How to be best people for the job?

Dec. 23, 2016

Introduction

It is the second time to read the same article in 2016. So, Julia likes to take notes this time.

Share her own personal story as well. One time, Julia was in the important meeting, and then, she noticed that some one was typing on the laptop very loud, and then, she was kind of nervous. She got distracted, and lost focus on the question. Her first thought was that people are getting trained to take notes. It is like on the court.

Haha, it is a game tactics, and test your ability to stay focus, despite distractions.

Write down some notes, and do some research later.

Here is the article call hiring best people ...

Workout

Always write down the great ideas, and then, think about more later. 

1. Begin phone screens 15 minutes early, 15 minutes late, or not at all. 

Why? 

To find people who are always ready for the job. 

2. Make the interview schedule as confusing and unpredictable as possible. 

Why? 

To find people who don't need instructions. 

3. Make sure something goes wrong during the presentation Why? To see how the candidate adjusts to less-than-ideal circumstances

4. During the interview, make a ton of incorrect assumptions

Why?

To weed out candidates who are easily annoyed. 

Is he a jerk about it or does he stay cool? This is how tech companies find out what a candidate would be like to work with when the shit inevitably hits the fan. 

5. Ask the candidate to solve your own, specific problems

Just pretend we already tried that and it didn't work

Why? 

Because you really need help with this problem

6. Have the interview frequently move between different rooms

Why?

To find people who are still excited, even when they're uncomfortable

7. Ask the same questions over and over again

Now that we've talked about your experience, let's talk about  your experience. 

Why? 

To test consistency

In the tech world, predictability is a good thing. This a great tool for testing the candidate's consistency. Candidates should only be wildly inconsistent with their answers when interviewing for senior roles. 

8. Conduct dual interviews with a good cop / bad cop vibe

Why? 

To find people who can multi-task under pressure

Put the candidate in the middle of a conference room with interviewers at both ends of the table. Is the candidate able to simultaneously direct her attention to both interviewers while sufficiently answering each question at the same time? Or is she clearly exhausted and wondering why she even agreed to this interview? This is a great indicator of how the candidate will perform during a crunch. 

9. Ask a question, then start typing very loudly

Why?

 To find people who remain focused despite distractions

Ask the candidate a question. Then, as soon as he starts to answer, start typing loudly. Apologize and say you're "listening, just taking notes." You could be taking notes, or you could be writing an email to your estranged father, doesn't matter. See if the candidate can remain focused on the question or if he gets lost. This will help you find candidates who don't let tiny distractions get in the way of finishing the job. 

10. Three months later, call and offer the candidate a job she didn't apply for

Why? 

To find people who are determined

This is a great way to weed out people who obviously didn't really want the job in the first place. Does the candidate fight for the job he wanted? Does he take the offer because he thinks it's the best he can get? Or does he turn it down because he already found another job months ago? This tactic is a good way to suss that out. 

Feb. 27, 2017
Additional reading: here's Google's secret to hire the best people.