A friend told me being liked in an interview is more important than skillset.

39 Comments

1. SLTJuly 2,2022 at 2:51AM UTC

   I think there is truth to this.
   A good interviewer can have a gut feeling --

   I have interviewed some intelligent people yet their arrogance was off the charts. Didn't get the job.

   I get needing a skill set, but there is also a need to be trainable.

   I'd hire a trainable listener before I'd hire someone with an ego.

2. Shelby CJuly 2,2022 at 3:15AM UTC

   I would rather hire the person than the experience. I can train the right person with the right attitude to do just about anything; however, I can't change people.

3. AnonymousJuly 2,2022 at 5:41AM UTC

   I would tend to agree. It's super important that I click with someone. I can train and support someone learning if I truly like them.

   I can't do much with someone I really don't like.

4. Julie HumbirdJuly 2,2022 at 3:31PM UTC

   This is true for many jobs where specific education and certifications are not required for the work needed.

5. ChristineJuly 2,2022 at 3:59PM UTC

   This is true.

6. Cyndi RosenblattJuly 2,2022 at 8:56PM UTC

   Depends on the role. Some of them are straightforward enough that it would be realistic to train any bright person with a good attitude, while others really require a certain level of experience regardless of which person you liked best. Ideally, you're looking for a great attitude along with the necessary skills.

7. AnonymousJuly 3,2022 at 1:12PM UTC

   I agree. My last role I feel I was hired due to personality but within a month I realized the expectations were something I could not meet so I resigned.

8. AnonymousJuly 3,2022 at 2:03PM UTC

   I see a lot of posts from people being rejected from jobs where they thought they were the perfect fit…. Likability matters and can be the reason a candidate gets hired over the other!

   would you want to hire someone if you had a hunch that you or other co workers may not get along with them?

9. AnonymousJuly 8,2022 at 6:05PM UTC

   For me, it would depend on the reason I have that hunch.
   If the hunch comes because they bring fresh ideas and a new perspective with them and the current team is resistant, I would probably hire them.

10. AnonymousJuly 11,2022 at 3:14PM UTC

    Yes that can be a factor for hiring someone that may not fit well with the other workers. It’s all case by case!

11. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netJuly 11,2022 at 6:21PM UTC

    Or they were high maintenence ??

12. Audrey KirschJuly 3,2022 at 2:44PM UTC

    While I agree that it’s important to be liked, I wouldn’t want a job where my skill set wasn’t valued as well. In an interview I’m not looking for new friends. I’m looking for a position where I can best use my skills to make a positive impact.

13. AnonymousJuly 3,2022 at 8:32PM UTC

    Being liked and wanting to be friends aren’t mutually exclusive.

    Yes we should look for positions where are skills will be useful but, jobs can also train people to get them up to a skill set they desire.

    I think there are many positions given to younger people starting out in the job market where there are plenty of older candidates that have the qualifications. It may seem wrong but, on one hand it gives younger people an opportunity to work themselves up. And sometimes for whatever reason their personalities don’t come with “baggage” so they may not be bringing unwanted types of drama to the work culture. Skills are great but, if it’s coming with certain fixed mindset this can be an issue for organizations.

14. Audrey KirschJuly 8,2022 at 4:16PM UTC

    I support giving younger workers an opportunity, but from what I've seen, they can come with just as much 'baggage' as an older, more experienced worker. No matter the age, workers come in a wide variety of backgrounds, experience and attitudes. I think a company should want the diversity across all things, not solely based on a person's likeability.

15. AnonymousJuly 8,2022 at 6:26PM UTC

    That’s true. I never said places that choose younger workers for such reasons are in the right. I have my own issues with it but, it’s something I’ve noticed. It seems some managers like younger workers who they can get along with and treat like “children” when disciplining versus an older worker who may be more intimidating to them and have more challenging questions.

    An older worker will definitely be qualified for the job. From this standpoint I wouldn’t want to be the older coworker in this environment because the culture would be off and I wouldn’t want to put up with it for long.

16. Paula Manczuk-HannayJuly 8,2022 at 1:53PM UTC

    Along the same lines, focusing heavily on likability and fitting into the culture can inadvertently (or intentionally) screen out diversity. Not only of ethnicity or culture, etc but also of thought.

17. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netJuly 11,2022 at 6:19PM UTC

    Your friendliness is important. You wouldn't be on the interview if your skill set wasn't valued. Your social ability will be noticed....

18. Audrey KirschJuly 13,2022 at 4:22PM UTC

    I wish that were true, but I've seen people with no experience or skills get hired based solely on their personality. And I'm not talking about entry level positions where it's important to give people a chance. I've seen it in management positions where the person fails miserably because they just don't have the skills to succeed. Some people can fake it 'till they make it, but from what I've seen, that's rare.

