I’m Bob Wendover. A number of years ago, I came across an applicant screening process that intrigued me no end. It was used to determine how applicants might work best in the manufacturing of automobiles. A group of applicants would be invited into a room. In the corner of that room would be boxes containing the individual components of flashlights. The instructions were simple: “There are parts for 1000 flashlights contained in those boxes. We would like you, as a group, to assemble those flashlights in as little time as possible. Begin.”
This simple exercise enabled evaluators to observe how each applicant would most likely behave in the work environment. Who seemed to be the natural leaders? Who were the organizers? Who was focused on details and accuracy? Who were the argumentative ones? Who were the cheerleaders? And so on. While not completely accurate, it provided insights into which applicants were not a good match and who might be potential manufacturing leads and even future supervisors. Price of implementation? The cost of 1000 flashlights and the evaluators’ wages to observe and gather insights. The value of those insights? Priceless.
Can you use this same approach internally when forming new teams and departments? I would argue you can. Taking potential team members through an exercise like this, discreetly, will provide you with some insights on how they will interact once assembled. If you have had some management training, you will probably remember the theory of form—storm—norm—perform. This exercise will give you a preview of how that might evolve when the team is put together.
Of course this exercise requires a different approach to screening. As a result, it can confront resistance from the “this is the way we’ve always done it” crowd. Just like individuals, companies are sometimes victims of ingrained routines that no longer work. I’ve seen lots of evidence of this in my 38 years of working with corporate clients. In a few cases, I have even ended the engagement when it became apparent that I was being paid for insights that would never be implemented due to organizational inertia. For me, it’s not about the money. It’s about integrity. I wished them the best, but it can be difficult to fight “city hall” as the saying goes.
So here’s the challenge for you. What do you think of this exercise? How can you see it being used for both screening applicants and forming new teams? How can you adapt this idea to the specific needs of your organization? Let me know in the comments below. I’m Bob Wendover.