Very early in my career, I was told that being likeable was the key to success in a job interview.
The premise of the statement was that the hiring manager had already positively assessed my CV for the required technical skills because they invited me to be interviewed. Now, all they want to know is if they want to work with me.
It turned out to be good advice.
It’s natural to want to work with people you like and find easy to work with, and consequently, when you are building a team or forming work groups, you often seek out such people.
This is either done consciously or subconsciously.
In the case of recruitment, for example, search criteria often specifically reference the desire to find a candidate where there is a cultural fit.
Cultural fit can mean different things to different people. Typically, if you ask people how they define cultural fit they will give comments such as someone who:
▶ Lives the organisation’s values
▶ Is able to work well in the team
▶ Will fit in with the rest of the group
▶ Understands the organisation’s objectives and buys into its vision
However, when you strip away the layers and get to base-level drivers what the person is looking for is someone who they feel comfortable with.
That is, someone who they connect with because they can see aspects of themselves in that person.
This can be a trap. How? Watch this week's MG Workplace Series to uncover more.
#leaders #management #careers
If you want to work with me go to: michellegibbings.com