We both dialed for the interview
He was casually dressed, holding a drink, and assumed it was going to be a less formal, chit-chat…
I take case interviews and these are rather moderately difficult to difficult – one needs some seriousness & preparation to perform well. We did 2 cases, he did okay…I was convinced of his abilities but was very unsure because of his casual approach
I spare the last 10-15 mins for the candidate to ask questions, and gauge the fit; he became inquisitive about the role and what the team does – I answered, and he got interested for real
I had almost made up my mind to say NO but his last question changed my mind – he said, ‘I know I did not give my best but I believe if I give a serious shot, I can make it and I will enjoy working in your team; will you please give me a chance? I responded – HR will let you know on next steps…
Later, I reflected and decided to lean in; he did well in the next rounds and finally, he made it to ops strategy team at Philip Morris International
Now we work together and he is one of the finest team members I know…
#leadership #interviews #psychologicalsafety #leanin