Applicant Asks About Salary and Employer Cancels Interview

It was a tough lesson for Taylor Byrnes, looking for a menu developer position in Winnepeg. After a phone interview and before an in-person interview, she dared to ask her prospective employer, food delivery service SkipTheDishes, about wages and benefits. The company didn't appreciate the questions and cancelled the interview.

After the predictable outrage on Twitter, co-founder Joshua Simair said in a statement, "The email sent to Taylor was wrong and does not represent our team's approach or values," and "We are very disappointed in how it was handled. We do share a compensation package prior to hiring. As soon as we became aware of it on Monday, we reached out to Taylor to apologize for the email and reschedule her interview."

Discussion:

• Your thoughts? It typically is considered poor form to ask about salary on a first interview, but what about this situation? Did Byrnes behave badly? Did she make the situation worse with her posts on social media and therefore get what she deserved?
• How well did SkipTheDishes respond? Should they have done something else?
• Would you offer Byrnes the job if she's qualified? How easily can she and the HR staff get past this?

What's in a Handshake?

Business Insider asked Dr. Lillian Glass, a self-described body language expert to analyze President Trump's body language. She says Trump's "robust" handshake with the prime minister of Japan communicates, "Hey, we get along. I really like you." She says the PM's body language communicates the same and says that Trump's "cupping" his hand (placing his hand over the prime minister's) also indicates affection.

But comedians The Young Turks criticize the exchange, including audio of the prime minister telling Trump, "Look at me" and, immediately after the handshake is finished, pulling his body away and looking like he wants to leave.

Dr. Glass says Trump's handshake with the British prime minister shows "he's very respectful" and that "he doesn't know her that well or, you know, that he doesn't have the same affection towards her as the others."

With Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, Glass says Trump and he had a warm handshake, and placing a hand on the arm "indicates friendship." A body language expert who analyzed this move by President Obama said it demonstrated power. Glass says Trump's body language with Obama shows tension.

Discussion:

• If it's not obvious from this post, I'm skeptical about some of Glass interpretations. What do you think?
• What about the context of these interactions could affect our interpretation? Consider that these are short clips, possibly edited, and are in front of the media.
• What, if any, lessons from this can you glean for job interviews? How would you describe your own approach to shaking hands in a business situation?

Judgments People Make Within Seconds

Business Insider tells us about eight judgments people make right after meeting you:

• If you're trustworthy
• If you're high status (based on clothing)
• If you're straight or gay
• If you're smart (based on eye contact, expressive speaking, and eye glasses)
• If you're promiscuous (based on tattoos)
• If you have a dominant personality (based on having a bald head)
• If you're successful (based on a man's suit)
• If you're adventurous (based on how you walk)

Business Insider identifies research institutions, but we don't see citations for further study. Each judgment seems to be based on one study, so I would be wary about drawing too many conclusions. Yet, we have plenty of research about quick impressions, particularly during job interviews.

Discussion:

• How are quick judgments helpful and harmful? They do serve a purpose, but what are the dangers?
• How does knowing about this research help you personally and professionally? For example, if you know that you make judgments with little information-knowingly or unknowingly-how can you ward against them?

Resumes for Inexperienced Applicants

Business Insider recommends good advice for students and others with little work experience. For a resume, this video suggests focusing on accomplishments and highlighting social media skills, which could be coveted by employers.

 

But other advice may be outdated or inappropriate. For example, including a goal or objective at the top of your resume may not be necessary your interest is clear on your cover letter or if you're applying for a job through your school's on-campus recruiting program. In both cases, the job you want is obvious.

Career website The Muse goes further, suggesting an objective only when you're making a major career change-not for students, as Business Insider suggests, and Cleverism recommends the same.

Discussion:

• Which advice in the video do you find most and least helpful? What, if anything, contradicts what you have learned in the past?
• What other advice would you give to a high school student creating his or her first resume?

"Top Skills" According to LinkedIn Analysis

LinkedIn analyzed recruiting activity on the site in 2016 and identified the top 10 skills employers want. A more accurate heading may be skills for which employers search. Not surprisingly, all are technology related.

