Deception in the Hiring Process

A New York Times article surprised me. During a video job interview, someone else answered “technical questions while the job candidate moved his lips onscreen.”

All applicants present themselves in the best light. We describe our accomplishments and may push the limits of our expertise. We also “cover” parts of ourselves that we fear may be undesirable to an employer.

But having a friend interview for a candidate is out of bounds. In this example, the interviewer wondered, “What did he think was going to happen when he moved across the country and realized he couldn’t do the job?” The article concludes with a quote from a deceptive candidate who felt relieved when she didn’t get the job. Of course, that’s a better outcome than suffering the embarrassment of failure.

This situation is a clear example of integrity—misrepresenting oneself, claiming to be someone they (intentional plural) are not. Today, we have a particularly strong job market; I would hope that candidates can find a job for which they’re qualified.

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A Resume for Remote Work

A Wall Street Journal writer offers good advice for adjusting your resume for a remote job. The author of Remote, Inc.: How to Thrive at Work . . . Wherever You Are, Alexandra Samuel suggests five ideas to incorporate.

Some suggestions may be obvious, for example, including remote work experience and tech skills, such as Slack or Basecamp proficiency. But Samuel also recommends describing “facilities” or “affiliations,” for example, if you have dedicated space in your house or a private remote office. You might write, “ergonomic home office with excellent soundproofing” and identify special equipment you own.

Of course, these distinctions might disadvantage people who don’t have private spaces or the luxury of buying high-end technology. Employers may decide to properly equip new hires.

All this is to reinforce what we know about employment communication: applicants need to find ways to differentiate themselves in job search. If an employer reviews 20 resumes for a remote position, maybe yours will stand out. Convince the employer that you are accountable and can be trusted to work well independently.

New "Jeopardy!" Host Resigns

Just nine days after he got the job, Mike Richards resigned as the new host of ”Jeopardy!“ The Anti-Defamation League revealed comments that the host made on a podcast, “The Randumb Show,” between 2013 and 2014.

Although Richards was selected as a host without too much personality to overshadow the show, his reputation is now tarnished by these remarks.

What surprises me is that the show producers didn’t uncover the comments themselves. Or did they find them benign? Did they also discount litigation against him when he was a producer for “The Price Is Right” and “Let’s Make a Deal”?

Regardless, this is yet another warning to students and others to consider carefully what they say and post online; everything becomes a permanent digital record.

Below is Richards’ email to “Jeopardy!” staff about the previous litigation, including a version of the now-classic, “This is not who I am.” Below the email is his apology about the podcast comments, including versions of the old classics, “I’m a father” and “It was a joke.”

Team Jeopardy!

Recently, Jeopardy!, our host search and the possibility of me hosting has been all over the news. I want to take a moment so that you can hear directly from me. The last year has been the most challenging in the history of the show. I know we are all still dealing with the loss of our hero, Alex, while at the same time continuing to produce amazing shows for our millions of fans through the pandemic. Our success over that time with our guest-host rotation, including the more than $3 million we raised for charities, is a singular achievement and a testament to your talent and dedication. I’ve produced a lot of television over the years, and I could not be more impressed with team Jeopardy!

It is true that I was asked if I would consider hosting the show. I was humbled and deeply honored. No final decisions have been made and discussions with me and other potential hosts are still ongoing. I know I have mentioned this to you all before, but the choice on this is not my decision and never has been. Throughout this search, Sony’s top priority has always been to continue the incredible legacy you and Alex built. As you know, Alex always believed the game itself and the contestants are the most important aspects of the show, and that will continue to be the guiding principle as the decision is finalized.

I want to address the complicated employment issues raised in the press during my time at The Price is Right ten years ago. These were allegations made in employment disputes against the show. I want you all to know that the way in which my comments and actions have been characterized in these complaints does not reflect the reality of who I am or how we worked together on The Price is Right. I know firsthand how special it is to be a parent. It is the most important thing in the world to me. I would not say anything to disrespect anyone’s pregnancy and have always supported my colleagues on their parenting journeys.

I am very proud of my time on The Price Is Right and Let’s Make a Deal. During my tenure, our female cast members welcomed seven beautiful children. We embraced and celebrated each pregnancy and birth both in front of and behind the camera. It was a joy to watch their families grow and highlight their happiness as part of the show.

For us, I realize there is a lot going on right now as we ramp up for the new season. Please do not hesitate to reach out of you have any questions or concerns.

It is truly an honor to get to work with all of you to produce this amazing show, and I look forward to the days ahead as we get back into production.

