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Q: I am trying to decide whether I should feel offended by my last job interview. The format was a panel discussion with three interviewers, including two young men in their 20s and a woman in her 60s. The woman was friendly, atten- tive and interested in my answers. The guys brought laptops and typed continu- ously for the entire hour, occasionally looking up to interject a question. Although the conversa- tion was relaxed and friend- ly, I couldn't help feeling that the laptops were a nui- sance. It was like having dinner with someone who constantly keeps checking their cell phone. On the other hand, this is my first interview in eight years, so perhaps I'm behind the times. Has this become accepted interviewing behavior? A: At best, these preoccu- pied gentlemen may have been diligently transcribing every syllable of your answers. At worst, they were responding to emails or working on other proj- ects. But either way, their absorption with electronic devices was counterproduc- tive. Not only did they appear rude and disrespect- ful, but they also missed a lot of information. Important interviews are conducted face-to-face for a reason. When you are in someone's presence, or even viewing them onscreen, you can learn a great deal from their body language, facial expressions, and other non- verbal behaviors. So even if these laptop jockeys were accurately capturing the Your Office Coach Put away the laptops when interviewing job candidates see LAPTOPS . . . page 6 2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • December 3, 2015 By Marie G. McIntyre Tribune News Service (TNS) Packard CEO widened her mouth for a few seconds then said, "I also think these are very serious times." Ben Carson suggested it might be a weakness that it didn't occur to him that he might make a good president until "hundreds of thousands of people" told him so. Donald Trump said he's too trusting and holds grudges. An answer! John Kasich, Rand Paul and Chris Christie didn't even try to answer the question and instead used the time to talk about something else. In a next-day autopsy of the debate, "Late Show" host Colbert told the audience that when he interviewed for his gig, "I said my biggest weak- ness was sometimes I work so hard I forget to cash my paychecks." "Somebody who asks a dumb question like that does- n't know what else to ask," so you might as well convert it into an opportunity to make a point about how great you are, said Bill Byham, execu- tive chairman at Development Dimensions International in Scott, Pa. "You run the interview," he advised. The question fails to get at the central purpose of a job interview: to determine whether the candidate has the right skills to succeed, he said. That's, in part, because no one will answer it honestly and, if they do, the only way it would be relevant is if the weakness is an actual impedi- ment to performing the job duties in question. That, of course, would be a pretty bad answer. Nevertheless, the "greatest weakness" question is still an interview mainstay so it's a good idea to prepare an example of a time you've taken steps to improve on a weakness. While Byham is firm on the value of this common ques- tion – "none," he said – career websites have mixed reviews. Some say it's a way for interviewers to throw can- didates off track and see how they think on their feet. Others say it's valuable if only to weed out the people who say, as Huckabee did during the debate, that they have no weaknesses. weakness . . . from page 1 Making connections at work & A Q A. It's lonely to feel on the outside looking in, and there are ways to create the con- nections you seek. It sounds like you've had some successes on this front in your life, so think about ways to re-create some of the aspects of life that made this possible. When did you feel the strongest sense of com- munity? Perhaps it was in an organ- ized setting like school or a team, or was related to having a close friend who you felt really "got" you. Maybe it had to do with a common interest or a shared responsibility. Take a moment to let your- self enjoy the feeling that you have when you feel like you fit in. Now think about the origins of your reputation at work. For someone who is less skilled in relationships, your reaction under stress (such as when starting a new job) may have been to focus on getting the work right at the expense of the social side. Or your body language may send a closed off message. If that's been the case, you'll have some recovery to do. It doesn't sound like the people are against you; if they think of you as a loner, they may even be accepting and trying to give you the environ- ment you prefer. When you think about the workday, what are the typical times and situations that you'd like to change? This might include bigger events like going to lunch or happy hour down to the little things like the quick chat at the printer or at someone's desk. As you list them, nothing is too small, and may differ from person to person on your team. Mark whether you think they'd be easy to achieve or more challenging, and give just a bit of thought to the rea- sons for your feelings about this. Moving forward into action, start with the easy steps, and start creating opportunities. For example, if you want more casual conversations during the day, be ready with a conversation opener. Eye contact, a smile, and a casual, "having a good day?" while passing in the hallway can go a long way. Another way to build con- nection is through work-relat- ed interaction. If you have a question, rather than emailing, call or stop by someone's desk to get the information you need.And make a point of getting involved on team proj- ects so that you're working side by side with people. Do these steps seem daunt- ing? If so, what fears are hold- ing you back? People may be surprised when you start showing more openness, and may not know how to take it at first. Remember that everyone is busy, so if someone isn't responsive it's probably not personal. And, if you stay the course, they're likely to forget they ever saw you as a loner. Q. I'm considered a loner at work. The problem is, I don't really want to be. I'd like to be one of the gang, but I don't know what to do to build closer relationships. It's always been kind of hard for me, but now that I'm in the workforce it's even worse. What can I do? By Liz Reyer Tribune News Service (TNS) Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at lizdeliverchange.com. see WEAKNESS. . . page 7 A publication of Conley Media Call Center Director: Cindy Shaske 262-306-5016 cshaske@conleynet.com Account Executive: Julie Sears 262-306-5008 jsears@conleynet.com Story Coordinator: Dan Muckelbauer 262-513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262-513-2690 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS Volume 18 • Number 13 December 3, 2015 To place an ad: Call us at 262-306-5008 or fax us at 262-338-5271 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays Distributed by: Conley Distribution 262-513-2646 ©2004 by Conley Media, LLC Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. 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