Being a job interviewer is the best way to stay in touch with the labor market. Interacting with candidates, you get to know the trends and expectations. Early in my HR career, I was actively involved in hiring. As I moved countries, it has always been a learning experience to meet candidates from different countries and cultural backgrounds.
As my role became more specialized in last few years, I was away from interviews. It was good to be back in few panels last two months.
“Describe a failure or mistake in your work life and what did you learn from it?” is not such a rare question in interviews. YouTube is flooded with advice on how to answer such questions. I am surprised to meet candidates who still responds that they never made a mistake or cannot recollect any mistakes in their career.
Is this lack of self-awareness? Or is it discomfort to make Personal Disclosure? Is there a cultural bias in the way people respond to this question?
Hiring someone with low self-awareness is not the best decision at any level, more so at mid to senior level roles.
What can an interviewer do differently to create safe space for an open discussion?