Mike

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"It is humbling to confront a terribly embarrassing moment of misjudgment, thoughtlessness, and insensitivity from nearly a decade ago. Looking back now, there is no excuse, of course, for the comments I made on this podcast and I am deeply sorry," Richards said in a statement to the Ringer. "The podcast was intended to be a series of irreverent conversations between longtime friends who had a history of joking around. Even with the passage of time, it's more than clear that my attempts to be funny and provocative were not acceptable, and I have removed the episodes. My responsibilities today as a father, husband, and a public personality who speaks to many people through my role on television means I have substantial and serious obligations as a role model, and I intend to live up to them."

New Research About Remote Work

A new study identifies advantages and challenges of working from home (WFH). A New York Times article cites little research in the area, but a recent paper published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics provides insights for companies and employees considering WFH arrangements.

The study was at Ctrip, a Chinese travel agency. The abstract follows:

Call center employees who volunteered to WFH were randomly assigned either to work from home or in the office for nine months. Home working led to a 13% performance increase, of which 9% was from working more minutes per shift (fewer breaks and sick days) and 4% from more calls per minute (attributed to a quieter and more convenient working environment). Home workers also reported improved work satisfaction, and their attrition rate halved, but their promotion rate conditional on performance fell. Due to the success of the experiment, Ctrip rolled out the option to WFH to the whole firm and allowed the experimental employees to reselect between the home and office. Interestingly, over half of them switched, which led to the gains from WFH almost doubling to 22%. This highlights the benefits of learning and selection effects when adopting modern management practices like WFH.

Remote employees seem to suffer bias. A study author put it simply, “They can get forgotten.” Informal conversations and other face-to-face interactions increase belonging—they create “in groups” and “out groups.” As a result, some people are better known and trusted, particularly by senior leaders, who are more likely to be in the office. These relationships lead to more mentoring, sponsorship, and promotion opportunities. With more women wanting to WFH than men, this issue could increase gender inequality at work.

WFH employees should aim to increase their social presence—reducing the perceived physical distance. A Forbes writer offers good advice for building relationships from afar:

• Share openly.

• Assume goodwill of others.

• Stay in close proximity.

• Be predictable.

• Be easy to read.

• Support others.

• Be selective about your relationships.

• Hold others accountable.

• Demonstrate integrity and tell the truth.

In the coming years, as more companies offer the option and more employees choose to WFH, we'll learn more about how to successfully WFH.

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Millennials Talk Openly About Salaries

According to a Wall Street Journal article, millennials don’t carry the salary baggage of previous generations. Growing up in the open world of social media, this generation is used to sharing information about themselves that older people might consider taboo. In addition to salaries, millennials talk about credit card debt, savings, and other financials.

The transparency is helpful to other people their age. Employees can negotiate for fair salaries and, in some cases, not feel shame around money because they know that others are either in similar situations or have advantages that they don’t enjoy. The article also cites examples of people feeling better about their circumstances knowing that others carry a lot of debt, while they choose not to.

The article reminds me of the idea of “radical transparency” practiced at Bridgewater Associates and, to a lesser degree, some other companies. Being open about employees’ performance and compensation can cause hard feelings but may encourage a greater degree of fairness.

Resume Gaps

A Wall Street Journal columnist tells us, “Don’t Sweat Your Pandemic Résumé Gap.” High school students have gotten a reprieve from taking some standardized tests for college applications, and that generosity seems to have extended to prospective employees. People faced all sorts of challenges during the pandemic, and this reporter argues that employers will let it slide.

A survey of recruiters found that 49% believe a gap is now acceptable instead of a red flag. Recruiters say you don’t need to over-explain a gap, which could be due to family obligations. Instead, have a concise statement prepared such as, “I was glad to spend time with my family, and now I’m excited to get back to work.”

It will look good if you attended classes or earned a certificate during your time off, but that isn’t essential. At the same time, the optimistic article offers a warning: more than two years out of the workforce makes it difficult to re-enter.

I’m glad to see this article and hope the sentiment extends beyond pandemic times. I am a bit concerned about the survey response. If 49% of recruiters will make allowances for time off, what about the other 51%? Of course, the news affects women more than men because women were more likely to be home during the pandemic.

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Waitlisted Student Markets Himself

George Joseph White V was waitlisted from Cornell’s Dyson School, and he decided to promote himself. He advertised on the outside of a local bus with a photo of himself and his website. On his website, georgecantwait.com, White lists his hobbies, interests, and other information. He also includes quotes from a few of his teachers.

The approach certainly is creative and gutsy, but is it appropriate? From a business communication perspective, we consider the audience and the message. White describes his qualifications, but he doesn’t say much about how could contribute. What would he bring to the school that might differentiate him from other students on the waitlist?

