Statistically
speaking—I hate citing statistics—but once an interviewer surpasses
approximately 300 interviews, the recruiter encounters repetitive behaviors,
responses and outliers. Once armed with such experience, the interviewer can
zero in on a candidate in as little as five or six probing questions.
There
is nothing magical about interviewing. As the quantity of interviewing sessions
increase, fewer surprises surface. Seasoned corporate screeners will encounter everything.
By 300, they have heard it all, often countless times.
At
this quantity, behavioral patterns emerge. When the interviewer is attentive to
behavioral responses, and then compares those patterns to previous applicants, accurate
conclusions follow. We know, for example, that most people will respond to a
direct question honestly. That same question, asked indirectly however, will
produce a substantially less truthful response.
Example:
“Do you have a criminal record?” All but an outlier will respond to this truthfully.
Should the question be posed indirectly, “Is there anything negative in your
background, we should know about?” When questions are presented in this manner,
there is a greater chance job applicants will avoid responding candidly.
For
edification, 2% of job seekers qualify as outliers.
If an interviewer were only to screen 50 or 60 applicants, it is conceivable an
interviewer might not encounter one. By the time the individual reaches 100 or
more interviewers however, the statistical odds become overwhelming. The
interviewer will encounter at least one or more, even though the interviewer may
have initially failed to identify such individuals at the onset.
Usually, outliers are exposed during routine
background checks. The college has no records the individual graduated, or a
criminal records check reveals the individual has an undisclosed substance
abuse issue, or the Credit Bureau shows an undisclosed debt problem, etcetera. The
rest are subsequently exposed in the workplace.
As a
result, skilled interviewers will not rely solely on first impressions. Given
enough one-on-one interviews, and the collective experience of hearing evasive
or vague responses, skilled interviewers inevitably acquire intuitive
instincts. In most cases, their ability to spot subtle, yet reoccurring behaviors
prove difficult to conceal.
Copyrighted ©
2013 by Robert James