I'm glad to see Data Presentation make the list; it's a core skill in our Management Communication classes at Cornell. LinkedIn's commentary expresses companies' growing interest well:

Show me, don't tell me: For the first time ever, data presentation, which is visualizing data, makes the list with the #8 spot. With statistical analysis and data mining holding strong again this year at #2, employers need employees who can organize data so it's easy for people to understand.

In addition to the overall number, LinkedIn identifies skills by country, and we seem interesting differences. A few non-technical skills emerge when we drill down:

• HR Benefits and Compensation (Australia, Brazil, UK)
• Corporate Law and Governance (Australia, France, Singapore, UAE)
• Business Development and Relationship Management (Brazil)
• Public Policy and International Relations (China, India, South Africa, UAE)
• Social Media Marketing (China)
• Business Intelligence (China)
• SEO/SEM Marketing (France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Singapore, UAE, UK)
• Compliance and Employment Law (France)
• Marketing Campaign Management (France, Ireland, Singapore)
• Retail Store Operations (Germany)
• Channel Marketing (Germany)
• PR and Communications (India)
• Economics (India)
• Recruiting (Ireland, Netherlands)
• Foreign Language Translation (Singapore)
• Renewable and Sustainable Energy (UAE)
• Mining and Commodities (UAE)

Of course, many of these involve technology, but they are not as tech heavy as, say, algorithm design. 

LinkedIn's analysis also indicates, "Demand for marketing skills is slowing because the supply of people with marketing skills has caught up with employers' demand for people with marketing skills." 

Discussion Starters:

• What, if anything, surprises you about these lists? Consider the source: LinkedIn. Could some of the data be skewed?
• Looking at the list of non-technical skills, what conclusions do you draw about business and about supply and demand in those countries?

"Robo-Interviews" Become More Prevalent

More companies are interviewing applicants via webcam, and the process is not interactive like Skype and FaceTime interviews. About 90% of these interviews have no interviewer present. Applicants respond to questions on the spot, sometimes with a warm-up question and a few seconds to compose a response, but not always. A Bloomberg article quoted one candidate about his experience:

"I'm not a YouTube star, obviously," he said. "It's such a weird experience talking to a camera. It honestly was pretty horrible." Jamie Black, who suffered through the video interview experience for a job at a school, said it felt "more like a game show than an interview." 

HireVue, which provides interview software, reports 2.5 million such interviews in 2016. The company's clients include JPMorgan, Deloitte, and "most of the major airlines."

The process has some advantages. Of course, it saves companies travel and other expenses of live interviews. But some companies also say that are able to meet more people through the technology. The Bloomberg article ends with a quote from HireVue's founder, Mark Newman:

"Candidates will generally say, 'I would have preferred an in-person interview to this,' but that's not the right comparison," HireVue's Newman said. "The alternative is no interview at all."

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• What's your experience with interview videos?
• What benefits and downsides do you see for applicants?
• How do you think this technology affects people of color? If companies want a more diverse workforce, will the software help or hurt?

Recruiter Rejects Candidate for "Vulgar Comments"

The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) tells the story of a recruiter who rejected a candidate because of comments found on the dating app OkCupid. The recruiter, Sam Oliver, explains his decision in an article and describes the post: "[H]e was calling her obscene names and threatening sexual assault."

Oliver also describes his process for screening candidates online:

"Like most recruiters, I use a variety of sources when evaluating candidates - LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, AngelList, github, reddit, dribbble, the list goes on. Most people's social media is pretty benign: shared memes and jokes, vacation photos, interactions with friends and family. When looking at people's social media, I'm mostly looking to corroborate facts and timelines on their resume - where they live, previous jobs, alma mater, etc. If they've put enough information out there, I might also get an accurate glimpse of their personality, which is very helpful in hiring."

"Unfortunately for him, he had used his LinkedIn head shot as one of his OKCupid profile photos, and it was very easy for me to confirm his identity via a reverse Google image search. To any seasoned recruiter, I deduced his real identity using well-known tricks of the trade; people often do not realize how much information is public and readily accessible via social media."

