Rented Boardrooms Great For Interviews

 

When the iconic Steve Jobs was interested in hiring someone, the ‘interviews’ generally didn’t happen in the company boardrooms. He reportedly asked the person out for a long walk, during which both parties got to know one another better and evaluate mutual ‘fit’.

When major cricket bodies around the world hunt for their head coach role, many of the candidates are interviewed via videoconferencing (though that its own problems as India’s current cricket coach found out during his first interview).

Then there are some interviews that are held in either a meeting room in a hotel or even the hotel room itself. Or, a private golf club for that matter.

The point is, recruiters constantly look to find the most appropriate setting or venue to conduct interviews. That’s because where and how the interview is conducted has a bearing on the organisation’s ability to recruit the right talent. This is particularly true for senior level appointments, especially for those being looked at fill in the C-suites. Not that the meeting venue is unimportant for junior-level or mid-level recruitment; just that the venue becomes more important the higher you go up in the corporate ladder.

Confidentiality criteria: why it make most sense to rent a boardroom

One of the overriding considerations in senior-level recruitment is the need for absolutely confidentiality. The most suitable candidates are usually already working at high level positions in other organisations with a lot of visibility. To attract and retain their interest in making a switch, confidentiality is extremely critical, lest it jeopardises their current position.

That is why it is prudent to have the initial round of formal ‘interviews’ in a rented boardroom in an office building that is unlikely to raise any eyebrows, even if the interviewee were to be spotted there.

A boardroom not only gives the meeting the gravitas that a C-level interview deserves but also allows for a proper interactive session with the inherent facilities that such rooms provide. Other key stakeholders could also be easily patched in via teleconference or videoconference as required.

One could argue that similar facilities would also be available at any luxury hotel. However, it must be noted that premium hotels are often frequented by top business executives for short business meetings over a meal or a drink and even the business press while working on a story (or pursuing new ones!). A person walking in for an interview that he/she wants to kept under the lid wouldn’t want to be in the uncomfortable position of explaining his/her presence at the hotel to any business acquaintance or journalist.