You Can’t Evaluate for Fit in an Interview

I began a career in recruiting back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. I was a recent college graduate who knew nothing. I was trained by a man whose nickname, Swami, because he was the one who was supposed to be all-knowing for us beginners. Even he missed this obvious point.

We all know that when job hunters go on interviews they are on good behavior. They try to put up a great impression of their personality as well as share their knowledge with the interviewer. Although answers translate into, “I have done this. I have done that.” It is to be expected.

But it took me a while to figure out was that employers are on good behavior, too. I realized that one day when it came to me that I had never heard the employer say to a job hunter, “We have problems. I have taken over the group and they are marginally competent. We have tight deadlines and too much to do. My predecessor got fired and so was hers. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that my butt’s on the line and I need to hire someone to help me save it.”

Never happens.

Instead, hiring managers, leaders, directors, interviewers, all put on a happy smile button face and tell people that they are interviewing, “you know, we have a terrific team of people. There is a great opportunity here for the right person. And I mentioned that we are like…