Both the SHRM article and Oliver explain that the rejection is perfectly legal. You may be thinking that you can't discriminate against applicants, but that applies only to certain qualities, such as race, sex, and age. On the other hand, employers have a legal responsibility to maintain a harassment- and discrimination-free environment, and an employee who writes "threatening" messages online may put an organization at risk. 

Although he had no obligation to, Oliver told the applicant why he wouldn't pass his resume along to his client, which gave the applicant a chance to deactivate some accounts and remove incriminating photos. 

This situation is a good lesson for students seeking jobs. Assume everything you post can be retrieved and traced back to you.

Discussion Starters:

• Does the recruiter's decision surprise you? Why or why not? What are the downsides to rejecting a candidate based on social media posts?
• What advice from Chapter 12 would have helped this applicant?
• What about your own social media history may put your job search in jeopardy? Use Google and other sites to find as much information about yourself as you can.

Starbucks Loosens Dress Code

Again, Starbucks is allowing more individuality in its employee dress code. In 2014, the company allowed visible tattoos, and now the color palette has expanded, including hair dyes.

In a Lookbook, the company instructs employees to use their judgement and to ask if they have any questions; store managers have the final say. Clothes must be "clean, hemmed, wrinkle-free and in good repair," but a range of colors is acceptable instead of the previous black-and-white combination. 

Hairstyles can be on the wild side (in my opinion), but the company isn't allowing "sprays, glitter, chalks or temporary products" for food safety reasons. The guidelines also instruct associates to "[t]ie long hair back with plain clips or hairbands to avoid contact with drinks or food. Please keep beards and mustaches neat and trimmed."

The Lookbook is detailed, with many acceptable and unacceptable examples of tops, bottoms, socks, and accents. Fortunately for employees, the guidelines are clear. 

Discussion Starters: 

• What, if anything, surprises you about Starbucks' new guidelines? Is anything missing?
• Why do you think the company is broadening what is considered acceptable dress? 

Phrases to Avoid on Your Resume

Business Insider has identified nine phrases that "make hiring managers cringe." Some recommendations are based on data by ZipRecruiter, but much of them are the writers' opinions. Still, I agree with most of them, except "Microsoft Word." For students, this could be a differentiator, and I would include it for entry-level jobs. 

It makes sense to avoid pronouns and general traits that can't be verified. "Team player" is my personal pet peeve; who would say "I'm not a good team player. I don't like people"? 

In addition to the video, Business Insider offers more phrases to avoid, including "extracurricular activities" with the explanation, "Unless these activities are in some way related to the job you're applying for, no one really cares what you do in your spare time when they're skimming your résumé."

I'm not sure I agree. It depends what the activity says about you as a person, which some employers may care to know. You can also make a personal connection this way, and it could be a good icebreaker during an interview. Particularly for students, I'd keep it in. 

Similarly, employers seem to like seeing applicants' volunteer work, for which LinkedIn added a section in 2011. 

Discussion Starters: 

• We don't see any context for this advice. Would it differ depending on the industry, region, job, or level? 
• How many of these phrases do you include on your resume? Will you omit them in the future? 
• What other phrases could employers find annoying? 

J.P. Morgan Eases Its Dress Code

J.P. Morgan is following other companies and easing its dress policy. As the biggest asset holder, the bank may lead a trend among financial services firms. Wall Street banks are known for their pinstripe suits and ties, but CEO Jamie Dimon is often seen dressing down. 

An email to staff explained the new policy, which allows khaki pants and polo shirts but not halter tops, and encourages dressing up for client meetings. The company already had a weekend dress policy in place. 

Barclays implemented a similar policy last year but had to clarify: no flip flops. And J.P. Morgan warned with this change that it's not the same as weekend casual, which could mean jeans and more causal wear.

A man I know complained about his not-for-profit organization's policy that disallowed shorts but allowed skirts for women. The organization changed its policy and now allows some shorts. 

Image source (from WSJ video).

