Decoding Dilbert (Part 5) - Spark Hire

Decoding Dilbert (Part 5) - Spark HireIt should come as no surprise that the hiring process around Dilberts office is as haphazard and questionable as everything else. This week, were checking in on Pointy Haired Boss (PHB) and Dilbert, as they interview an employee who is creative. But its not the kind of creativity they were looking for is it? Well find out, and learn a bit about writing job descriptions, asking good interview questions, and maintaining control of the interview and hiring process. This is Decoding Dilbert.This strip begins with PHB making a pretty broad statement about what hes looking for in an employee. If youve read my previous articles, youll know that vague and broad statements are one of the biggest barriers to effective communication. This is definitely true during the hiring process.One way that this vague statement could have been avoided is through the use of a good job description. Good interview questions stem from a clear understanding of what duties t he candidate will be performing on a day-to-day basis. What kind of creativity does the job require?PHB would have been much better off to describe an applicable job scenario that might require creativity. Or, if he still wants a mora general question, he could have asked about the candidates creative accomplishments. Both types of questions are specific, applicable to the job, and allow for a unique answer from the candidate.This job candidate responds to PHBs vague question/statement with a completely off-the-wall answer. Note that the candidates answer would have been impossible with either of the suggested questions above. Without a clear job description, or concept of what kind of creativity they are looking for, Dilbert and PHB are completely bamboozled. A candidates admission of mental illness is a sensitive issue during a hiring process, but thats a discussion for another day.Dilbert and PHB should have tried to steer the creativity conversation in a more productive directio n. What does Dilbert actually do? He pulls out his mobile deviceDilbert uses his mobile device to look up the candidates off-topic answer, instead of moving back to talking about the job. Dilbert and PHB lose control of the interview at this point, evidenced by the fact that PHB is asking, by the end of the stripWhats happening here?We know exactly what has happened there. Without a good job description, or interview agenda, Dilbert and PHB get distracted by the internet and railroaded into complete confusion by their job candidate. He even pities them by the end Wow, I feel sorry for you.He should feel sorry for them but not because theyre normal.What tips do you have for maintaining control of job interviews and the hiring process? What are your best bad interview stories? Share in the comments.Decoding DilbertPart 1Part 2Part 3 Part 4namen Courtesy of Dilbert.com