Recently I have been thinking that interviewing is a lot like dating…only daters seem to be more savvy.
These days daters are smart! They know despite what they hear about someone from a friend, or read about someone on a dating service…there is always more to the picture. It all starts with the background check, research. Almost always today, there’s Googling and social media creeping. The point is to get as much information as you can, as quickly as you can before you meet, to see if the person is even worth the time. In a busy week, there is limited time for dating, and it needs to be productive!
In the business world, employers often begin and end their initial hiring stage by just reviewing resumes. Resumes that paint the rosy picture, which is often not the accurate or complete picture. Rarely do employers Google potential candidates, or review their social media profiles to learn more about the candidate before investing valuable and expensive resources to conduct an interview.
In dating, only after the research shows that there is potential does it make sense to proceed to a casual date – with no time commitment like a coffee or a walk. It is a waste of time and money to start with a full 5 course dinner date until you know that there is some kind of connection. In addition, the casual setting is also less stressful, reduces the pressure to behave in a particular manner and the conversation is usually more relaxed depicting more accurate personalities. Only if the casual mini-date is successful would daters take it to the next step and go on one, or a couple real dates to see if there is relationship potential. It has become a very streamlined, thorough and efficient process for finding true love.
Employers on the other hand, typically jump from resume review to a full interview without even screening the candidate first. They often spend a forced 30min-1.5hrs with someone without knowing if there is even a potential fit. Plus, interviews are often very formal, and interviewees don’t show their true personalities, strengths and weaknesses. It would be wise for employers to spin off the ‘mini-date’ idea and have recruiter evenings, or short meet and greets to narrow candidates and see them in a more relaxed setting before holding formal interviews. Doing something like this would allow for quality over quantity and minimize an employer’s time commitment and resources, as well as enable true fit.
Next time you are interviewing – pretend you are dating.
- Aleya Suleman
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