White also is interviewed by a local radio station, which is posted on his website. He says he believes he’s qualified, and the only reason he wasn’t accepted is that the number of applicants increased. The number did increase, partly because of the pandemic and students taking a gap year and partly because Cornell dropped the SAT/ACT requirement.

Still, perhaps other students were simply more qualified than White, and that’s why he didn’t get in. White also chose an approach that isn’t available to all students: spending money on ads and a website.

When I asked students about the situation in class, they were mixed. Some respected his perseverance, while others thought his approach was too self-promotional and unfair. As one student wrote in chat, “It’s a WAIT list.”

Viral Spotify Resume

A college student created a resume that mirrors the Spotify app, and she got a lot of attention. Included in the more 300,000 views is a manager at Spotify who encouraged her to apply for a product manager internship.

Emily Vu’s creativity paid off: she got the job.

Emily was looking for a creative job. I’m not sure this same approach would work for, say, a data analyst position at a hedge fund. She also posted it with the “f” word (with an asterisk and redacted here). Not every employer would appreciate this either.

But Emily took a risk, which worked for Spotify—and for many others who admired her resume.

Beware of Overtalking During Zoom Interviews

People seem to be talking too much during video interviews. A Chronicle of Higher Education article describes two possible reasons.

One is that job candidates want to build relationships and may overtalk in a somewhat desperate attempt to connect. After a year without intimacy, we might be overcompensating. I can imagine this applying to other types of meetings and presentations as well.

Second, visual cues are tough to see on video. The void isn’t quite as cavernous as during phone interviews, but still, it’s difficult to see subtle gestures. Imagine that an interviewer is leaning forward, changing a facial expression, or raising a hand slightly. These could be missed, particularly if a candidate is meeting with a group of people.

Next time you have an interview, try to pay attention to cues and allow people to interrupt you. You might also keep your answers a bit shorter—just in case. Allow time for follow-up questions.

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Google’s XYZ Resume Formula

A Ladders article offers good advice from Google for writing resumes. Some information is basic, such as tailoring resumes for each job and skipping the objective. The company also suggests the XYZ format for bullets to focus on accomplishments: “Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z].”

The author provides this example:

• OK: “Won second place in hackathon.”

• Better: “Won second place out of 50 teams in hackathon.”

• Best: “Won second place out of 50 teams in hackathon at NJ Tech by working with two colleagues to develop an app that synchronizes mobile calendars.

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Discussion:

• Does your resume follow this format? How can you improve the descriptions?

• Check your resume bullets for the start of each. The first words next to the bullet will be read most often. Do they emphasize your main point? How can you reorder text within bullets?

Judge Requests Professional Attire

I’ll admit it: I’ve been wearing leggings or jeans for the past five weeks. I’m guessing that’s common, but some people are taking attire for online meetings to an extreme. Stories of people showing up shirtless or in bed for Zoom meetings are causing leaders to provide more guidance for what to wear on video.

A judge in Broward County, Florida, ordered lawyers to dress for video meetings as they would in court. Judge Dennis Bailey laments the current attire and attitude:

“It is remarkable how many ATTORNEYS appear inappropriately on camera. We've seen many lawyers in casual shirts and blouses, with no concern for ill-grooming, in bedrooms with the master bed in the background, etc. One male lawyer appeared shirtless and one female attorney appeared still in bed, still under the covers. And putting on a beach cover-up won't cover up you're poolside in a bathing suit. So, please, if you don't mind, let's treat court hearings as court hearings, whether Zooming or not.”

The judge also offers advice for Zoom hearings, which he says take longer and require more planning to present exhibits.

In response, the chief judge for the district sent his own letter, softening the tone and direction:

“As Chief Judge I was unaware of this letter going out until I started to receive inquiries. As far as decorum in zoom hearings we have not seen the need to establish hard and fast rules. We certainly appreciate everyone being polite, professional and not disruptive during the hearings. Please remember most all of these hearings are open to the public and thus everyone, including judges and general magistrates, should dress and behave accordingly.“

Judge Bailey image source. Zoom in bed image source.

Discussion:

• Read the full original letter and the chief judge’s response. How do the messages compare in terms of audience analysis, tone, content, and organization?

• What’s your view of Judge Bailey’s letter: appropriate, off-base, or something else?

• What do you observe on Zoom meetings? Are people presenting themselves less professionally? What’s your perspective on this topic?

