6th Post: The Stress Test

Screening for Stress
It is commonly known that individuals put their best foot forward throughout the interviewing process – both applicants and hiring managers alike. Professional game faces are on, and many would liken a first interview to a first date, which begs the question: when do you really get to know what is underneath the surface? What combination of behavioral-based interviewing questions and situational scenarios should we engage in, in order to see a candidate’s true colors under stress? The subject of engaging a candidate in awkward situations in an interview is not widely accepted, likely for good reason. Sighing or interrupting candidates while they are talking, acting aloof and not paying attention, or repeating questions to see if one gets frustrated seem to not lend themselves to an attraction-based recruitment strategy.