Managing Sticky Situations at Work

144 Managing Sticky Situations at WorkThe subsequent sticky interview situations demonstrate not onlyhow to sayitjustrightbut also what happens when interviewers donot practice strategic interviewing.STICKY SITUATION #18:THE CANDIDATE DOESN’T TALKPaul runs a small novelty business that specializes in collectables.His wife sometimes helps in the store, but she has a full-time joband can no longer fill in. Paul decides he must hire an assistantclerk. After putting an ad in the local paper, he received a dozeninquires. Most of the people who applied had no retail experienceand little experience in customer service with the exception of oneresponse which intrigued Paul. That candidate said he had neverworked in a store like Paul’s, but he had worked in an antiquestore in the mountains. Paul e-mailed him, and they arrangedan interview.‘‘Good afternoon,’’ Paul says. ‘‘Have a seat. May I call youRichard?’’‘‘That’s fine.’’Paul begins: ‘‘I appreciate your applying for this job. I’ve hadthe store for almost 10 years and have been operating it on myown with some part-time help from my wife. Recently, however,my wife can’t fill in, and I realize that I can’t do it all myself.That’s why I placed the ad.’’‘‘I see.’’Paul shifts through the papers on his desk. ‘‘I understand youworked in retail before. Tell me what that was like for you.’’‘‘I enjoyed it.’’‘‘What did you enjoy the most about retail work?’’The candidate shrugs. ‘‘The people.’’‘‘The people are great,’’ Paul agrees, ‘‘but they can also be achallenge. I remember once when I had a woman really screamat me because I didn’t have one of the Charles Dickens’s collectablehouses that she particularly wanted. How have you handledsituations like that with customers?’’‘‘I’m not sure I have.’’Paul sighs. ‘‘It was a bad scene because there were otherpeople in the store. I tried to get her to come with me to the back