An expert has insisted there is one question you should ask during a job interview to cut through all the nonsense.
Making a good impression is pretty important when you are going for a job interview.
I mean, you want to work there, so it only helps if they like you and think you are the right person for the role.
But one thing often forgotten is that, while you are trying to appeal to them, they also need to sell themselves to you.
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NYU Stern Professor Suzy Welch contributed to a CNBC report and outlined a crucial question applicants should make sure they asked to cut through all the bs and get to the nitty gritty.
While you might like the name of the company, the money and or its reputation, she remarked one important aspect often overlooked is the company’s values.
She explained: “My research shows that only about 7% of adults know their values with real clarity. And worse, most don’t know how to identify a company’s real values, either. Not the ones in the brochure. The real ones.
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“Nearly every company will say it values empowerment, innovation, and excellence. But let’s be honest: Those are just platitudes. The truth is, values aren’t what a company says it believes. Values are how work really gets done.”
Think back of your employment history, how many places have said working there is one way, only to give you the job and you realize they were basically talking out of their a**.
Well, Welch explained that this one question can force companies to show their true colors.
She insisted applicants should ask: “What kind of person should not work at this company?”
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Welch remarked that interviewers are likely to be taken aback and as a result are more likely to give honest answers.
She even explained what some of the answers her students, who asked this question, have gotten as a response.
Here are some real responses my students have heard:
- “A person who doesn’t want to text on weekends.”
- “Someone who wants to try out different roles — this is a place for specialists.”
- “A person who’s too social.”
- “Excessive wokeness does not really fly here.”
- “Anyone who likes to work on their own too much.”
She noted that these comments reveal what it's likely going to be working there and can better help a person decide whether this is the place for them.
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She added: “Take that first one: 'A person who doesn’t want to text on weekends.' That company might claim it respects boundaries and employee well-being. But this answer tells a different story.
Or, 'A person who’s too social.' Translation: 'We prize focus and independence. Community? Not so much.'
"I’m not saying any of those values are wrong — unless they’re wrong for you.”
Gerrard Kaonga