Accountability

Accountability is the key theme in this very interesting article.

It suggests that the most important interview "question" is: "Tell me about the last time you made a mistake". The manner in which candidates respond should give the interviewer an insight on their character. The article offers a few possible responses to this question and suggests, based on these responses, which candidates should be considered for hiring and which should be dismissed.

From a managerial point-of-view, it is crucial to gain insight on how a future employee will act when making a mistake - if they will own-up to it and try to fix it or if they will try to hide it or blame it on somebody else. That's why most employers and agencies conduct thorough verbal references.

At the end of the day all human-beings make mistakes. However, proving that not only you will be accountable for your mistakes but, furthermore, you will seek to correct them immediately could be what makes you stand out from the crowd!

What do you think of this approach?