The Problem with Interviews
People reveal themselves differently depending on the environment.
People don't reveal who they are when they're trying to impress you.
That's the problem with interviews.
Ask someone why they want the job.
You already know the answers.
"I want to learn."
"I like solving problems."
"I enjoy working with people."
The candidate performs.
The interviewer evaluates.
Neither behaves normally.
Then I watched a business head interview candidates.
He didn't try to catch them out.
He stayed curious.
He let silence exist.
He asked simple follow-up questions.
The questions weren't different.
The environment was.
People stopped trying to sound impressive.
They started thinking out loud.
Some admitted they didn't know.
Some changed their minds halfway through an answer.
Some revealed how they actually reasoned.
That's what the formal interview had been hiding.
The lesson wasn't about interviews.
It was about people.
Behavior is shaped by the environment.
Change the environment.
You change what becomes visible.