INTELLIGENCE/ORI AND ROM BRAFMAN

The world’s eyes are on Presidentelect Barack Obama as he chooses his new cabinet. With the global economic crisis continuing to spin out of control, instability in the Middle East and an environment in peril, much is at stake well beyond United States borders. Of course, we all hope that Mr. Obama selects the highest-caliber people with the best skills for the job, without letting politics or personality get in the way.
But organizational psychologists know that sticking to this goal is easier said than done. They have found that selection and hiring processes are filled with irrational pitfalls that cause managers to make crucial decisions based on irrelevant criteria. When evaluating others, we have a hard time separating relevant and objective data from our own subjective impressions .
New research by University of Iowa management experts demonstrates just how easily decision makers are swayed during the selection process. The researchers analyzed interaction dynamics during job interviews to see which factors had the greatest influence on the hiring decision. To their surprise, they found that a job applicant’s handshake made a world of difference.
A firm handshake, in fact, was more important than agreeableness, conscientiousness or emotional stability. The recipe for a good handshake, the researchers found, is simple: a sturdy grip, solid eye contact and hearty vertical hand movement.
Now, a steady handshake is good to have, but does it really make for a good employee- The interviewers didn’t consciously realize they were making an important decision based on a handshake: irrelevant factors simply creep into our judgment of others.
We can only hope that Mr. Obama doesn’t overlook an otherwise qualified appointee based on similarly irrelevant criteria, or rely too heavily on his gut.
In his new book, “Reality Check,” the marketing expert and entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki offers good advice on how to sidestep common interview errors. His first recommendation is to learn to mistrust your intuition.
“The problem with intuition,” he explains, “is that people only remember when their intuition was right.” When we feel good about a job candidate - whether because of a firm handshake or a charming personality - we block out any information that contradicts our initial impression.
Another common error is hiring someone we perceive as having potential but who is not quite at our level yet. Mr. Kawasaki recommends hiring “better than yourself.”
Forgo the mentoring instinct, he suggests. “It takes self-confidence and selfawareness, but it’s the only way to build a great team.”
Organizational psychologists also recommend conducting panel interviews (to reduce personal bias) and asking job-specific questions (to determine whether the candidate is a good fit).
As for Mr. Obama’s cabinet selection process, his decisions will have global ramifications. We hope he - along with the thousands of managers who’ll be restocking and restaffing the post- Bush administration - have both feet firmly grounded in objective decision making.
And the good news is that the process is fluid: Can people learn to overcome the subjective biases that interfere with the selection process- Yes we can.