My Pispective on Interviewing

A pispective is where you write about something in 314 words. Which doesn't count these words or the credits at the bottom.

What is an interview anyway?

The word originally meant 'to briefly catch sight of'. It then took on the meaning of a conversation to get a statement from someone. It became a meeting to discuss employment somewhere in the 1920's.

Which is interesting time because that's just after the first time Europe tried to kill itself. But the idea of a meeting to discuss has now become an examination.

There's a panel, each with some questions aimed at bringing out salient elements of the candidates suitability for the role. Most of these questions are now behavioural. "Give me an example of a time when..." You do your best to think of questions that will help you decide.

I'm sure this procedural approach worked at some point. Sitting on the other side of a desk from someone who's trying to guess what comes next isn't always that comfortable. Because, what do we know anyway?

These are times of significant change. What got us here won't get us to where we're going to the power of 10. How am I to know who is going to be the difference maker anyway? I can imagine a scenario, but I know well enough now that's a sure way to think my way into trouble.

I've narrowed down what I want to know after giving up the quest for the cleverest or most revealing question. I want to know if the person has overcome significant adversity, knows how to learn and thinks it important to do good in the world.

I'm just a management professional. The weak link in any chain to my mind. I take it for granted that the individual is going to have some technical expertise. Which, because I'm hiring them, I won't really understand.

But can they fight, can they learn and can they be good? That's what I want to catch sight of.

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