What
is your method of interviewing, case interviewing etc?
"I do not use case study based
questions. My questions are targeted at finding out about the candidate's
personality, views, beliefs and breadth of knowledge concerning
worldwide affairs. I start with their CV and go backwards, considering
the discontinuities, meaning the times when they had changed jobs
or started a new study course. I try to find out the options they
had considered and what their decisions were based on. Did they
look at a wide range of alternatives? Was there consistency in their
choices based on their long-term ambitions?"
Do you encourage the candidate to ask questions?
"Yes,
this is very important for me. The quality of questions reveals
a lot about the candidate. Many ask factual questions, the answers
to which they can find on any INSEAD brochure or on the website.
Others are more interested in the outcome of the interview - and
here I truthfully tell them that the interview is an important part,
but only a part of an entire process. Very few ask questions of
significance - where the question is really a "question"
where the candidate genuinely wants to discuss an issue rather than
determine a fact or ask about accommodation. The number of candidates
who say they have nothing to ask is also surprisingly high."
What
do you look for in potential MBA candidates?
"I look for well-rounded candidates with wide interests
and who are "fun" to be with and interview. 3 characteristics
that I always look for are:
Passion
and enthusiasm in whatever the candidate has done or plans
to do. There are so many people who just go through the motions
or for whom the end justifies any means. Passion and enjoyment
in "doing" and taking part in activities signifies an
ability to work in the present as well as to look for a higher
purpose and not to be obsessed with just the objective.
Confidence
but no hubris. Confident candidates talk about successes
and failures and are naturally honest. They have the ability to
work well in teams. The ones with hubris say they have never made
mistakes, have always "led" teams rather than just being
a member and are also not genuine listeners. The ones without
confidence cannot stand up for what they believe.
Self-starter/doer.
As an interviewer in India I see many candidates who blame the
environment for their lack of wider experience. I look for people
who view circumstance as an opportunity to do interesting things
and not as something that is an insurmountable block. They must
show that they have the energy and appetite to do things rather
than sit back and talk of "fate."
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