Only high performers pass this kind of job interview | Tyler Cowen

Here’s what job interviewers are testing you for, according to economist Tyler Cowen.

Economist Tyler Cowen argues that traditional interview methods are not effective in identifying the best candidates for a job, especially in creative roles. Candidates who are well-prepared often pass these interviews, but this only tests their preparation and not their abilities.

To identify the best candidates, Cowen suggests that interviewers focus on being authentic and spontaneous in their interactions with candidates, instead of relying on pre-written questions.

The interviewer should be trustworthy, Cowen argues, as it helps them to better evaluate the candidate's authenticity. Ultimately, allocating talent in better ways can contribute to economic growth, and a more thoughtful approach to interviews can help identify more talented individuals and elevate them to greater opportunities.

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About Tyler Cowen:
Tyler is the Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mason University and serves as chairman and general director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is co-author of the popular economics blog Marginal Revolution and co-founder of the online educational platform Marginal Revolution University.

Tyler also writes a column for Bloomberg View, and he has contributed to The Wall Street Journal and Money. In 2011, Bloomberg Businessweek profiled Tyler as “America’s Hottest Economist” after his e-book, The Great Stagnation, appeared twice on The New York Times e-book bestseller list.

He graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor's degree in economics and earned a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University. He also runs a podcast series called Conversations with Tyler. His latest book Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives and Winners Around the World is co-authored with venture capitalist Daniel Gross.

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Read more of our stories on leadership:
Great leaders ask great questions: Here are 3 steps to up your questioning game.
Why our instincts about innovation and change work against us
How Stoicism can inspire fearless leadership

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Want more Big Think?

[bigthink]

What do you think of this approach to job interviews?

[jessewest]

"Seem trustworthy by actually being trustworthy." Hilarious and obvious but so overlooked

[belgmit]

Extremely off-putting click-bait title (I came to downvote), that is a poor mismatch for the content. Something better might be "Managers: You're Probably Interviewing Wrong, Try This Instead"

[GeorgeDonnelly]

Finally, a take on interviews that doesn't feel rote, repetitive or inspired by an assembly line. Thank you.

[silverchairsg]

It is my belief that hiring managers aren't actually looking to hire the best high performers, but for the least risky ones that won't blow up and reflect badly on them personally.

[khalidalali]

Mine is always “Where do you see yourself in five years?, and my reply is always:

“Not here, that’s for sure.”

Somehow, it always works, and I get hired. It never fails, and I usually spend 2.7 years in each organization. I think that’s very healthy. 3 years should be the norm.

[aywancfc]

I actually would like interviews that are more conversational..so it would be nice for interviews to bring out the authenticity of a person. The anxiety and stress that comes from giving and prepping a canned answer feels pretty terrifying…and lame. I feel like it flattens the person and gives them less dimension. Imagine that..being able to be authentic and real in an interview 🤔

[Paulina-brtm]

In an ideal world where you only interview one person for the job and can see them in these different scenarios, can spend time with them and allow for mutual authenticity this would work. Most times candidates have to be compared to one another, and we’re talking 4-6 that are trying to get that same job. What’s the advice for the real life hiring with multiple confounding variables, to include the interviewee mood that day?

[justAroundNitrogen]

How to talk without any substance, managerial positions 101.

[robertarvanitis]

Excellent.
"The trick is there IS no trick!"
Be yourself to learn who they are.

[ralphpaul]

Well said. You're not gonna get good candidates by asking them to tell you about themselves. The goal should be to get them to tell you so without them realizing it. That way, you can get to truly know the candidates.

[iminni]

Ironic that a video about trustworthiness and authenticity has a misleading title.

[wdyalien]

In short, make it human!
Unfortunately corporations transformed selection process in a production-line style approach.

[Ouhterheaven]

In the era of de-humanizing hiring technologies like hirevue, it is impossible to build a real conversation and trustworthiness. I wish I would be interviewed by someone like him

[matejkleni]

we have become so hyped about qualities that have little to do with creating added value. How about testing intelligence, technical proficiency, capacity to learn big and fast. I hired so many people who had great social skills, authentic, trustworthy, but absolutely wothless in terms of added value to the firm. very often its the awkward and strange candidates that bring the most value

[mocerlaalacbaino]

I had a really weird thought after watching this and created such a scene. What do you think?

