Re: diodesign Re: Average differences between groups
"....Let's say you were a fan of the Sopranos on HBO, or you like Brit metal band Cradle of Filth. And say there was a study that suggested Sopranos and Filth fans tend to be unstable in stressful situations. And you go into a job interview with the interviewers knowing from your Facebook that you're a fan of the Sopranos or the Filth. And immediately they're thinking: on average, this person isn't going to be a reliable candidate....." Already happens, and not in an unconscious bias but in a very professional process. HR drones have books that will tell them what they think they need to know about you by your choice of fave film, TV show, actor, pop group, song, book, politician or historical figure*. Even your taste in food is "a doorway to your thought processes", apparently. They won't just ask you in the interview, they will scan your social media for such info. For example, got on Facebook that The Smiths are your fave group? That's career suicide for the City or Wall Street. My advice is to think very carefully not only about what you put on your social media but also the people you link to and friend. I am certain some of the candidates I have interviewed in the last few years have edited their social media because it was too squeaky clean, but I personally saw that as a good thing as it meant they looked ahead and came prepared.
*The historical figure is a classic and over-used question, usually indicative of an unimaginative, process-following HR drone - "If you could go back through time to talk to any historical figure, who would that be?" Look at the company career pages, pick out the buzzwords like "team work", "innovative", "assertive", etc., then choose a figure you can build a response around those. Also look to see if they sponsor something like a scholarship set up in the memory of a famous person or industry innovator - this gives you the double bonus of looking like you know about the industry and looking like you have researched the company when you say something like; "And I was pleased to note your company sponsors Dr X's scholarship."
Biting the hand that feeds IT
