The Case of the Overbearing Leader
As the Director of Student Orientation, you are responsible for welcoming all 3,000 new students to your campus every fall . It's a pretty large undertaking, and would never be possible without the help of the Orientation Leadership Team . This team is made up of a Steering Committee of 15 students, and another 150 New Student Mentors who each oversee a small group of about 20 new students . Because you receive over 300 applicants every year for the Student Mentor position, you need to do two rounds of hiring . The first round is meant to trim the group to around 200 leaders; the second round finishes the process and gets you to the final 150 Mentors .
This year, Saja, the son of a close family friend, is applying to be a Mentor . After the first round of interviews, it becomes apparent to everyone on the Steering Committee that Saja is a bad fit for the job . He comes across as overly opinionated, slow to hear other people's ideas, and everyone has doubts that he would help to make new students feel welcome in the fall . His parents have always raised him to have an opinion and share it and his driven personality will serve him well when he becomes a lawyer . However, everyone agrees that he needs to become a bit more well-rounded before he's ready to serve as a mentor for new students, and they all agree that there are other leadership opportunities that could be a better fit for his personality and skill set .
They want to cut him after the first round of interviews, but you keep thinking about his parents . They're your close friends and you're already dreading the conversation with them about why he wasn't hired . That conversation will be much harder if you need to explain why he wasn't even good enough to make it to the second round of interviews . You've never had a solid line of 200 moving on and have let marginal candidates though to the second round in the past . It wouldn't be too difficult to let Saja go on to the next round of interviews before cutting him and telling him he needs another year to grow . However, none of the Steering Committee will agree with you, so it would need to be an executive decision that you ask them to accept .
> Would you let Saja move on to the second round of interviews?
I would not. He needs to learn how to be a mentor before he signs up. It isn't his fault he cant accept him because he isn't the only one with an opinion. I would just tell him he needs to improve in that area to become a mentor.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't. It's better to have a talk with his parents than to have a bad employee for however long he works there. Just tell his parents it isn't anything personal, and you are in charge after all, so it is your final decision to decide if you will hire him or not.
ReplyDeleteWhen you train they only thing you think of is what you hate about it. Then you are finished and you are good at the things you have trained on and have the will to keep fighting for what you want.
ReplyDeleteI would say not a good idea to move him on to the next round. I would tell his parents that he was more cut out for a more specialized group. Maybe that he should become a part of student council or a group that defends people on campus who are picked on.
ReplyDeleteI would man up and tell his parents why he is not going to the second rounds. You need to be able to be a good fit for the job in order to get it, and he most definitely is not a good fit. I would let the students that are actually good and want to be good into the second round and just keep going on with my business.
ReplyDeleteDepending of his point of view and how the other leaders are in the group as they could be bad at mentoring the new students. He could improve more and more later on as when doing something you always have to change something to adapt to the work environment. And how the other 299 people do may lead me to the point of Saja should advance into the next round. But in any way he still has to go to Saja parents and tell them why he didn't get the job and that he needs to improve
ReplyDeleteI believe it would just make things worse letting him move on. If he moves on he might get to where he believes he doesn't have to practice to move on. Its best for him and everybody else. He'll have to accept that he needs to work a little harder to get to where he wants.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I would let him move on to the next round. Considering he isn't very openminded about new things and helping the kids feel welcomed. Maybe he could learn to be better at his Job and come back next fall when he has more experience with what the school wants.
ReplyDeleteI would let him move on to the next round. He doesn't really listen to what other people have to say about there stuff and considering that, I just feel like he won't really welcome the kids. He should could keep practicing for what the school wants him to and come back and try for it again. Tell his parents what you think he needs to work on so they don't get mad at you and then they could have him practice and come back next fall.
ReplyDeleteNo. I would tell him that he would be a good fit he just has some flaws to work out. We can't keep making kids think that they are special when they aren't. This way if he doesn't make it past the first round he will try harder to do well next year.
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