Best Places to Work: Facebook and Google Slip

Glassdoor published its annual list of the Best Places to Work, and HubSpot is the winner. Glassdoor uses the following criteria for their ranking:

• A mission to believe in

• A strong culture

• People focused

• Transparency

Facebook fell to 23 after placing first in three of the past 20 years. Google feel below the Top 10 for the first time in eight years.

Here’s the 2020 list:

1. HubSpot

2. Bain & Co.

3. DocuSign

4. In-N-Out Burger

5. Sammons Financial Group

6. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

7. Intuitive Surgical

8. Ultimate Software

9. VIPKid

10. Southwest Airlines

Discussion:

• Why do you think Facebook and Google have slipped in the Glassdoor rankings?

• What surprises you about the Top Ten? What doesn’t surprise you?

• Is your favorite company on the full list? How does the ranking affect your view of the company?

Research About Befriending Your Boss

A Wall Street Journal article describes the positive and negative effects of being friends with your boss. Research shows that managers do give preferential treatment to employees they consider friends.

However, a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology demonstrates that managers may favor others when decisions are public. To avoid perceptions of bias, Alex Shaw, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, offers three solutions for managers:

• Recuse yourself. I’m skeptical about this because a manager’s job is to make such decisions, but I see the point: if you can get out of being the final decision maker, that might be best in some situations.

• Make the criteria public. This is a good practice, anyway, to ensure transparency in decisions, particularly those that are sensitive and affect people personally.

• Ask for opinions. This could work, for example, when peer feedback may be as relevant—or more relevant—than the manager’s point of view.

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Discussion:

• Have you considered a boss a friend? How might the relationship have affected decisions?

• What’s your view of the strategies suggested here? In what types of situations could each work or backfire?

Graphical Resumes

Are employers becoming more open to graphical resumes? The boring, standard resume format hasn’t changed much despite some attempts at infographics and video.

A Wall Street Journal article indicates that acceptance may be increasing for resumes that look more like a social profile:

The stodgiest of business documents is in the midst of its most extreme makeover yet—whether employers want it or not. Gone are the utilitarian, black-and-white documents covered in bullet points. As Gen Z enters the workforce, companies are seeing digital CVs filled with artistic flourishes, including illustrations of college mascots, logos of past employers and icons to denote hobbies such as home renovation and watching movies.

Particularly for jobs in fields like marketing, graphical resumes are more common. Candidates might include an avatar or a section called “By the numbers.”

For more traditional fields, it’s a bigger risk: a visual resume might get you noticed but not for the right reasons. For any jobs, bitmojis and other images that seem childish don’t represent candidates in the best light.

Resume image source.

Discussion:

• How traditional is your resume? Would you consider adding graphics? Why or why not?

• In addition to marketing, which fields might be more open to a graphical resume?

• What’s your view of the resume shown above? What about this Microsoft template resume?

Shirtless Video Calls

Child interruptions, toilets flushing, clinking ice—I’ve seen and heard it all on video and audio calls. The Wall Street Journal reports that more remote workers have brought more mishaps, like a coworker appearing shirtless, forgetting to turn off his camera. And who can forget the adorable kids who walked in on a BBC interview.

The article suggests signs outside a home office door to indicate when calls are in progress—”On Air” or “Do Not Disturb.” Double-checking your mute button is a good idea too.

I would also suggest being clear about whether a call will be video or audio. A job candidate was surprised to know that her interview was via video. The employer insisted that she turn on her video, and she wasn’t dressed for it.

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Discussion:

• What mishaps have you experienced on audio or video calls?

• What other ideas do you have to prevent embarrassing situations?

• How does this story relate to the concept of authenticity?

How to Deal with Being "Ghosted"

Too often, employers stop responding to candidates. Even after an in-person interview, candidates never hear back. The CEO of a job search platform advises people to follow up in a few ways:

• Send one email a week. Be thoughtful about your messages to express interest; maybe share new research about the company .

• Try different channels. For example, send a LinkedIn message instead of email, but only once.

• Reach out to others. Contact another recruiter or the hiring manager directly.

All of these actions come with risk, but the writer argues, and I agree, that the risk is worth it. None of these follow-ups are too annoying, and you may turn the tide in your favor.

Ghost cartoon image source.

Be a Human image source.

Discussion:

• Why do you think employers ghost applicants? Consider what incentive they have to follow up.

• What’s your view of these follow-up approaches? Which are you more or less comfortable doing?

Relaxing Dress Codes

Just as schools are relaxing their dress codes, so are companies, including some financial firms. For schools, motivation comes from reducing body shaming and recognizing that gender isn’t binary.

At investment firm KKR, executives sent a memo to announce a new dress code. The rationale is stated, “Given the changing nature of workplace towards less formality…we believe this is the right change for our employees.” A Wall Street Journal article explains that KKR follows Goldman and JPMorgan in easing requirements in order to compete with technology firms for talent.

