I think this might either be the lamest interview question I have heard, or the most ingenious!

My sister is a healthcare worker. Best in the business! Has patience for days with the seniors she works with. LOVES them all! But she hates, I mean despises, the business of the business. So when her company told her they were closing their doors, she was freaking out. Not because she was concerned she wouldn’t find a job in a week, but because finding that job was going to try her patience. And sure enough it did.

During an interview that she wasn’t particularly thrilled with, as they wrapped up the interviewer asked, “if you were to be offered this job, on a scale of 1-10 how likely would you accept it?” What answer do we think we will get here? 10! Okay so clearly that isn’t true or you are desperate. We all need time to process and think. A 1! Who would ever say that? My sisters’ response… “a 6.”. Well now I just don’t know what to do with that. Are you interested? Would more money make you an 8. Are you really a 1 and don’t want to say it??? What are we trying to understand with that question?

What do you think, best question or lame question?

With so many people moving jobs, being poached, or returning to the workforce, companies are hiring everywhere I turn. I won’t talk about the great resignation (save that for another post), but what I hear from business owners is “it’s so hard to find people”, they aren’t even saying good people, some just want “butts in seat”, which I guess is strategy… it falls adjacent to the solid approach to “hire for fit & personality, train the skills” – I full heartedly agree. But if you are putting butts in the seats you must be clear about the expectations (seems like a non brainer, but you would be surprised what I see) and the manager is clear about who their new hire is. We want a butt in the seat and are happy to train them, but what makes them tick, how do they learn, how do they communicate, how big of a gap do you have so you are prepared and connecting with them appropriately. Getting them up to speed as quickly as possible so they are productive and the company is meeting its objectives. This is one of the reasons I love The Predictive Index. You might get your job filled, but what is their success odds or what kind of care and feeding will they need to enable their success. PI does this, super cool. Gives you the leg up to fast track the learning for both manager and new employee.

Another interview story…A former client is interviewing, ready for a change, and she went through 8 interviews, 5 of which were technical. WHAT??? That is a lot of time to ask of a person… (I think). She didn’t get the job. They all loved her and wanted to work with her, but it was split decision on the technical, again I say WHAT??? Two things on this… hire for fit… train any skill gap… AND what does this say about your culture that people go through 8 interviews!! What kind of analysis paralysis, over engineered procedures do we have here! I say bullet dodged. Your hiring practices set the tone for the culture in the organization. Candidates are deciding if this is a culture they want to be connected to from the point of application.

If you are looking to hire people for fit with the job, the team, the business objectives, I highly recommend using The Predictive Index. Message me to learn more.

I have been so impressed with how my friend of over 25 years continues to show up every day and be vulnerable in sharing her story. I invited her to share this particular article on my blog, not only because I think her voice is beautiful, but also because this is what authenticity looks like, and that is a big part of how I coach and who I am. Leading at all levels means bringing our full selves to the work and our colleagues. These are the stories that people are dealing with who you work with, the feelings that run through their body at any time. Being an inclusive leader, cultivating a place for everyone to have a voice, means hearing more of these stories and bringing them to the forefront.

The following is written by: Sarah Budka Ammerman – Human, cancer survivor, olive Hater. 

I’ve spent a lot of time in my adult life joking that I’m probably cursed. Let’s face it, based on my track record, it’s an applicable joke. 

When I was diagnosed with my first cancer, just over ten years ago now, I was so damn scared. God, how I begged the Universe. Please, please no. Not this. But of course the Universe doesn’t work that way, and cancer it was. And even when they told me I was in remission, I was still scared. Anyone who has had cancer knows that the fear never leaves you, not completely. You’re always waiting for that other shoe to drop. The fear just hovers, following you wherever you go. 

And every time they’d say, “We see something, we need you to come in for a biopsy,” or “Hmmm your blood work shouldn’t look like that, I’m ordering more scans,” once again I found myself begging the Universe. Please, please no. Not this. But each time it turned out okay! Until it didn’t. And I found myself saying, f@&k you, Universe!!!!

But here I am again, on the road to healing. Still dealing with lots of side effects and pain. But moving forward in a way many of the other cancer patients I’ve known never will. You see, survivors guilt is a real monster. It makes you question why you lived and others didn’t. And it eats at you because there’s no answer.  No matter how hard you search for one, you won’t find it.  

A few years ago I found myself standing in the grass at a friend’s funeral. We were diagnosed about a week or so apart. We both went through surgeries and treatments that brought us to our knees. We used to text each other late at night when chemo induced insomnia robbed us of our sleep. We were both declared “in remission.”  But then her cancer came back, and it came back with a vengeance. While she suffered, my body got stronger. And as her hair fell out again, mine grew longer. 

During her funeral I found myself mentally relaying every moment to her. “You would have loved the guy they chose to sing in church, his voice was incredible, and he was so cute omg!” Sending her a play by play to wherever she is now. I watched her son place a single pink rose on her coffin and I felt like I might shatter into a million pieces. “We’re all going to eat together now. Your service is over. The flowers were pretty.” 

After my cancer came back, and that other shoe finally dropped, I realized something. That damn survivors guilt has felt so heavy because I’ve been carrying it so long. I think I finally figured out how to put it down. The people I’ve loved that didn’t make it aren’t mad at me for surviving. They are watching me with such joy.  And their memories will never fade as long as I draw breath. I bring them with me everywhere I go.

 You see, it turns out I’m not cursed. I’m a walking miracle. I’m the luckiest girl around. I lived. 

So if you’re reading this, and you’re suffering in some way, or feeling unmoored, and you’ve been yelling at the Universe, begging for a sign that no matter what comes next you will be okay….

This is it.  

Note: Donations to the American Cancer Society are appreciated