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A traditional job interview

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is basically a one-sided,[br]high pressure interrogation,

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almost guaranteed to create

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significant psychological strain.

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Ironically, such stressful procedures

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can totally obscure[br]a person's true potential

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causing us to overlook a lot of people

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who could be great employees.

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We need a different way[br]to interview and screen candidates.

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One that will reveal[br]hidden potential and talent.

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[The Way We Work]

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[Made possible with[br]the support of Dropbox]

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Twelve years ago, I founded CY,

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an outsource call center

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staffed and managed entirely by underdogs.

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More than half[br]of our hundreds of employees

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are severely disabled.

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Others come from other[br]disadvantaged populations

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or just suffer from anxiety,

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low self-esteem and lack of confidence.

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The problem I needed to solve[br]when we started out was

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that traditional[br]interviewing and screening,

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especially for entry-level positions,

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are totally biased towards people

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who function well under intense stress.

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Now, if you're screening[br]for Navy SEALS, I totally get it,

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but the capacity to function under duress

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is totally irrelevant[br]if the actual job is stocking shelves

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or folding T-shirts,[br]unless of course it's Black Friday.

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Clara is a classic example.

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We met in CY's early days

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while she was waiting[br]for her job interview.

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Clara was 25 years old,[br]had cerebral palsy

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and used a walker.

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She seemed quite nervous,

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but she was likable,[br]intelligent and talkative.

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And yet just a short while later,

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her interviewer told me[br]that she had totally failed,

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that she couldn't string[br]two words together.

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The screening philosophy

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of "let's pick our employees[br]by viewing them at their worst,"

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not only overlooks disabled people

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but anyone whose shine[br]is diminished under harsh pressure.

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We developed the reverse screening process

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to find potential.

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And as the name implies,

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we go about things[br]practically the opposite way

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traditional approaches do.

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In a nutshell, if you want to assess[br]a candidate's true potential,

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see how they function[br]at their best, not their worst,

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which for most of us[br]is when we're calm and relaxed,

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not stressed and anxious.

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So build screening procedures[br]specifically tailored

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to help candidates feel

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as emotionally comfortable as possible.

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Three examples how you can achieve that.

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Lower anxiety and insecurity.

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Start out by losing[br]the whole interrogation vibe.

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Rather, interviewers should[br]view themselves as hosts,

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be friendly and welcoming.

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Choose an environment that's conducive

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to putting a candidate at ease,

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like making your interview room[br]look like a living room.

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People are most confident[br]discussing things

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about which they are[br]knowledgeable and passionate.

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So we ask candidates[br]to fill out a short questionnaire

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about their hobbies,

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and we start out the interview[br]by discussing those

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so that candidates could bring forth[br]their verbal skills,

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strengths and personality.

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Assess skills in everyday life situations

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with which the candidates are familiar.

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For instance, sales positions[br]require the ability to use persuasion.

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So ask the candidate to role play

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how they would persuade a neighbor

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to pay an extra maintenance fee

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for the renovations of their lobby.

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Looking for tough,[br]full-throttle negotiations?

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Ask the candidate to describe

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how they would persuade a teenager

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to not look at their phone[br]during a family dinner.

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Help them move beyond the stuck points

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to see how they adapt and learn.

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In the reverse screening process,

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we offer candidates three lifelines.

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We call it "Who Wants to Be an Employee?"

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If the candidate asks for a hint,

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the interviewer will model[br]a few correct arguments

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and ask the candidate[br]to role play the scenario

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to see how convincingly[br]they absorb and convey those points.

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Finding people's true potential[br]makes for happier,

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more diverse, and more successful[br]companies and employees.

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Remember Clara? We hired her.

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She gradually improved

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until she hit her targets[br]of calls per hour,

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and then she kept on getting better.

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And nowadays Clara gives talks

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about how many years ago[br]no one, including herself,

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believed she had any potential at all.

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A job is so much more than a paycheck,

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especially for marginalized populations.

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By finding and hiring[br]those you might otherwise overlook,

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you will not only[br]benefit your own company,

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you will literally[br]transform people's lives.

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The opportunity to win[br]with underdogs is all around you.

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Make sure to grab it.