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Because you're joining a team and should be a good fit beyond technical expertise. I would be very happy to have answered that question and would be a plus one

by pxue 7y ago

Because you're joining a team and should be a good fit beyond technical expertise. I would be very happy to have answered that question and would be a plus one in my books if I can have these types of heated talks with my coworkers.

Loughla 7y ago
Non-baited statement (and I'm aware it's discussed a lot here), but my experience with people saying the candidate wouldn't be a good 'fit' was just a way to enforce bias either unconsciously or consciously. And led to problems with group-think and an inability to think in different ways. Now granted my hiring sample is less than 100, but that has been my experience so far.
- PorterDuff 7y ago
  As a serious question, why do you think that dissimilar groups product faster or higher quality work? How far can you take that concept? Should they even speak the same language?
  - jimcsharp 7y ago
    It probably makes it easier to act like a professional. If you reduce the social gel at work, perhaps more work gets done. Maybe I've gained a morning of productivity today because a conversation didn't devolve into a Simpsons quote-athon.
  - Loughla 7y ago
    Dissimilar groups produce higher quality work, in my opinion and experience. It takes longer, because of the discussion that needs to happen. But, again in my experience, quality of product is far more important than speed of production. If I worked on a factory line making widgets, maybe this would change. But the quality of the outcome, again in my experience, is higher for groups that are dissimilar overall in background and viewpoints. Teams structured in this way are able to view things from different angles. They are able to challenge each other in ways that groups from similar backgrounds with similar view are simply not able to even think of. >How far can I take the concept? What does that matter? Honestly? >Should they even speak the same language? It's helpful? What does this have to do with 'fit' actually being current business manager code for 'implicit bias'? And my point wasn't that dissimilar groups work better; my point was that looking for 'fit' is just a way for groups to embrace their own biases about 'insert trait here' without feeling guilty, and leads, in my opinion and experience, to groupthink and circlejerky ideas. My experience has taught me that any business more concerned with fit is not a place for me. I have yet to be challenged intellectually anywhere that 'fit' has been part of the interview process.
- JudgeWapner 7y ago
  why should the candidate just apply for software engineering jobs? Isn't focusing on one field just enforcing their bias to a particular industry? Shouldn't we enforce basic rules that candidates apply to a diverse gamut of other jobs, such as truck driving, painting, and customer service? And shouldn't we shame them if they decline an offer for a labor job by calling out their biases? Shouldn't we require candidates to apply to more than one company? I mean, if they focused on one company at a time, that clearly enforces their bias (either unconsciously or consiously). How are we going to contain this blatant bias in job applicants?
  - Loughla 7y ago
    I can't tell if you're being serious or not. If you are, then you have missed the point entirely and I would argue don't even understand what I was talking about in the first place. If you're not, then you got one over on me 100%.

by pxue 7y ago

Loughla 7y ago

Non-baited statement (and I'm aware it's discussed a lot here), but my experience with people saying the candidate wouldn't be a good 'fit' was just a way to enforce bias either unconsciously or consciously. And led to problems with group-think and an inability to think in different ways. Now granted my hiring sample is less than 100, but that has been my experience so far.

PorterDuff 7y ago
As a serious question, why do you think that dissimilar groups product faster or higher quality work? How far can you take that concept? Should they even speak the same language?
- jimcsharp 7y ago
  It probably makes it easier to act like a professional. If you reduce the social gel at work, perhaps more work gets done. Maybe I've gained a morning of productivity today because a conversation didn't devolve into a Simpsons quote-athon.
- Loughla 7y ago
  Dissimilar groups produce higher quality work, in my opinion and experience. It takes longer, because of the discussion that needs to happen. But, again in my experience, quality of product is far more important than speed of production. If I worked on a factory line making widgets, maybe this would change. But the quality of the outcome, again in my experience, is higher for groups that are dissimilar overall in background and viewpoints. Teams structured in this way are able to view things from different angles. They are able to challenge each other in ways that groups from similar backgrounds with similar view are simply not able to even think of. >How far can I take the concept? What does that matter? Honestly? >Should they even speak the same language? It's helpful? What does this have to do with 'fit' actually being current business manager code for 'implicit bias'? And my point wasn't that dissimilar groups work better; my point was that looking for 'fit' is just a way for groups to embrace their own biases about 'insert trait here' without feeling guilty, and leads, in my opinion and experience, to groupthink and circlejerky ideas. My experience has taught me that any business more concerned with fit is not a place for me. I have yet to be challenged intellectually anywhere that 'fit' has been part of the interview process.
JudgeWapner 7y ago
why should the candidate just apply for software engineering jobs? Isn't focusing on one field just enforcing their bias to a particular industry? Shouldn't we enforce basic rules that candidates apply to a diverse gamut of other jobs, such as truck driving, painting, and customer service? And shouldn't we shame them if they decline an offer for a labor job by calling out their biases? Shouldn't we require candidates to apply to more than one company? I mean, if they focused on one company at a time, that clearly enforces their bias (either unconsciously or consiously). How are we going to contain this blatant bias in job applicants?
- Loughla 7y ago
  I can't tell if you're being serious or not. If you are, then you have missed the point entirely and I would argue don't even understand what I was talking about in the first place. If you're not, then you got one over on me 100%.