People Skills Dont Bomb This Hiring Test Without Even Knowing It

People Skills â€" Dont Bomb This Hiring Test Without Even Knowing It Paul Pierotti, a Managing Director at Accenture Digital, recently implemented a quick, smart check on the people skills (aka soft skills) of a group of employment candidates.He posted a note on LinkedIn that said:“For the ten graduate applicants I am interviewing this week, the easy code is pineapple. Let’s see how many of you look at my profile before the interview.”People Left Negative CommentsMany of Paul’s viewers disliked his approach:Low on profile views, huh?I find your post a little out of line.A bit borderline stalker.People research companies, not the people who work there.Utterly ludicrous.People Left Positive CommentsOther viewers supported Paul:I believe they call it due diligence.It’s good practice.It should be an automatic fail if they don’t have it [the easy code].This is a clever due diligence test. This is excellent!How many people have I interviewed that couldn’t be bothered to spend 20 seconds on personal research?People Left Comments Helpful to Job SeekersI do believe you should research the person you are meeting in a business situation.There’s nothing more powerful in an interview than being prepared.Knowing the easy code would certainly color an interviewer’s opinion of the candidate.A quick way to eliminate those who haven’t shown interest.I will be stealing the idea one day in the near future.Paul’s ResultsFast forward to the interviews:Over 70% of the candidates referenced pineapple in their interview with Paul. They had prepared! While Paul hasn’t said who made it to the next round, I wouldn’t want to be one of the people who didnt look at his profile.What Does Paul’s People Skills Test Mean for Your Job Search?Connect on LinkedIn with people who are going to interview you. Send them a simple note like this:Paul,I’m looking forward to meeting with you next week and would like to know more about you. I hope you’ll accept my invitation to connect here on LinkedIn.Thank you,ChristineRead your interviewerâ €™s profile.Many commenters suggested going incognito. I disagree. Let your interviewer know you’re interested enough in him/her to do the obvious research.To work for Accenture, Paul wants to know you have enough on the ball to learn a bit about him, and by extrapolation, a new or prospective client, before a first meeting.Check your interviewer’s LinkedIn activity.Click the down arrow beside the “Follow” tab and then click “View Recent Activity.” This is where you’ll learn more about what really matters to your interviewer â€" and where you would have found Paul’s post.Look at a few of Accenture’s 2016 accolades:#29, The World’s Top 50 Most Attractive Employers, Universum #36, World’s Most Admired Companies, Fortune #37, Best Global Brands, InterbrandThe company didn’t reach those levels of esteem by hiring people who lack the soft skills to form connections with clients and colleagues.Check your interviewer’s LinkedIn profile contact information.Paul’s LinkedIn profile shows he has a Twitter account. (BTW: Its good to upgrade your Twitter game when youre looking for a job.)Check his feed. Its packed with information about his business interests and personal passions â€" potential icebreakers for those first awkward moments of an interview.Don’t forget to research the company too!While its not enough, its also a competitive requirement. Youll find some quick tips here.As Paul said in the comments to his LinkedIn post, “Hopefully they [the candidates] have researched both.”Can You Prove Your People Skills in an Interview Process?The comments on Paul’s post showed naysayers and fans for his approach.Now that you know you might get tested on your relationship building skills during an interview, who do you want to be? The naysayer or the winner?You Might Also LikeInterviews â€" 8 Big Body Language MistakesThe Interview Thank You Mistake That Can Cost You the Job OfferThe Hiring Manager Viewed My Profile â€" Should I Connect?I mage:  Canva Updated May 2019 2016 2019, Donna Svei. All rights reserved.Donna SveiDonna Svei, an executive resume writer and former C-level executive, retained search consultant, and CPA, writes all of AvidCareerists posts. She has written for and been quoted by leading business, general, and career media outlets, including Forbes, Mashable, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Lifehacker, Ask.com, Social Media Today, IT World, SmartBrief, Payscale, Business News Daily, and the Muse. Let her background and experience inform your job search strategy and decision making.Learn more about Donnas executive resume writing service or email Donna for more information. Interviews â€" Preparation (7 Posts)