Business and training
job candidates employ. He didn’t know my role. My boss
didn’t introduce me by job title, and I didn’t introduce
myself that way because I wasn’t into titles.
When Tom asked what I did, I said, “I work in
manufacturing,” because that’s what I always said.
And Tom couldn’t tell what my role was by my
clothing. Even though all the other managers dressed
‘professionally’, I had shifted my personal dress code
to jeans and polo shirts: I spent 90% of my time on the
floor, liked to get involved, liked to get dirty ... OK, who
am I kidding? I hated khakis and I had found business
reasons not to wear them.
So Tom assumed I was just a shop floor guy. Within
minutes, he said things and asked questions he never
would have had he known my role in the company.
I learnt that:
• He was asked to resign from two previous jobs —
but it definitely wasn’t his fault.
• His bosses created conflict by constantly holding
him back.
• He felt that focusing on productivity —
professionally and personally — stifled creativity.
“I’m an ideas guy,” he said. “I’m not hands-on.”
• He wanted to know if the company had policies
against dating employees, especially those who
might report to him.
• He asked how often he would have to interact with
my boss since he already could tell my boss was
a jerk.
My boss had been leaning towards hiring Tom until
I told him about our tour. “Wow, I had no clue. He was
great in my interviews,” he said. “How did you get all of
that out of him?”
“I didn’t,” I replied. “He just told me.”
Here’s why the undercover tour works:
• Some candidates put on a great show for the boss,
but they don’t try nearly as hard if they think a
person is beneath them. Think of it as the ‘server
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
35
test’: if you want insight into how a person treats
people, take him or her to lunch. How the candidate
interacts with the server is a much better indication
of his or her interpersonal skills than how this
person interacts with you.
• Some candidates want to know the inside scoop
about the company, which is fair enough since
interviews are a two-way process. They will often
ask the undercover tour guide questions they would
never ask you, and that gives you better insight into
their perspectives and agendas.
• Some otherwise great candidates simply don’t
perform well in interviews. A tour conducted by
someone other than you gives those people the
chance to relax and show their true (and often
positive) colours.
Next time you have a vacancy, give it a try. Choose
someone in your business whose opinion you trust. Do
not introduce this person by job title. In fact, tell the
employee to be relatively vague about his or her role in
the company if asked.
When you finish your formal interview, just say to the
candidate, “(Name) is going to show you what we do. Take
all the time you need and I’ll see you when you’re done.”
Sneaky? Not really. The more you know about
candidates, the better hiring decisions you can make.
Plus, you get a second opinion about a candidate from a
person you trust.
The undercover tour is just another way to give
potential new hires a chance to show they are a great fit
for the position and your business. Most will shine. Some
will not. Either way, you get to make a better
hiring decision. PA
About the author
Jeff Haden is a contributing editor for Inc.com and a
LinkedIn influencer.
June 2017 Volume 23 I Number 4