A person is like an onion. All onions look the same on the outside. A golden skin that hides a juicy core. Only by peeling away the skin can you understand what kind of onion you have in your hands. Is it good or bad, whole or wormy, firm or rotten? At the same time, very few recruiters and people involved in recruiting understand this and are satisfied with the golden skin, without checking the onion itself. A recruiting interview consists of a set of standard questions, for which standard answers are expected. We even have “e-recruiting” systems that imply the complete absence of an interviewer in the first stage of candidate selection.
Few people are capable of conducting an interview in a way that makes it slightly uncomfortable for the interviewee. Uncomfortable enough that the “real” onion enjoys being properly assessed, while the “wormy” one feels increasingly uneasy. The husk and layers of the onion have a literal analogy, after all.
Every interview is a role-playing game. The candidate plays the role of someone they believe is suitable for the position. Their answers to questions will be shaped by the role they are embodying. This is the golden veneer. However, if you dig a little deeper, you’ll see the real person:
— How did you spend your weekend?
— Thank you, good!
— How do you usually spend your weekends?
— ….
— Why is that?
— Which university did you graduate from?
— What is your major?
— Why did you choose this field of study?
— How were you planning to look for a job after graduating from university?
— Can you share an interesting or paradoxical fact from your professional field?
— What was the topic of your thesis? And why did you choose that particular one? What does the diploma mean to you?
— If you could change just one thing in the teaching system of your specialty, what would it be?
— Why did you leave your previous job?
— ….
— I’m curious, what made you think that?
— ….
— How would you describe your manager?
— Have you considered opportunities for growth within the company? Why?
— If you were offered to return to the company and lead it, what would you do first?
You should never stop at the question of “why.” You need to dig deeper and deeper.
— Where did you study?
— At the teacher training institute.
— Why did you apply?
— I wanted to become a teacher.
— Why did you want to?
— It was interesting.
— Wonderful. Can you describe the work of a teacher as you envisioned it in your dreams?
— Why was that important to you?
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— Why?
We peel away the layers from a person, one by one, revealing the true motives behind their actions and stepping out of the role-playing game. People tend not to dig deeper than the second “why.” It’s a quirk of the machine in our heads. We often don’t even realize that our understanding of the world is frequently made up of “circular” “whys” and, in reality, isn’t knowledge at all, but just a lacework of words. Why does a butterfly fly? Because it flaps its wings. And why does it have wings? To fly. Ah…
Further answers to “why,” especially at deeper levels, reveal a person from a different perspective. The motivation behind their actions may be a reaction to the past or planning for the future. Such questions also uncover whether a person is oriented towards their own judgments or the opinions of others. In general, a personality is revealed rather than hidden behind a golden facade. This is particularly important for you if you are considering hiring this person. As a leader, it’s essential to understand their values and motivations, isn’t it?
Do you want to get to know a person? Dig into the “why.” The candidate you need will enjoy the conversation. An unmotivated, limited person will be out of their comfort zone, and you’ll notice this in their closed-off demeanor and one-word answers, often accompanied by vague mumbling. I’ve heard “behind my back” reviews about me as an interviewer, being called an abnormal psycho who asks silly, irrelevant questions. These comments came from people who felt uncomfortable when their golden shell was stripped away. Naturally, I didn’t hire those people. It may seem strange from the outside when you’re asked questions that aren’t directly related to the job.The text for translation: the case.“, and then they refuse to…”businessIn a situation like this, it’s easier to find someone else to blame for the interview failure rather than looking at oneself 🙂 Those who enjoyed the conversation never regretted it and often stayed on to work, usually with great success. Hiring a “wonderful specialist” who, nonetheless, cannot clearly explain the motives behind their behavior without resorting to clichés is like buying a cat that is intentionally sold in a bag.