Hiring;

 

Judging a job candidate's character is the hardest part of the hiring process. Bernard M. Gordon has a technique that he's found helpful in evaluating applicants for technical jobs at Analogic Corp., based in Peabody, Mass. He gives each of them a difficult problem and asks how he or she would solve it.

Then Gordon starts to probe. "I'll ask if he's sure of his answer. If he says yes, I say, 'Would you bet me a dollar?' If he says yes again, I say, 'How about $10?' And so on." In this way, Gordon gains insight into such traits as self-confidence and attitude toward risk. "If a guy says he doesn't bet, that tells you something." And if someone can't solve the problem at all? Gordon says he's more interested in the candidate's approach. "I ask how long it might take to come up with a solution. I want to see if they give up quickly."

Gordon emphasizes that he bases his hiring decisions on other factors as well, but the technique does provide clues about an applicant's character. "And, for most positions, I'm much more interested in character and makeup than in detailed knowledge."