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An exploration of the deeply flawed and often arbitrary nature of contemporary hiring processes, highlighting how decisions are frequently made within minutes based on bias rather than competence, and contrasting traditional interviews with the even more exhausting assessment centres.
Given the biased nature of the interview process, the recent kerfuffle about taking iced coffee in with you may be the least of our worrieswas part of a job interview process recently, on the hiring side of the table for the first time in 15 years, and was instantly reminded how weird the whole business is.
The debate about whetherjust highlights the silliness of selection processes: you could bring a live weasel to an interview and still get the job if the interviewer likes the look of you. It’s afound 25% decided within five minutes and 60% within 15), sometimes on little more than vibes.
Everyone has a horror story: an acquaintance was recently told she was “perfect for the role”, despite barely saying a word as the interviewer monologued wildly for 45 minutes while vaping in her face. Being a good interviewee isn’t the same as being a good employee, either. I’ve crashed and burned at every interview, including for jobs I know I would have done decently.
Once my interviewers told me they knew I was messy “because we’ve seen your kitchen” ; another time, a junior employee informed me before the ordeal had even started that I’d blown it by wearing trousers. But what’s the alternative? Those interminable Hunger Games “assessment centre” processes with tests and group exercises are even worse – building Lego towers with strangers is no test of anything meaningful.
The spookymy younger son and his mates face as they try to claw their way out of Neetdom is depersonalising and depressing, and,So I suppose the 45-minute chat is here to stay, but let’s not pretend it’s anything more than an awkward chemistry read. In my case, it was instantly apparent that the candidate was vastly more qualified and knowledgable than me and I had no business even asking them questions.
I suppose that’s another case of an interviewer making up their mind far too quickly, but I’m sure I’m right.
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