hide—it’s all yours. Only a sincere, non-role-playing conversation will reveal a person in all their glory. Moreover, such a conversation shouldn’t be seen as a “final test” for those who are uncertain. It should be a part of the discussion with any candidate who comes forward, especially for high-level positions.