One of my standard candidate interview questions for years now has been, What is the most interesting thing you have seen or done recently? I like it because it quickly sorts out the non-starters.
Most marketing roles don’t need deep technical skills like nuclear engineering. Although some analytics jobs are getting pretty big-brained, our industry is based on the alchemy of knowledge, experience and personality. Unfortunately I still see too many hiring managers, and also candidates, focusing on the first two at the expense of the third.
The answer to the question tells me so much about the candidate. It’s an economical interview question that every candidate should think about. The good thing about it is that it kick starts an exploration of who the candidate is as a real person and a fit for my team’s culture.
Since this is largely a people business in need of constant reinvention, we need to hire distinctive attitudes and points-of-view, not just skills. What exists beyond the skills makes you interesting or not.
It’s probably not unfair to say the creative side of our industry already has some of the most interesting people on the planet. So what are they bringing to the party that may be lacking elsewhere? What does interesting mean and why is it important?
Michael Wolff, co-founder of international brand consultancy Wolff Olins, has a perspective on this. Although he is a creative practitioner, his views apply equally well to anyone who wants to be more interesting for any role in advertising and marketing.
The first of his three essential traits is curiosity. As arbiters of contemporary culture, we should to be ravenously involved in what is happening in the world. We should be constantly exploring how things work, how people live, the history of things, how decisions get made and so on. Having a childlike curiosity about everything keeps our minds open.
The second is appreciation of things we encounter. This is a big step towards having a distinctive point of view. Do you appreciate German engineering and the sound of a Porsche engine? Do you appreciate the way the designer put the colour and texture of fabrics together? Do you appreciate the way the brief was written? Do you appreciate your client’s passion about his or her brand? Cultivating your sense of appreciation, and expressing your views, is vital. And it’s a learned skill.
The final one is nothing less than having imagination. This is not synonymous with creativity. But I do contend that everyone is creative in her own way. Imagination, however, means being able to envision something or a way of doing something. On the one hand it can mean putting different things together to create something new. On the other hand, you can imagine a new process, a new way to get a budget, or a new way to motivate your team. Imagination is about being resourceful.
So when I ask the question, What is the most interesting thing you have seen or done recently? I really don’t have strong expectations or assumptions about what I will hear. What I do expect is that it will tell me something distinct about the candidate, how he thinks, his values, how he solves problems or what motivates him. A CV rarely gives me this. A good conversation can.
The conversation tells me how well he lives Wolff’s three traits, how he will interact with teammates, how he shows maturity, empathy and being a whole person. And beyond the actual content of the answer, I look for how well it’s answered. Does he tell an interesting story in an interesting way?
Seems like a lot to get from one question. As I said, this is a qualifier question. It keeps you in the game. I like it because it can’t really be faked all that easily.
If you are a person who runs through life on auto-pilot, you would find it hard to be genuine with an answer to the question. Ultimately, being interesting makes your life richer, and in turn makes you more interesting to employers.
Michael McComb, Head of Brand Planning, Hong Kong Jockey Club