Discussion Starters: 

• Why did this take so long? Many of the banks' clients are tech employees in jeans and shorts.
• What's your view of dress policies that disallow shorts but allow skirts?

Princeton Professor Creates "CV of Failures"

Princeton University Professor Johannes Haushofer published his "CV of Failures" on the school website, as he says, "to balance the record and provide some perspective":

Most of what I try fails, but these failures are often invisible, while the successes are visible. I have noticed that this sometimes gives others the impression that most things work out for me. As a result, they are more likely to attribute their own failures to themselves, rather than the fact that the world is stochastic, applications are crapshoots, and selection committees and referees have bad days.

This list includes programs he didn't get into, journals that rejected his articles, and research funding he didn't get.

CV of Failures

The idea came from an article in Nature by Melanie I. Stefan, a lecturer in the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh.

Haushofer tweeted, "Dear everyone writing your own CV of failures: just to point out I'm not aware of scientific evidence saying it does anything good for you." Still, his compilation is an expression of humility and reminds all of us that successes are built on failures. In my view, if we don't have failures, it's possible we're not reaching high enough.  

Discussion Starters:

• If you wrote a resume of failures, what would you include? Think about the companies that didn't hire you and the schools from which you were rejected.

• How do your failures make you feel? Are you still feeling hurt by them, or have you moved past it? 

Resume Heat Map: How Recruiters Spend Their Six Seconds

TheLadders tracked recruiters' eye movements when reviewing resumes. Using a heat map, we can see what this group looked at in the mere six seconds they spent reviewing your life's work.

Business Insider posted a video explaining the results. The biggest lesson is that your current and previous positions and education should be clear and easy to see. White space and font size matter.

 

What can we learn from the results?

• Recruiters scan the name and then current and previous jobs. Jobs should be prevalent under a section called Professional Experience or Work Experience. The results reinforce that you  should highlight positions clearly with font enhancements, such as bold type. Also, this may be another case for taking positions with well-known companies. Then, consider how easily your position title can be read.
• Education was the next section scanned in the resume. Again, the name of a school and degree should be prominent in this section.
• What about other skills, volunteer work, etc.? These should still be included for the next round of the selection process: a second screen or an interview. But, as we already know, these can be placed at the bottom of the resume and shouldn't take up too much space. If you're debating between including your model airplane hobby and providing a bit more white space and a longer font, I'd go with the latter.

Discussion Starters:

• How can a recruiter assess your qualifications in just six seconds? Try to explain this from a hiring manager's perspective.
• What does this heat map tell you about your own resume? What changes will you make as a result?

Video Interviews on the Rise

According to a Futurestep (Korn Ferry) survey, more companies are interviewing candidates via video, and they are reporting good results. Of the 700 companies surveyed, 75% use video to interview leading candidates, and 50% use it to narrow down the pool. Respondents say video has the following benefits:

• Less time for candidates and hiring managers
• Less travel expense
• Faster process

A representative at Novartis reported, "We have had some impressive results. In the past year, 2,700 video interviews have taken place with a cost-avoidance savings of $475,000 and a reduction in manager interview travel by 220 trips."

Companies are also using set questions for candidates to respond to by video. About 25% are using this method, and another 24% have "employee testimonials or messages from recruiting managers" on their websites.

A representative at Futurestep summed up the value of video on a company's career webpage: "Day-in-the-life videos with real employees can showcase a particular job function or office location. Also, welcome videos from the CEO or hiring managers are easy, inexpensive and effective ways to personalize the job seeker's experience and communicate an organization's employer brand." Deloitte has been including videos for some time, as shown here.

 

Discussion Starters:

• Some of the benefits seem to focus on organizational fit. How does video contribute to this determination about a candidate and company?
• What do you see as the potential dangers of using video for interviews? What could get lost?
• Have you experienced a video interview? How did it go?

"Tricky" Interview Questions

Business Insider has compiled "17 interview questions that are designed to trick you."

Depending on your experience and comfort level answering questions, you may find some easier than others. Of course, some of these, technically, would require a yes-or-no answer, but that's not the intent.