Tell us about yourself.

Well i am Cadis, I've graduated from this college, i like being in peace, having time to do other things than studying, i like order and organisation, i like being comfortable. I hate vague directions, emotionally directed people, people who are bad, people who don't want to fully help, and i highly dislike people who don't understand what they are saying.

Explain your ideal work environment.

Good management, good salary, not toxic culture, getting the work done on time, not being bombarded by work simply because of problems due to the management ( a 6 hour project is always going to take 6 hour regardless of how late the management is or how bad your negotiations are), 6 hour work day, directed orders rather than vague projects as if the boss itself has no idea what he wants to do, complaints being taken seriously and disciplined leadership. I like team work, i hate corruption, in a perfect environment i wouldn't want to accept or direct calls from the job after working hours regardless of emergency.(if it was urgent you should have predicted that in the first place and managed that at earliest.), I would like to have the ability to refuse a project unless the conditions are met according to my terms (for example: i will take a 12 hour project and being told that i need to get it done by 6. No. If it's your own damn fault negotiate on your own behalf and buy me my god damn time. So your system formula works absolutely perfectly) I would like to have the ability to leave the company if it refuses to pursue its ideal or my own ideal environment as being ideal isn't an aim but a necessity in the first place. Not being exploited by superiors, I like rules but i will refuse to follow rules which makes absolutely no sense. I have high expectations from the company and my bosses to do their job best so i can have this environment, i would want my company to grow and take care of it's own members as they are the hard workers and i look forward to its future.

What's your weakness?

I refuse to follow vague instructions, rules that doesn't makes sense, corrupted management, exploitive team, i will refuse to work if and under absolutely no condition i will adhere to stay in your company if i cannot trust the company itself.
As you see i have really high expectations from the company. You could take some easy dull path and get some underachiever or get me and change your own company to the ideal environment.

What's your salary expectation?

Is the average on the market. Asking you to pay for this much isn't taking advantage over your. If i had to take advantage of you i would say but I'll negotiate it back down to first number because you seems to improve and provide my ideal environment. And it would be nice if we meet a middle ground.

Have you ever done x, y and z?

Yes. I've volunteer myself since the first year of my college to get experience about the current market from company. I am well experienced in that area.


Can I ask you few questions?

How much profit have you made this year and last 10 years?
Why isn't your company improving?
What do you think are you doing wrong?
Do you think hiring someone would solve that?
Your market value has increased/decreased over these years why?
What's your aim?
Why are you willing to work so hard?
If an interviewee has lot of expectations from your company what are you going to do to achieve them?
Who is the worst employee of your company and why?
Why are certain rules written in the contract? Can I negotiate to change some rules with my contract?
If i realise that someone else can do my work faster and i decide to hire them. Will I be positively reimbursed or negatively punished?
These requirements written in the posting. Who wrote these and knowing that there are a lot of people going to come, and it will take that much longer to solve that issue why didn't even a single one of your employee raised their hand and made it more precise rather than vague? Do they like working longer hours?
What are you going to do when you don't meet expectations? I want you to give my royalty if you cannot meet the expectations and decide to kick me off because of your own fault. Its a highly demanding warzone and i refuse to be under an incompetent leader who would take the easy way out and destroy his own land.
What are some serious complaints you have heard from your employees during last 10 years?
And how have you handled it?
What can you say that i can trust you and that you're not a fraud who just wants to push his own family aka workers into poverty?

[piRatCaptain]

I think employers should also be prepared for the type of people they will be getting when they look for creative, innovative people. Getting high performers and then putting them into a box is counterintuitive and you will get a high rate of churn.

[haukeachilles]

Sounds great! I'd like to be interviewed by you 🙋‍♂️

[swedoj]

Please change the title. It suggests very different content. Vague pointers on how to gain very common information about an interviewee has almost nothing to do with what the title describes.
Borderline clickbait with unanswered questions. Why? Completely unnecessary.

[mikatoakino]

The very hard question to answer and to ask is how much salary you want? Vise versa