But even more important is what the other applicants do while one of them talks. The candidates who listen well, respond to and encourage others get the highest marks. The candidates who score poorly are those who appear to view the rest of the room as a passel of competitors or who hunker down to fine-tune their own remarks. But not for long. A culture that prospers because of good-spirited teamwork needs players who believe in it, not players who pretend they do.
Many organizations persist in treating hiring as a secret process.
A new employee is presented to the staff, case closed. And then, when the new worker doesn't fit in, there's much gnashing of teeth and moaning about staff turnover and the high cost of replacement. Hiring managers should take a Southwest tip and build some kind of group interaction into the hiring process, if not with a roomful of applicants, at least with the applicant and current staff. And job hunters might want to embrace group interview opportunities. Don't get ruffled or scared.