Yes, you heard it right. If you are best dressed, have a professional written resume and answer appropriately with confidence in an interview, chances are, you still might not be selected for the job.
Why? Well, because your selection depends on other factors too. Like..
- Can you play video game well?
- How is your hand writing?
- Do you love outdoor sports?
There are many similar parameters that employers consider now while hiring. So if you are up for a great career with an equally great organization, performing well in the traditional interview might just not be enough. In an attempt to choose the right fit, organizations now are turning experimental with their hiring practices.
Companies like ConnectCubed and Knack work with corporate to design assessment games that help to discover latent qualities in the job applicants while keeping them engaged at the same time. Knack’s Wasabi waiter is already popular and largely used by a pre-employment assessment firm Onetest, for candidate evaluation.
Automattic Inc, known for WordPress.com, offer new hires to work on contract for a few weeks without leaving their current job. During this paid contract time, the company evaluates candidate on his skills, telecommuting ability and collaboration with potential colleagues.
Why are organizations turning to unusual and advanced selection techniques? Probably because…
- It helps them hire the best cultural fit
- The traditional interview pattern has become more about learned responses and behavior.
- It helps them identify the unique qualities that they are looking for in a candidate like thinking pattern in adversity, multitasking ability, creativity, response time etc.
- When job has specific demands like telecommuting, strict deadlines ,extensive PR skills, these assessment techniques are good.
- Handwriting analysis is true reflection of candidate’s emotional energy. Written Inc, a hand writing analysis calls it “the written body language”.
Does that mean that if you are not good in sports or have a bad handwriting, you won’t be hired? Absolutely not, it’s not winning but how an applicant participates and behaves during the process that is observed and analyzed.
So if next time if you open door of the interview chamber and see a tennis ball flying towards you, they might be testing your attentiveness and vigilance. Be careful! 🙂
HRDictionary 
Reblogged this on The Corporate Sensemaker and commented:
It doesn’t always look as it appears. You might be brilliant, but not the right fit
Thanks for the share.
Glad you liked the post! Yes, its the right fit that counts in hiring.
Thanks for your thoughtful blog entries. I am an avid follower of HRdictionary!
very insightful. candidates undergo 360 degree assessment, being yourself helps in such cases. do a homework about a company’s culture and how ur candidature (curricular + extra curricular ) will fitin the role. on the other hand, hope companies are adopting these assessment methodology & its out of need and not the status quo : )
Thanks paras,
Appreciate your feedback! Seems like companies are getting more certain about hiring the right cultural fit. Its a good step beyond merits and learned skills.