19. AnonymousJuly 3,2022 at 6:24PM UTC

    It depends on the complexity of the job function. There are some jobs where job duties are more people centric where interpersonal skills dominates the need for the role to be fillled. And there are other jobs where you either do or do not have the technical qualifications for where no matter how much you charm, doesnt mean shit.

20. AnonymousJuly 3,2022 at 11:26PM UTC

    This is absolutely true! I’ve been told this by hiring managers as they can train you to do the job, but hiring someone who they don’t vibe with can turn out to be a pain. However, take heed you can go from being pet to threat in the blink of an eye!

21. AnonymousJuly 4,2022 at 4:05PM UTC

    Garry Marshall, the director of Pretty Woman explained that when he cast actors he looked for two things: were the lights on (ie could they do the job) and would he want to go to lunch with them. The latter was more about if they would be easy on set or fall into the “life’s too short” category

22. Kitty BreedJuly 10,2022 at 12:08AM UTC

    After all, no one wants to work with a diva.

23. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJuly 5,2022 at 1:49AM UTC

    I wouldn't necessarily say it's more important but it is important. For most hiring managers, they're managing a team, and the chemistry of that team can be a delicate balance. No one wants to work with or hire a jerk.

    That being said, for a lot of positions, it doesn't matter how nice you are or how much you get along with folks, if you don't have the necessary skills, it doesn't matter.

24. AnonymousJuly 8,2022 at 12:11PM UTC

    This true.
    Same in sales. Ppl will close deals with people they like. I'm referring to retail sales, that's my experience, but it's true in the business sector to some extent. Unconscious bias is a thing.

25. Alison KingJuly 8,2022 at 12:22PM UTC

    While I wouldn’t necessarily take advice from someone just based on their own limited experience, I do think being likable is a major plus. You know the old thing about how we do business with people we “know, like, and trust?” The interview is an opportunity to help build that.

    The other thing is the resume is where they learn the most about your skills. Presumably, if you get to the interview, they already feel fairly confident about your skills. The interview is to confirm those skills but also make sure you’re someone they want to spend 40 hours/week working with or around. That’s important.

    The way I’ve approached interviews is by being professionally friendly. A big smile and wave when signing on a video interview puts everyone at ease. I might make a little benign joke about the weather or something in my answers, but don’t feel like you have to if that’s not you. You don’t have to try to be likable (and that could backfire if you’re not careful). But at some point, you know the type of questions they’re likely to ask, and if you have a good stories you can tell related to those, it will feel more natural and enjoyable for everyone involved.

    TLDR: If you’re prepared and professionally friendly, that will check off the box for likability. It’s not everything, but it is important.

26. Cheryl NeasJuly 8,2022 at 12:52PM UTC

    I don't know if it's "more important" but if you have been invited to interview the hiring team is already interested in your skills.

27. AnonymousJuly 8,2022 at 2:35PM UTC

    We have all probably worked with people who “interviewed well” and then couldn’t do the job. I think like isn’t the right way to describe it.

28. Tabbi KinionJuly 9,2022 at 12:27PM UTC

    It sounds worse than it is. If people make it to the interview, they (should) have the skills and experience to do the job. The interview is about figuring out who the interviewers want to bring into the team - which includes like-ability, attitude, adaptability, ability and willingness to learn, sense of humor, potential, talent, and whether they fit into the culture.

    And, as a person who hires people, we have all been hoodwinked by someone who seemed ultra qualified over the years who ended up being a bad culture choice. And I have also been on panels where we picked the less qualified but better fit candidate. Your friend would not have gotten an interview if there wasn’t something there to begin with. So, yes, being liked is a big part of interviewing. But there are a lot of factors to being professionally likeable for a job.

29. GirlBossanova934974July 9,2022 at 3:27PM UTC

    Short and sweet, the old saying is that managers hire themselves! And of course, most like themselves. That being said, an EXPERIENCED manager knows this bias and puts the "Like Meter" in the desk drawer when it comes to making final assessments on candidates. The INEXPERIENCED manager plays to their own bias. And Why? Because through many hires, one sees that hiring oneself or people whom you agree with often has very negative consequences aka THAT CANDIDATE turned out to be a complete dud! And if any manager with more than a few years of experience tells you that they have NEVER hired a dud, they are not being truthful. Making sure you have checked out the candidate's qualifications may be a chore for many these days but believe me, the dull and boring will save you a lot of trouble down with the road with terminations and lost profits due to obvious hiring mistakes aka hiring someone who was never qualified to be considered.

