Group Forums >> Human Resources Network >> "Are you lucky?" Can reveal a lot about a potential employee.
"Are you lucky?" Can reveal a lot about a potential employee.
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Posted 4 months ago Are you lucky? An interesting question to ask the more than 15,000 attendees in Las Vegas at the Society for Human Resource Management 59th Annual Conference & Exposition. According to Daniel Pink, author of "Free Agent Nation," and speaker at SHRM’s general session on Tuesday morning, the question is the best he has ever heard for interviewing candidates.
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| Posted 4 months ago Interesting question. I'd advise some caution when asking open ended questions about "philosophy of life." You might be surprised by the answers and also find yourself receiving protected information about the candidate. One might think that unsolicited, volunteered information won't pose any risk to the interviewer and the company, but that is not the case with the way this question is worded. And depending upon the interviewee there may be few good ways to ask this question. For example, at a local christian college's HR class this question has been discussed. The typical answer will lead you into a discussion on God and his role in the issues of "luck, fate, and self-determination." This question could force a candidate to make a choice between divulging his or her religious beliefs or either refusing to answer the question or to create a lie to get through the interview. I'd first see if you can define luck, establish its relevance, appearance, and importance in the work place; how one identifies it, manages it, procures it, uses it properly, and establish it as a bona fide KSAA and then develop a question around it. Todd |
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| Posted 4 months ago It is really interesting question,especially if it is only the begining of the discussion with the candidate on this topic. It seems logical to ask than "Why do you think so?" or "How can you prove your opinion?"
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| Posted 3 months ago I would not ask this question because it can lead to answers I am not ready to hear. Let me explain. I was at a course (volunteer management for non-profit organizations) a few years ago, and the instructor shared with the class a question she used to ask applicants who applied to be volunteers. Her question was along the line of "share the worst day you have experienced", "the unluckiest day/event". In the hundreds of people she has posed this question to she found most of the answers showed humor, and insight, and she thought it provided her a good glimpse of the person's ability to laugh or find something positive in that unlucky event.
One day she asked the same question to this young lady who applied to volunteer at her organization. The young lady looked shocked, but after a pause, she replied, "...my worst day..unluckiest...was the day I was raped...".
I guess Daniel Pink like the rest of us have not encountered such a response at an interview, or would find an applicant who would reveal such personal details at an interview. But do we want to take our chance?
We should be skilled enough or at least kept working at our craft in designing questions to reach our hiring decisions without having to resort to such questions.
And on another note, I love Kabuki performances. It is a showcase of skilled talent in the art of dance, singing, and acting. “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits, and their entrance” (Shakespeare). Interviewer and interviewee both have their roles. Interviewees will try their best to wow, and the interviewers must be skilled to elicit honest responses to questions tailored towards the job itself but the interviewer should also expect the unexpected.
LiChing Ooi
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| Posted 3 months ago Nice post Li ! Todd |
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| Posted 3 months ago when we're thinking of new ways to conduct the interview, we really do have a responsibility to be careful about what we're going to ask and why. This experience shows that sometimes things are not all that we had thought they would be. It is true that interviews need to be updated. But we need to think carefully whilst doing it. |
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| Posted 3 months ago I heard Daniel Pink speak and ask this at the 2007 HRPA (Human Resources Professional Association) Conference in Toronto, he was a very intelligent man. I agree that "Are you lucky?" can provide a lot of insight into the type of person you are interviewing. Those who feel they are lucky generally have a better outlook on life. They also tend to be the ones who don't feel as though the world owes them. They're the ones that feel what they put into society comes back to them and therefore tend to be better employees because they're willing to work hard and treat others well. |
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| Posted 3 months ago Here's a thought.... Reverse the question and see where it can lead you? Do you feel unlucky? What types of near-protetcted or protected information might this phraseology attain? Todd |
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| Posted 3 months ago SirFrey says ...
excellent point, Todd |
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| Posted 3 months ago I love it! I think this is a great question, and can really see how this could tell you a lot about someone and their perceptions...
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| Posted 2 months ago I never thought of using this question in interviews. Good pointer! Dana Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections. |
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| Posted 2 months ago very interesting. i have added this in my list of questions to be asked. very simple and very effective way to get to the heart of the candidate. |