Are job interviews overrated or a necessary evil?
Rabison Shumba
Professional Speaker, Global Trainer, Change Management and Leadership Expert, Author x 10
Do you remember the day you were shortlisted to attend an interview? In your mind you started imagining what the panel would be looking like or looking for. You searched online for commonly asked questions, anxiety shot to the roof wondering “will I make it?”. You wondered how to dress, what to say and not say among other things. Then you get into the interview to see these intimidating, serious looking faces that start an interrogation process throwing curve balls at you just so that you lose balance. One question after another, you are bombarded and based on your responses you are either hired or told “we will keep your CV on file for the future”.
If you are like me, I do not enjoy being interviewed, well, in my career I have not had opportunity for many interviews. I moved between 8 organisations in my over 24-year stint as an employee. Here is the interesting part, I only attended a job interview once. “How did you get those jobs?”, you may ask. I was head hunted in all situations. Someone knew I could do the job, we had coffee to discuss when I would start. You probably think I had it easy, well, possibly. No wonder I just do not like the idea of interviews. I want open, candid discussions that focus on checking track record of delivery and availability of skill. Some of the so-called interviews qualify as gross violation of human decency, dignity and rights.
I have just finished resourcing my business with the talent I need for the coming year. I hired four people and none of them attended interviews. I simply met them, we spoke candidly, and I made my decision. I have seen them at work before. I have interacted with them professionally and could tell that they had what my business requires.
The interview phenomenon may be hard to eradicate entirely especially where you have no blessing of hindsight about the candidate. It is however important to note some of the pitfalls of interviews if not done properly.
1. Interviews sometimes focus on finding fault – when people ask you questions, they are trying to stretch you so that you start mumbling. Whenever you make a mistake in your answer the marks keep dropping. Some of the questions are not even related to the ability to deliver in the respective position.
2. Interviews are usually tense encounters – In an interview, the panel and the interviewee both have goals. The interviewee is so conscious about every word. The panel keep trying to outshine each other by finding the toughest questions. In that contestation, you lose grip of the important issues.
3. Oratory skills are not a measure of performance – that 30-minute encounter can have you hire someone simply because they were very confident and yet piecing nice English sentences is not what the job requires. That is why you then see people failing in their probation. In interviews you can overpromise just to get a “leg in”.
4. Interviews can be very subjective – the quality of hiring is in direct proportion to the abilities and competency of the interview panel. Interviews become a chore when you simply get people onto a panel for compliance purposes. Yes, you will be deemed compliant in terms of quorums but if the panel is biased in what they are looking for you will end up with the wrong person altogether.
5. Interviews are not good enough on their own – It is important to go beyond just having a talk-show and making decision on someone’s skill level. Some are advocating that we now need job-auditions. If you want to be on Idols you audition. Musicians have to showcase their skills. Similarly, if I want a graphic designer, let me see the work they have done, let me give them a task to do in an hour. If it’s about finding a sales-person, let them come into the office and show me how they sell.
In conclusion, it will take a while to do away with the mindset of interviews. It is a tradition a part of HR Policies and procedures. It takes a new mindset that says interviews can also be faulty or inadequate on their own. You can still have a face to face interaction in a rather relaxed atmosphere which helps to also tap into the introverted yet very skilled task force.
Share your experiences and thoughts on this viewpoint. What have been your highlights and low lights in interviews. Do you support the idea going forward or with the coming of technology this could be a thing of the past?
Managing Consultant/Registered Occupational Psychologist at Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd
4 年The predictive power of the job interview is only 8%.
Senior Health & Safety Partner at Norwood
4 年In other parts of the world, the interviewers make the environment relaxed for the interviewee and it can actually be an enjoyable experience. It becomes a great opportunity for the interviewers? to get to know the interviewee. Interviews need to be light hearted and relaxed conversations. Whilst there is a lot that can be done to improve the interview process, I will give one suggestion: consider using round tables because for an individual to face 4 people, that alone can be intimidating; it gives the impression of 4 against 1, 4 vs 1, it surely feels like interrogation. You will be surprised how a round table interview can transform the interview style.
Nutritional Consultant at Edenic Nutritional Pro.
4 年The problem also is the lowering of the bar in order to get someone they already want in. You are qualified and experienced and they use your experience to improve their new guy. Too bad. I Suppose there is nothing one can do about it.
Customer Experience Specialist | Loyalty Marketing | Customer Engagement | Data Analyst | Aviation Enthusiast
4 年I agree with you Rabison Shumba, if one or two questions catches you out of guard you might lose it yet one has the skills and abilities to perform well given the chance.