30. AnonymousJuly 9,2022 at 9:38PM UTC

    Yes, having experience is important but, cultural fit is probably more important. You want to enjoy the people you work with and they’ll want to enjoy working with you. Also, every role is different and some may actually need you to have certain experience to excel int the role. Other roles may be able to take someone on that’s eager to learn and help train them.

31. Maureen BlakeJuly 11,2022 at 5:06PM UTC

    I absolutely agree cultural fit in sense of the culture of the company is important, but I think helpful to define what that means.

    For me that means asking questions such as: How does this company prioritize work life balance? If a deadline is set forth will the company jump through hoops to meet it OR is this a company that is comfortable asking for an extension because the expectation is to work 9-5? Is the work load and expectations of performance reasonable for the hours hired for? Are they fixed hours? OR Is this a culture where all hands on deck, and ALL will be willing to work overtime, or weekends because the work demands such? Is that because it is necessary or choice of the culture? Does everyone use cameras on during ZOOM calls? Or can we all work in our PJS from even our bed if we want and that is no issue? What is the expectaion of in office? Are there regular team meetings? Touch base with boss to clarify expectations regularly? Are there regular performance reviews for feedback? Do people work collaboratively or independenly? THEN have to ask self what works for you! I am concerned that some tend to hire those MOST Like themselves and then there may be a problem. But sometimes the term "cultural fit" can be a way to mask not wanting to hire anyone DIFFERENT from oneself which I think does not serve any company all that well frankly. As long as there is a good fit with the above, but I worry some make judgments based on other factors of personality. Thinks like commonality of political views, family mores, race, gender and ability or not familiar with those with disabilities and some of the uniqueness based on those kinds of cultural differences of WHO THE CANIDATE IS are sometimes a real challenge. There is natural discomfort with the unfamiliar! So in hiring it is important I believe to recognize one's inherent comfort with those LIKE oneself and actively be sure that there are no natural prejudices that lead to overlook the best candidate that could provide the most added value to a company.

32. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netJuly 11,2022 at 6:15PM UTC

    Candidates get hired for their likability. It is assumed that they would not be on the interview if they didn't have the skills. They also get hired for not being problematic.

33. AnonymousJuly 11,2022 at 6:18PM UTC

    You bring up a lot of good points…. There are so many gray areas to this. We only see job postings and it can be impossible to gleam all aspects of the work culture since they are mostly putting the skill sets they require.

    I do think there are many prejudices out there that keep some candidates from different positions but, there are so many aspects at play that make it hard to prove in all cases.

    Many people still complain they lost out a position to a diversity hire with less qualifications. This can also be hard to prove. If they applied to a place with a diverse work culture and aren’t used to working around people of color and something they said in the interview may have been a tip off that they wouldn’t fit in the environment.

    On a side note many positions I’ve had many coworkers did not get along. The drama took away from the work sometimes not all the time.

34. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netJuly 13,2022 at 10:40PM UTC

    working in bed in your PJ's??? Really? I don't staff any companies like that.

35. Katrina PeltersJuly 10,2022 at 3:18AM UTC

    I want someone who fits on my team. You don't get to the interview if you don't have the skills

36. rgstaffing@bellsouth.netJuly 11,2022 at 12:35PM UTC

    This is true. Like it or not, companies believe that they can teach the skills but they cannot teach a good attitude, ability to interface with the team/employees, a professional presentation and all those bells and whistles. That is why when i read all this complaining it makes me wonder if the erson will be long term at the company.

37. Joanna PoeJuly 13,2022 at 1:19AM UTC

    Skillset on paper gets you to the first interview. If we like you in the first interview, you have a chance to make it to the second. But even if we like you, if you can't hack it in the presentation/skills challenge in the second interview, then sorry, see you.

38. Paula BrantnerAugust 2,2022 at 2:19PM UTC

    This is how implicit bias gets introduced into hiring, since if a particular race and gender (typically white male) gets interviewed, there's a higher chance they will be liked by those already in power who make hiring decisions.

    Because of this implicit bias, we may see people not like us as less "likeable." We have prevailing stereotypes that Black people are "angry," Latinx people are "fiery," Asian people are "aloof." Women can be perceived as humorless or uptight, or that they wouldn't be "one of the guys." Older women may be threatened by younger women after being used to being one of the few women in the workplace. Extroverts can be threatened by introverts, and vice versa.

    I think it's very important for those involved in hiring to unpack what they view as likeability to make sure it doesn't reinforce stereotypes and prevent becoming a diverse and inclusive workplace.

    I think it's important for those interviewing to be as friendly and approachable as they can be, within the constraints of their personality. Having to be "on" all the time can be exhausting, as can having to expose yourself to microaggressions from those who expect you to be like them.

39. Vanda LeeAugust 4,2022 at 4:00PM UTC

    Hit the nail on the head!