Just as an onion has many layers, so do the candidates you’re interviewing. If you really want to know who you’re hiring, you’ll need to peel back the layers … but how?
First of all, we have to determine what we want to learn about them. Will their past work experience be a predictor of their success at your company? Sometimes, but not always. Is their knowledge a good predictor of their success? Sometimes, but not always. Are their behaviors an important predictor of success? Always. So why do we relentlessly focus on someone’s experience and knowledge, but seldom learn about what makes her tick?
Originally published on ere.net by Randall Birkwood.
U.S. manufacturing workforce statistics compiled from BLS, NAM, and Deloitte, with employment and labor trend insights for 2025–2026.
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