ScopeAT

It’s time to change the way we think about hiring — the purpose, the goals, our mindset as hiring managers, even the approach we take as candidates.

The vast majority of companies (I would estimate well over 90%) engage candidates in a counterproductive “dance” where candidates are expected to show up and perform for them. The undertone is, “You’re lucky to be interviewing with us. Come show us how much you love us, impress us with how you navigate our questions, give us a good gut feeling about you.”

Unsurprisingly, candidates play along, prepping “ideal” responses for why this is their dream job, regardless whether it is. They catalogue their prior career experiences, cherry-picking the stories that present them in the best light and preparing “decoys” should any questions arise about their weaknesses or prior failures (decoys = benign responses that deflect attention away from the truth). This audition-like hiring process rewards showmanship and discourages honesty and vulnerability.

The end result? Hiring managers end up hiring the candidate who delivers the best “performance” in their interviews, not the one who is the best fit for the job. And this tends to favor extroverts, desperate job seekers with ample time to prep, and (frankly) overconfident males. These hiring managers onboard their new hires, blind to their limitations and liabilities, and with limited understanding of their true passions and motivations.

It’s time to disrupt this whole dysfunctional dynamic. 

How? 

First, by rethinking the purpose of an interview: An interview is not a performance — it is a data-gathering exercise. It is an opportunity to learn about a whole human being — their real ambitions, their true strengths and limitations — from a place of openness and curiosity.

Here are three specific tactics to help you build this dynamic in your next interview:

1. Stop asking candidates why they want the job, especially across multiple interviews. That’s an invitation to a stump speech — a prepared little narrative that they tweak and refine every time they’re asked the question. Instead, learn about what motivated their prior career choices.
2. Stop asking trick questions or throwing candidates “curveballs” to see how they react. Instead, engage them in a dynamic, high rapport dialogue about the successes and failures across their career.
3. Stop showing your judgment with your words or facial expressions. When you communicate your interpretation of a candidate’s response — even a positive one — you are actually creating an obstacle to vulnerability. The next time you hear an impressive story, react with fascination rather than explicit praise. The vibe is “Wow, this is so interesting,” not “Wow, you are a great candidate.”

You will know you’ve gotten it right when candidates start sharing their whole selves with you — and when your new hires tell you how great their hiring experience was. It feels good to be seen and understood. It feels crappy to have to put on a performance.

This post was originally published on LinkedIn.

Jordan Burton has 18 years of experience as an executive assessor and interviewing trainer, working with top VC/PE investors and high-growth startups to help them hire the best of the best. He has trained thousands of founders, leaders, and investors on hiring and interviewing skills. He leads Talgo’s business development initiatives, managing relationships with TPG, Sequoia Capital, TH Lee, Palantir, Scale AI, and over 50 venture-backed startups.

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