Narrative Interviewing

"You have to have your story in line so that people will say, 'That's interesting and I need you for my company.' " - Eric Bell (job hunter)

::borrowed from CNN.com::

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One thing that I love about the postmodern approach to business is that companies are becoming less and less interested in the facts and figures that you bring to an interview and more intrigued by the story you're in. For much of this century, which perhaps marks the heights of modernism, the best resume with the most data about performance increases and numbers was the one who got the job.

Some typical interview questions would have been:
How many sales did you bring in for company x? How many people did you manage? Are you familiar with the _______ style of management? What's your six sigma belt? How far did you go with your education?

These days, however, most employers are more interested in your work narrative. They want to know if the story you're in matches up with their own organization. They're concentrating on your behaviors rather than your numbers.

They now ask questions such as:
Tell me about a time when you had to build rapport with someone under difficult circumstances? Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a decision that was made by a manager or supervisor? What do you do to ensure that your time is managed well? What sort of personal development have you done over the past year?

What does this mean for interviewees?

It means learning a different sort of skill set when it comes time for an interview. It means being able to take the facts and figures and weave them into tales of your work life and your personal life. It means approaching each question with a story that captivates and intrigues the interviewers. It means learning to put the human narrative and basic human truths into their experience and skills. The one who is able to do so is the one who is going to get the job.

Let's face it, companies aren't simply looking for numbers and figures any longer. They're looking for someone who is going to be a integral part of where the organization is headed- someone whose story matches with the story they're in.