• Can you tell me about yourself? 
• How would you describe yourself in one word?
• How does this position compare to others you are applying for?
• Can you name three of your strengths and weaknesses?

• Why do you want to work here?

• Why do you want to leave your current job?

• What are you most proud of in your career?

• What kind of boss and coworkers have you had the most and least success with, and why?

• Have you ever considered being an entrepreneur?

• If you could work for any company, where would you work?

• Why were you laid off?

• What would you do if you won $5 million tomorrow?

• Have you ever been asked to compromise your integrity by your supervisor or colleague? Tell us about it.

• Can you give us a reason someone may not like working with you?

• Why have you been out of work for so long?

• How did you make time for this interview? Where does your boss think you are right now?

• Tell me about a time you disagreed with a company policy.

Image source.

Discussion Starters: 

• Which do you find most difficult and easiest? 
• Do you agree with Business Insider's advice for handling each question?
• With a partner, try to answer each question that is relevant to you. How do you do? 

Dangers of Talking About Political Beliefs at Work

A New York Times article warns people about sharing their political leanings in business situations. Alina Tugend lost a sizable account after reacting positively to a news story about President Obama during a meal with a prospective client.

In the article, she poses these questions:

HERE'S a quiz for the coming campaign season. Which one of these actions could get you disciplined or fired?

A) Hanging political cartoons on your office door.

B) Sending emails to your colleagues soliciting support for a controversial cause.

C) Writing a blog at home stating your opinions about a local campaign and posting it on Facebook.

D) All of the above.

The answer is D. Now, that's not an absolute. It depends on whether you are a private or public employee. It also depends on where you live.

Employees in the private sector have few protections. The First Amendment protects speech from government action, not private employers.

On the other hand, you may have more protection if you belong to a union or work in New York, California, Colorado, North Dakota, or the District of Columbia, all of which protect political beliefs-as long as you don't interfere with business.

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• What are you comfortable sharing or not sharing with coworkers?
• Argue for and against protections of political beliefs or actions at work. Try to see the situation from the employer and employee's perspective.
• Should we have a federal law to protect political speech and beliefs as we do for religion? Why or why not?

Job Interviews: "How You Really Sound"

Fast Company created this fun video to show the difference between what a job candidate says and how the interviewer may hear it.

I have to admit I found the "perfectionist" funniest. And the "people person" response reminds me of a video clip from the TV show "The Restaurant." I show it in class to freshmen to encourage them to differentiate themselves during the interview process.

Discussion Starters:

• Admit it, which of the responses have you given? In retrospect, what could you have said or done differently? 
• Watch the video clip from "The Restaurant" with successive responses from candidates. Could you see how this might get annoying for a hiring manager?

Which LinkedIn Connections Should I Accept?

I have a puritanical LinkedIn philosophy: I don't accept an invitation to connect unless I know the person, preferably having met in person. At the other extreme are the "open networkers," who connect with anyone. Somewhere in the middle is Michael O'Donnell, managing director at Thesis Ventures, who offers good advice for people to reject some LinkedIn connections. Let's consider these approaches.

I'm an introvert. I value fewer and deeper relationships. The only reason I have more than 500 connections on LinkedIn is that most are students, a naturally revolving bunch of contacts. Also, I've worked in several organizations as an employee and as an external consultant-I'm old. 

If I connected with anyone, I would fear embarrassment when asked to make an introduction. This would upset my introvert sensibilities, forcing me to admit that I don't really have the relationships I claim.

Open networkers (or LIONs, LinkedIn Open Networkers) accept all invitations and often promote their willingness. For people such as recruiters, this strategy may work well to expand potential contacts. However, LinkedIn doesn't support this approach:

"'L.I.O.N.' is a designation used by several user-created groups and individual LinkedIn members to indicate a high level of interconnectivity to other LinkedIn members. This term is not endorsed by LinkedIn. As a reminder, only connect to people you know and trust and only join groups you want your name associated with."

