CEO reveals why she hired candidate who could 'barely communicate' in interview and it's enlightening

The present-day job market is brutal on all fronts. Even the interview process is making people lose their minds. The world is changing daily and the candidate should be able to innovate as needed. Therefore, more than credentials, employers rely on their instincts while hiring. Brigette Hyacinth, the CEO and Founder of Leadership EQ, follows this to the T. She recently shared one of her interview experiences on LinkedIn, where her instincts proved to be right about a candidate. Even though the individual's communication skills left a lot to be desired, Hyacinth felt in her heart that the candidate was the right pick and is now glad she went that route.

Hyacinth began the post by sharing how her interview went with the said candidate, "DISASTER! So, I interviewed a highly recommended candidate. The interview was a nightmare. She was so nervous she could barely communicate. A deer in the headlight. She bombed miserably." The experience should have left no room for doubt that the candidate and the job are not the right fit. But Hyacinth just couldn't get past her "gut feeling" that the candidate would be a worthy addition to her setup. She went with her gut and hired her. The CEO added, "I gambled and decided to give her a try."

Within six months, the candidate proved herself to be worthy of the trust and turned out to be one of the "top performers" for the company. This turn of events made Hyacinth say, "Sometimes it's hard to know a candidate's full capabilities in a job interview. We shouldn't be too quick to cross someone off who doesn't interview well. The truth is, interviews can be nerve-wracking." For some people, performing on the go might not be a strong suit, but with time they may show another side of themselves. It is vital to keep these things in mind for an entrepreneur trying to find the right person for their company. She ended the post with a meaningful line, "There is so much more to a person than just passing/failing an interview."

People on the social media platform found the experience enlightening. Kelly Ford agreed with Hyacinth's stand and wrote about her own experience, "The interview process is so dated. On another note, companies go on about wanting to employ more neurodiverse people yet they put autistic people through several stage interview processes where they have to speak to people they don't know for a long length of time, which can be so draining for them. I wish this would change and go more off references, experience, and portfolio and not having a chat with the owner of the company that they will probably never speak to ever again."

Jackson John commented on how interviews can be deceptive. "And then there are candidates who are excellent at interviews, that gets them the job, and they go on to become really miserable performers (talkers, rather than doers kind). Like your gut instinct told you the candidate, even though she interviewed 'miserably,' is now one of your top performers; that gut instinct to be able to identify talent and give them a chance by taking that risk is also an intrinsic marker of 'leadership.' Unfortunately, there are not many leaders out there and hence, we see what we see in terms of acquiring and retaining talent."

You can follow Brigette Hyacinth on LinkedIn for more career-related content.