I’ve worked part-time for the last two years for Chemistry Staffing as a candidate interviewer. If I thought I knew anything about interviewing before then, I learned quickly I had more to learn.
In a recent staff meeting, the leadership team shared a mindset shift that I completely found refreshing and certainly gracious. Already leaning this direction, the alignment was immediate.
Mindset Shift: “Why Not” ➝ “What If”
Moving away from disqualifying too quickly and leaning into curiosity:
Old posture: New posture:
“Why not move this person forward?” “What if this could work?”
Examples:
- Experience: “He only has 6 years, not 10.” → What if his 6 years included higher complexity than average?
- Education: “She doesn’t have a master’s.” → What if her teaching and theology are stronger than most grads?
- Age: “He’s 32; we wanted 40+.” (pick the age, vice versa) → What if he brings energy and innovation beyond his years? What if she has plenty left in the tank?
- Compensation: “They’re at $75k; we can’t afford them.” → What if they’d take less for the right fit?
Key takeaway: Stay open-handed in early conversations. Gather more information. Avoid prematurely filtering out strong potential fits.
How this is an improvement:
- Less transactional > more relational
- Less arrogant > more humble
- Less rigid > more flexible
- Less closed > more open
- Less judgmental > more gracious
- Less about the interviewer > more about the interviewee
CHALLENGE: Put yourself in both seats. What’s your current mindset? What shifts would you like to pursue?
John Gregory 