The Interview - Ripe for Deception

By Frank Mulligan, Talent Software

Appearances can be deceiving, we all know this.

At the same time we are all absolutely sure that we can spot a good candidate when we see one. Our many years of experience tells us this, even if we can’t always articulate what a good candidate should look like.

But what about the times when we were completely fooled by someone?. Not because they tried to trick us but because we didn’t see what they were about.

We are not alone in this. The following is supposed to be a true story, and even if it isn’t, it’s a good illustration of the basic point:

A man was flying from Seattle to San Francisco. The plane had a layover in Sacramento. The flight attendant explained that there would be a delay, and if the passengers wanted to get off the aircraft, the plane would re-board in one hour.

Everybody got off the plane except one gentleman who was blind. Another man had noticed him as he walked by and could tell the gentleman was blind because his Seeing Eye dog lay quietly underneath the seats in front of him throughout the entire flight. He could also tell he had flown this very flight before because the pilot approached him, and calling him by name, said, Keith, we’re in Sacramento for an hour, would you like to get off and stretch your legs?

The blind man replied, No thanks, but maybe my dog would like to stretch his legs

Picture this: All the people in the gate area came to a complete standstill when they looked up and saw the pilot walk off the plane with a Seeing Eye dog! The pilot was even wearing sunglasses. People scattered. They not only tried to change planes, but they were trying to change airlines!

Urban myth?. Maybe, but it illustrates how easily we can be fooled, especially if we are not open to our own limitations. The interview is one of those staged situations where inexperienced people can lose control of the process. The camera doesn’t lie but our eyes and ears can be lied to, with or without the assistance of the Fundamental Attribution Error.

To avoid the potential for this kind of error, some people have suggested that you ask your candidate questions while pointedly avoiding looking at them. Another suggested solution is to use video and upload the recording to your Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Then you can review the results at a later date when you are no longer influenced by the personal impact of the candidate.

Things aren’t always as they appear.

Comments to: frank.mulligan@recruit-china.com