| Making judgments is unavoidable. It's part of what | | | | information about the candidate. Another thing that |
| makes us human. In a way, we organize our world | | | | happens, is that we use the remainder of the |
| through our judgments. They help us give meaning to | | | | interview to check and reassert the conclusions |
| things, attribute value to people and objects, and | | | | we've made during the first minutes of the interview. |
| they define and/or condition personal relationships | | | | It's like when you were to buy that first used car |
| and situations. | | | | that you have been craving (and saving) for. |
| Illusionism | | | | Sometimes you'll see what you want to see and |
| Objectivity is an illusion, simply because we live in a | | | | ignore evident warning signs because your judgment |
| world of symbols, words and concepts which are | | | | is clouded by the "crush" yo got on the car. |
| intrinsically ambiguous. One thing may mean many | | | | Last week I was interviewing a person. Ten minutes |
| things. Saying the same thing will have a different | | | | into the interview I found myself thinking "yeap, she |
| meaning depending on how we say it, how we | | | | looks like a good fit for this unit". Thankfully I heard |
| stress it, the tone or cadence of our voice, our | | | | myself thinking this so I refrained from suspending |
| accent, whether we are speaking metaphorically... the | | | | my critical thinking. By the time I finished the |
| list goes on. Just be sure of something: if you are a | | | | interview I was hardly convinced by this candidate. |
| human being -which I guess you are since you are | | | | During that final half hour, a few red flags were risen |
| reading this- the illusion of objectivity is only there to | | | | which made me doubt the suitability of the candidate |
| cloud your judgement. So first step: accept the fact | | | | for the position -and the suitability of the position for |
| that we are all subject to ourselves and our cultures. | | | | the candidate-. Had I gone with my gut feeling, I may |
| We are subjective subjects thanks to our ability to | | | | have made a mistake hiring the person -a mistake |
| communicate through words and ideas and because | | | | I've made in the past-. |
| we are not all-knowing gods. | | | | In gut feeling's defense |
| *Blink*. I (think I) know who you are! | | | | Don't get me wrong; gut feelings are not necessarily |
| Cognitively, it takes us between 2 and 10 seconds to | | | | a bad thing, in fact, they provide a level of insight not |
| make a judgment. In just a fleeting moment, the | | | | achievable through our "rational" thinking process. Gut |
| course of a long lasting relationship, the fate of a | | | | feelings are a convergence of our perceptive organs' |
| career or the rest of a person's life can be drastically | | | | input, our feelings and fast cognition. That level of |
| affected. For those of you who have fallen in love at | | | | connectivity between areas is not achievable through |
| first sight and ended up in a relationship; have you | | | | our linear -and contemplative- thinking process. You |
| ever thought what could have happened if you | | | | just have to be critic towards gut feelings and also |
| hadn't felt that crush that day? A whole chapter in | | | | towards yourself and your motives. Our judgments |
| your life could have been completely different. | | | | should not be exempt from our own criticism. |
| Actually, it happens every time we meet someone. | | | | How long should it take to assess a candidate? |
| The patterns of interaction with the person we meet | | | | This may as well be the title of the article. Answer: |
| will be greatly influenced by what happens during | | | | The whole length of it. This may be your only chance |
| those first couple of seconds after you meet him or | | | | to make the decision to hire someone who will be |
| her. Down the road, you may get to know the | | | | sharing much more than office space. Seize every |
| person better and reassess your preconceptions -and | | | | minute of the interview and make it worth it for |
| perceptions-, or you may never do. | | | | both you and the interviewee. If you are a recruiter, |
| The hirer's mistake | | | | head hunter or hiring manager, resist the urge and |
| On top of that 2-10 second first impression, many | | | | anxiety of closing the case early on. |
| recruiters and hiring managers make the decision | | | | A final word for candidates |
| -conscious or unconsciously- of whether to hire or | | | | If you are on the other side of the desk, remember |
| not to hire a candidate within the first 10 minutes of | | | | the importance of those first minutes and always ask |
| the interview. The rest of it is just a filler. Candidates | | | | the most important question at the end of every |
| should be aware of this as well. In most interviews, | | | | interview: "do you have any reservations or concerns |
| the first 10 minutes are crucial to make a good | | | | with regards to my experience, credentials or ability |
| impression and you may not have a second chance | | | | to perform this job?" (rephrase at will). It will give |
| to make your case. | | | | you a second chance to stress your qualifications, |
| By closing the case early during the interview, we | | | | clarify misunderstandings, revisit a part of the |
| cease to think and just rush through the questions | | | | interview where you didn't do that well or at least |
| without thinking about them, dismissing a wealth of | | | | get a clearer picture of where you are standing. |