Interaction

When Hiring, First Test, Emotional Agility

HBR article by Susan David and Christina

and Then Interview

Congleton, November
Many people believe that difficult
thoughts and feelings have no
HBR article by John Bateson, Jochen Wirtz, Eugene Burke, place at the office, but all healthy
and Carly Vaughan, November human beings have inner voices
It’s easier than ever to apply for a job. The resulting increase that express criticism, doubt, and
in applications can be a burden on HR departments, which fear, David and Congleton point
traditionally have begun the hiring process by sifting out. Effective leaders can take
through résumés and then conducting interviews. This steps to manage—not suppress—
that natural negativity.
legacy approach is obsolete, say the authors. Their cross-
industry research shows that by conducting web-based
If a person freaks out, loses his temper, or
psychometric tests at the very start, companies—especially exhibits a negative quality every once in
service firms—can reduce costs and make better hires. a while, it doesn’t define him. People are
plastic, and organizational culture should
We have been championing this approach number one wish of most job board users be plastic, too. People shouldn’t feel
for years and have found that hiring assess- is to get better-quality applicants. that they have to manage their emotions.
ments are particularly suited to situations John Hoskins, cofounder and chief sales Instead, organizations should become
in which you have a high volume of applica- officer, SalesGenomix tolerant of people’s emotions.
tions. The gains are not only time savings Joseph Bassett, president, Dawn Equipment
but a pool of better-matched candidates. I have found that the best way to test
However, a test won’t deliver value unless candidates is to get them to present Once you have learned to “unhook” your-
you really know what you’re looking for and themselves to a cross-functional team of self from your emotions and just observe
base the test on a true view of what “great” managers. That allows me to see how they them, you recognize that the thoughts and
means for the role in question. prepare and how they present themselves feelings that roll through you are simply
Gareth Jones, partner and chief solutions in a situation similar to selling a com- another data source to be mined—a criti-
architect, The Chemistry Group plex solution (where they have to deal cal one, in that the insights they provide
with partial information, a committee of tend to relate to your values.
Standardized tests need not predict influencers, and diverse personalities and Lisa Shelley, principal consultant, Essentia
success. They just need to act as an backgrounds). It’s been amazing to see
additional filter. people who seem really good on paper and One fun way I help my clients be
Venkat Naga Pavan Gobburu, senior project in interviews completely fall apart when emotionally agile is to give their critical
manager, Infosys pitching themselves to a committee. inner voices names. Mine, for instance,
Gerry Baron, director of business development, is called “Erma.” Then, when people
I have observed many times that can- Diligent eSecurity International hear these inner critics, they can say,
didates who have more experience will “Hello, Erma,” as they would to a neighbor
simply refuse to take the test, which they Testing will work for a while, but as with who is a bit disgruntled, and go about
find a little embarrassing and insulting. anything else, people will adapt to it. their business.
Abhay Mathur, senior product manager, Professors will teach to the test, expensive Henna Inam, CEO, Transformational
MeritTrac Services “Pass Your Job Test” courses will emerge Leadership
online, and a new For Dummies book will
Old habits die hard, and it’s darned difficult come out within a month. Standardized Buddha was onto something. This is the
to wrestle all those résumés away from a tests have repeatedly demonstrated that essence of meditation: Note without
recruiter. The traditional approach seems they do not predict success for university judgment. Objectify things (in a good way)
to give comfort by controlling a known, al- students; what makes you think it will be so that they can be dealt with and not
beit old, process. Screening résumés from different in the workplace? harbored.
those post-and-pray job boards makes re- Alex Manuel Gajano, global director Patrick Reynolds, chief strategy
cruiters feel so very, very busy, though the of tracking solutions, Skypatrol officer, Triton Digital

20 Harvard Business Review January–February 2014

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