“I’ve literally never interviewed for a job and not received a job offer.”
When a coworker told me this, I was confident she wasn’t lying. I was also equally convinced that her “success” could be more attributed to a universally flawed interview process, rather than her astounding capabilities. With a front row seat to her chronic underperformance on the job and an interpersonal penchant for stirring up conflict, I knew she was all talk and little action.
But her resume was evidence that she could sell herself into an offer letter again and again.
Years later, when I stepped into a role as a recruiter, that coworker's claim lingered in the back of my mind during every interview I conducted. Was I falling for the charm of a perpetually adept interviewee, or was I genuinely uncovering their true character and skillset?
Looking at people (Talent) through the dynamics of ambition and humility helps frame the tension. People who demonstrate ambition without humility (like my former colleague) are typically destructive. Conversely, people who embrace both ambition and humility usually thrive, regardless of their environment. Unfortunately, when hiring, it's far too easy to over-index ambition while overlooking humility.
As I interviewed candidates, I needed to train my ears to pick up the more subtle indicators of humility, listening for hints of openness, prudence, and teachability. Charisma and charm can too easily dominate in an interview, but they can also blind us to the even more important character traits necessary for long-term success in most jobs.
Behavioral and situational questions became my go-to tool. When I ask questions about past challenges, candidates with humility speak candidly about mistakes they made along the way, about how they adapted mid-process, and about what they’ve learned about their own shortcomings.
Candidates lacking humility pass the buck. They attribute their challenges to chronically poor leadership or incompetent coworkers. Even when describing their challenges they find a way to make themselves the hero. Leaders with ambition but without humility tend to shirk responsibility and blame others; this is a problem that will never be solved by the perfect new job.
A few months ago I interviewed Carleen. She had the right background and interest for an open senior leadership role we were hiring for. However, what sold me most were her answers about areas of growth. She confidently rattled off what would be new and challenging about this role. She then compared it to past challenges in her career, missteps and mistakes, and told me how she learned on the job, coming out better on the other side. Carleen was a case study of how to embrace and hold the tension of both ambition and humility.
While humility is easily missed during the hiring process, the absence of it is sorely missed once someone is on the job.
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