Picking the right candidate for a new position on your team is hard. Beyond the qualifications, it's the intangibles that end up being so important But how to you gauge that?
When I worked in NY City I collected wind-up toys. My favorite store uptown was a little shop called The Last Wound Up. I had dozens of two-inch figures and animals in assorted colors that I kept on a round meeting table in my office. This was my interview space. I was a consultant manager for a Wall Street data and applications company. I remember a consultant candidate sitting at the table with me ignoring the toys. At one point I bumped the table by accident, and one of the pink mice did a back-flip. The candidate ignored it and droned on about his qualifications. He didn't get the job.
A few weeks later, I was introduced to Anna, the latest applicant. She had an equally impressive resume. Before she shook my hand she immediately went to the round table, exclaimed "look at these" and began winding a few up to see what they did. I was startled at first, but also impressed with her sense of wonder and play, willingness to step outside the typical interview box, and confidence that what she was doing was OK. She was not intimated, which was key for our demanding Wall Street customers) It was an authentic moment. She got the job and went on to replace me as manager a few years later.
The office with the toys created the context for something new and different to happen. It departed from the typical interview script. It showed me anew that context matters. |