Killer Interview Question: What Didn’t You Get A Chance To Include On Your Resume?

Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson is renowned for his unconventional approach to business, which he credits as one of the key ingredients to his success. So it’s no surprise that his favourite interview question would be one that strays from the norm.

Richard Branson picture from Shutterstock

Branson is a strong advocate of having fun and enjoying life, even while working. So when it comes to new hires, he is keen on finding out what the candidate’s achievements are outside of their professional career. This leads to him questioning what they have omitted from their resume.

“Obviously a good CV is important, but if you were going to hire by what they say about themselves on paper, you wouldn’t need to waste time on an interview,” Branson said in his book The Virgin Way: Everything I Know About Leadership. “As important as it is to look at what a candidate has achieved elsewhere, I have always believed that the single most important thing to consider is ‘personal fit’.

“By that I mean, is this someone whose way of being, sense of humour, and general demeanour will dovetail easily with your company’s culture?”

That is why this week’s KIQ is an important one to ask. For Branson, it is crucial to spend the majority of the time during an interview to figure out what a candidate is really like as a person, not a faceless worker. Because you can always teach someone new skills required for a job but it is impossible to teach them how to fit into a set corporate culture.

How would you answer this question? Let us know in the comments.


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