Posted on our DiSC Profiles Blog today. Corexcel President, Sue Bowlby, reflects on false assumptions during the hiring process. Could you be missing out on star talent?
I had Anderson Cooper’s show on last week while I was getting ready for work. (Okay, so I was running late as usual.) His guest was Dolly Parton, a very talented writer, singer and businesswoman. Dolly talked about her life and mentioned that she and her husband often like to go to Wal-Mart very early in the morning to look for deals, especially around Christmas. Anderson asked her if people go crazy when they realize she’s in the store but she said there are very few people there early in the morning and, besides, she does live in Nashville where people are used to seeing her.
That comment got me thinking because, in case you don’t know, Dolly Parton has a very distinctive look. A look which, as Anderson pointed out, has changed very little in the last 20+ years. If you didn’t know Dolly Parton and you saw her in the store, what assumptions would you make about her? If you were interviewing her for a job would her blond wig, long fingernails and “oh my gawd” jewelry freak you out before you had a chance to find out how smart and talented she is?