In the memo, KKR doesn’t give examples of acceptable and unacceptable attire, leaving the decision to employee discretion: “We trust you all to strike the right balance and exercise good judgment.” But executives did include this caveat: “At the same time, we recognize that many of our clients and other external relationships have a more formal expectation of professionalism. So please always have business attire available.”

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Discussion:

• How important is a company’s dress code to your job search? Could a more relaxed dress code make a difference in accepting an job?

• Should KKR be more specific, as companies such as Starbucks are, in what is acceptable attire?

Noncompete Agreements for Interns

A Wall Street Journal article reports that college interns are increasingly asked to sign agreements that restrict their job choices in the future. “Noncompete, nondisclosure and forced arbitration agreements,” which have been common for senior-level employees, have made their way down the ranks.

Now, interns are asked to sign agreements on their first day with a company, and they don’t always understand what they’re signing. An agreement can prevent a new grad from, for example, accepting an offer with a competitor within a geographic region.

Some agreements are important for companies to protect their intellectual property and preserve confidentiality, but critics say they go overboard. Also, such agreements may not hold up in court, particularly when they affect low-skilled workers.

Bottom line: interns should be careful about what they sign. An agreement may be more of a deterrent and might not inspire legal action, but students shouldn’t have to feel as though their choices are limited right after graduation.

Signing image source.
Noncompete image source.

Discussion:

• What’s your experience with these employment agreements?

• What would you do if asked to sign one?

• What should companies do differently to protect themselves?

How to Navigate Multiple Offers

It’s one of those “good problems”: getting more than one job offer. But navigating the relationships and making a decision can be tough.

A Wall Street Journal article tells the story of a man faking his own death to avoid telling a company that he didn’t want to take the job after accepting an offer. According to an executive at the staffing company Robert Half, “ghosting” a prospective employer is most common among people out of school between two and six years. More and more, employers receive last-minute text messages or no-shows on the first day of work.

A management consultant believes the trouble is that college students lack the communication skills to handle these situations more professionally: “This is the generation that breaks up by text message, so in a professional context, to have to let someone down or give bad news was terrifying.”

Twice this past semester, students asked me for advice in reneging offers. Overall, I’m not a fan of the tactic. To me, it’s an issue of integrity: when students make a commitment to one employer, they shouldn’t change their minds when a better offer comes along. I also worry about their reputation in the industry—and whether their expectations will be too high for the new job, and they’ll end up disappointed. At Cornell, students also give up their access to career services in the future when this happens.

But students do what is best for them. What matters after the decision is how it’s communicated. I always suggest a phone call rather than an email, which takes courage. A direct, honest approach is best, with an apology and some understanding of how the decision affects the employer, who’s left with an unfilled position and additional recruiting time.

Ideally, students get offers at the same time with the same decision deadlines, but of course, that’s not always the case, and comparing offers becomes challenging. The WSJ article recommends these practices for evaluating and accepting job offers:

DO

* Make clear early what you’re looking for in a new job.

* Ask employers their timeline for making a decision.

* Express appreciation and enthusiasm when receiving an offer.

* Take time to assess each offer carefully, weighing both financial and quality-of-life factors.

DON’T

* Communicate important decisions by text or email.

* Try to pit one employer against another in a bidding war.

* Respond to a job offer by announcing that you already have a competing one.

* Base your decision solely on pay.

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Discussion:

• Have you been in a situation of having multiple offers? How did you handle it?

• Have you reneged on an offer? How did you communicate the decision, and how did the employer react?

• What other advice would you give students who have multiple offers?

Robots Screen Candidates' Social Media

A Wall Street Journal video explains how DeepSense uses artificial intelligence to analyze a job candidate’s personality. When companies post a job, recruiters or hiring managers identify what is most important for success; for example, how important is teamwork or project management? DeepSense then looks at a candidate’s social media profile to assess personality.

Founder Amarpreet Kalkat explains that the system may review a social media profile for only six seconds and will generate a report about the applicant’s DISC profile (a personality assessment) and “Big Five” personality traits. Using psycholinguistics, the computer analyzes language the candidate uses.

Kalkat says their results are 75% accurate, while traditional personality tests are 82% accurate.

Discussion:

• What’s your view of using AI in this way? How confident would you be applying for a job that uses this technology?

• How relevant is personality to a position? What are the advantages to a company of using such a system, and what are the potential disadvantages?

• The video refers to “DeepSense,” but the website shows “DeeperSense.” How do you explain the discrepancy?