How Charles Schwab's CEO figures out what kind of person you are as a job candidate

Interesting quick read on BI today (link inside the post)...

I think the part about "not saying anything making you seem timid" is a bit grey. Granted, if they bring out the completely wrong food, anyone would say something. But if the grits are a bit undercooked, I don't think not saying anything about it should give the perception that you're timid.

Bettinger says he invites the job candidate to breakfast — but arrives at the restaurant early, pulls the manager aside, and says, "I want you to mess up the order of the person who's going to be joining me. It'll be OK, and I'll give a good tip, but mess up their order."

"I do that because I want to see how the person responds," he tells Bryant. "That will help me understand how they deal with adversity. Are they upset, are they frustrated, or are they understanding? Life is like that, and business is like that. It's just another way to get a look inside their heart rather than their head."

Another response to a messed-up breakfast order that can be very telling: not saying anything at all.

Bettinger didn't mention this in his interview with Bryant, but if you receive the wrong food and don't acknowledge it, this may tell the interviewer you are timid, pay little attention to detail, or are not willing to right a wrong — all messages that you don't want to send a potential employer.

Of course, you shouldn't make a huge deal of it, and you certainly shouldn't be rude, but it's probably better to say something — politely and respectfully — than nothing at all.

http://www.businessinsider.com/charles-schwab-ceo-takes-job-candidates-…

13 Comments
 
Best Response

That's all good until some guy goes into anaphylactic shock because Schwab's CEO purposefully ordered him the wrong thing...

The problem with this, and other similar quirky interview techniques, is that some people just don't care what food they get. I'm someone who likes my food but I see business meals, especially if it were an interview situation, as more about the meeting and not the food. If I ordered a western omelette and a mushroom omelette came out I'd rather not interrupt the flow of the meeting. If Rocky Mountain oysters came in place of my omelette I'd definitely say something though. I'd also say something if it were dinner at a high end steakhouse and I got the wrong food but interrupting a meeting because you got the wrong eggs or toast doesn't seem worth it.

 

I'd probably let the interviewer know that I am indeed aware of the mistake, but in all likelihood not send it back. Maybe that makes me timid (lol) but in business and in breakfast, you can't sweat the small stuff.

Rarely will any of my posts have enough forethought/structure to be taken seriously.
 
"RepThyBananas"

I'd probably let the interviewer know that I am indeed aware of the mistake, but in all likelihood not send it back. Maybe that makes me timid (lol) but in business and in breakfast, you can't sweat the small stuff.

Good point. +1. A swift, angry response would probably be the worst . A tactful and composed response is preferable.

Winners bring a bigger bag than you do. I have a degree in meritocracy.
 

"It is better to have a friendship based on business, than a business based on friendship." - Rockefeller. "Live fast, die hard. Leave a good looking body." - Navy SEAL
 

This seemed like a good idea until I thought about it more.

The situation is a lose-lose unless you happen to behave in the way that the CEO wants you to. I think the two most normal responses would be to either let it slide because you don't care about what you eat during an interview with the CEO or politely tell the waitress they got your order wrong and send it back.

Not sending my food back doesn't mean I'm not paying attention to the food, I bet most people would know if they got the wrong food, even if it was a minor change, it just shows that I'm not being bothered by something trivial. However, as the article stated, this could be perceived as a lack of attention to detail.

On the other hand, if I interrupt the conversation to send my food back, it shows that I was paying attention and I'm somewhat of a perfectionist/want things my way, but that could also be a knock against me because I'm prioritizing myself ahead of the conversation for something as a minor change to the food I ordered.

I guess the best thing is I'd have to get the wrong order and then the CEO would have to comment on it and say something like " hey didn't you get the xxx" and he would have to gauge my response from there.

Anyways that was way to much thought on something silly...

 

Pleeeeasse.. give me a break. I cannot take seriously articles like that, much less so people.

Besides, that speaks more about Schwab's very basic abilities such as risk awareness. What if the interviewee is alergic to an ingredient that shouldn't have been there in the first place??

Colourful TV, colourless Life.
 

I don't understand why anyone would use a criterion like this while evaluating a job candidate. The only real thing that you can glean from it is if the person is completely socially maladjusted and blows up at the waiter, which I imagine would have come out over the course of a 45 minute conversation regardless. Pretty much every measure of past performance over a longer time frame would be more effective than trying to overanalyze someone's reaction to one event that takes place in an unusual social setting (job interview breakfast).

 

Unlikely the CEO has done this much. The journalist is just trying to make an article out of an anecdote.

Those who can, do. Those who can't, post threads about how to do it on WSO.
 

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