Presence of Mind One quality the job required was presence of mind, and the management was looking for this very attribute in the candidates to be interviewed later that morning. They came up with an ingenious idea to test candidates for their composure, wit and quick thinking under duress. Just before the interviews began, they tied a strong cord across the door – about six inches above the floor. They then seated themselves strategically across the room to study the reactions of the candidates as they tripped and fell at the entrance. The first candidate was called. He was the “I Know-it-all” kind of MBA, fresh from a leading university. Shoes polished and neck-tie knotted neatly, he walked into the room, head in the air. As expected, he stumbled over the cord and fell in an ugly heap on the floor, his degrees, diplomas and recommendations scattered all over the polished floor. Picking himself up sheepishly, he mumbled an apology before seating himself. The next candidate fell for the trick too, and like the previous candidate, he quickly gathered all his papers, apologized, and completed the interview. All the seven candidates that followed had a similar story to tell when they reached home. The tenth candidate was not as fashionably dressed as his predecessors, but was presentable and going by looks, seemed to have spent a few years behind a desk. He walked into the room, prepared to impress his bosses to be. Like all the others, he did not notice the cord across the doorway and landed in an untidy tangle on the floor. The young man got to his feet, straightened his tie, picked his file from the floor and looking the chairman straight in the eye, said “ Sir, I’m glad that I fell in good company today”. Guess who got the job?
Posted on: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 19:43:08 +0000