Former LION Karalyn Brown says she regrets adopting this strategy three years ago. Although she has thousands of people in her network, she sees downsides: she's "fair game" for email spam, she finds it difficult to "to find people that I really care about and want to form deeper relationships with," and she's concerned that she looks "indiscriminate."

Being more discriminate is exactly what Michael O'Donnell suggests. Although he accepts connections from people he doesn't know, he'll reject requests for these reasons:

1. No picture or picture is an icon or company logo.

2. Incomplete or sparse profile.

3. Few connections and no recommendations.

4. Your invitation reads, "I'd like to add you to my professional network on Linkedin."

5. You lied about how you know me.

6. Your connection invitation was preceded by an InMail which was essentially a sales pitch for your company or products/services.

7. Your profile title says you are a "visionary" or you have 10,000+ connections...

Discussion Starters:

• What's your philosophy for connecting with people on LinkedIn?
• How does this strategy differ for other sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram?
• How have you used LinkedIn for networking?

Starbucks Allows Tattoos

On Monday, Starbucks employees can wear their tattoos proudly-no more long-sleeve cover-ups. The decision comes after a barista amassed more than 25,000 signatures on a petition that describes her goal: "Change the dress code to allow visible tattoos. I believe tattoos are a simple form of self expression and as long as they aren't offensive or explicit, I think we should be able to show off our artwork proudly."

To explain its new dress code, Starbucks created this graphic:

The suggestions sound reasonable enough: "Keep your nails clean," "Pull long hair back," etc. I happen to be writing this at a Starbucks, and the employees look neat and clean. But I'm not counting their earrings or measuring their gauges.  

Discussion Starters: 

• What's your view of the tattoo policy? Was this the right decision? Why or why not?
• What, if anything, surprises you about the other dress code recommendations? 

LEGO Resume Lands an Internship

An aspiring advertising intern created a LEGO version of herself in an suit and sent it to prospective employers. Northwestern University student Leah Bowman posted a picture of her creative resume on Imgur.

Images of the LEGO rendition appeared on  11" X 17" posters with  slogans such as, "Build the perfect Account Service intern" and described her skills. Bowman said that the design responded to an agency's call for a persuasive ad.

She wrote on Imgur, "I wanted to stand out to employers, so I made a LEGO set of myself in my interview suit and sent it out to my dream advertising agencies." She also explained her strategy to Mashable: 

"Looking for a job can be a bit frustrating at times. I've applied for dozens of jobs and had a handful of interviews, but sometimes there's just another candidate that edged you out. I know I'd be a great addition to any team, but I needed a better way to communicate that rather than just sending in a boring resume."

Her strategy worked: she got an internship in account management at Omnicom's Energy BBDO, an advertising firm based in New York City.  

Discussion Starters:

• Someone on Imgur commented, "And then you found out that employers would rather you just be normal." What's your opinion of this comment? Consider the discussion of creative resumes in Chapter 12 of the textbook.
• If you were an employer and had received this, how would you perceive the applicant?
• Assess Bowman's description of her skills on the poster above. How well does she describe her job qualifications? What could she improve?
• On one poster, Bowman wrote, "Build the perfect Account Service intern." Should she have capitalized the job title?

A Handwritten Job Ad

Advertising agency Solve has a new-and old-way of inviting interns to apply for jobs. In a handwritten letter posted around college campuses, Solve asks interns to submit a traditional cover letter and resume by mail. Emphasizing "genuine connections" and a "personal, straightforward" approach, the agency describes its rationale:

"Valuing substance over silliness, Solve refuses to ask candidates to condense resumes into 140 characters, present themselves via fake campaign or funny videos, or answer irrelevant nonsensical questions. Rather, Solve is simply asking for a resume and cover letter…to be sent (via mail) to the agency."

Discussion Starters:

• What's your view of the agency's campaign: refreshing, as gimmicky as a tweet, or something else?
• I'm having trouble reading the letter. Is it just me?
• The letter asks prospective interns to mail in their cover letter and resume. Would you submit something typed or handwritten?
• The letter has a fairly major grammatical error. Can you find it?