I Can’t Remember Making a Mistake

 There was a pause around the conference table.  One of the final candidates for the CEO position of this state wide organization had just told the search committee that he couldn’t remember ever making a mistake.

“Take your time,” I prompted.  “Even Milton Hershey went bankrupt several times before he became successful.”

“I’m very thorough and careful about everything I do,” the candidate said.  “I don’t make mistakes.”

And with that remark, he damaged his credibility so badly he eliminated himself, as every one of the senior managers around the table very clearly remembered times when he or she had stumbled.  The Board of Directors definitely did not want to hire a CEO who would conceal bad news or errors.

The candidate had completed a personality and leadership style assessment that had indicated he might have difficulty admitting his mistakes and might even try to conceal them.  The simple interview question that was asked based on the data in the assessment was, “Tell us about a time when, in hindsight, you made a mistake.”   This true story illustrates both the power of a valid and reliable assessment tool, and also how to use assessment data appropriately.  The candidate was given a fair chance and sealed his own fate by the response he made to the question.  He was not screened out based on the assessment data alone.

The best use of assessment data is to develop interview questions that probe strengths and weakness the candidate may have, confirm whether the candidate shows awareness of those traits, and when a weakness is admitted, what the individual is doing to improve.

For example, a question posed to an extroverted candidate for a Sales and Marketing Manager who an assessment indicated might not listen well to others was, “Tell me about a time when your ability to listen to a prospective customer helped you close a sale.”  The answer came quickly.  “I’m a raving extrovert, so listening is something I really have to work on.”  This was followed by a great example of showing good listening skills.  To probe some more, a follow up question was asked. “Now tell me about a time when you weren’t a good listener and lost a sale.  With a rueful smile, the candidate told a story of losing out on a big deal.  However, having convinced the business owner of successfully overcoming this hurdle, along with demonstrating many other positive traits, this person was hired and is doing well in the position.

Good assessment tools properly used can help achieve a good match of a candidate’s traits and abilities to those needed for the position.  The keys are:

Use assessment tools that are valid and reliable.

Understand the strengths and limitations of the tools you are using.

Use the tools appropriately, to better understand your candidate’s strengths and weaknesses.