INTERVIEW part-3: Boss is always right: Leadership and Group discussion

Kishore looked at the message. It was from the M.D. An urgent meeting was convened to discuss selection of right candidates. The firm has just started its recruiting process through Campus hiring. and he was the H.R in-charge.

It was a small company with a work force of forty members. Another forty is to be added very soon.  Kishore had short listed 800 candidates on the basis of aptitude test from two colleges.

Kishore looked at his watch. He noted with relief that ten more minutes were there for the meeting to start. When Kishore reached the conference room, there was nobody. He waited pondering over some of his innovative ideas which he would be presenting in the meeting. He felt very uneasy because he had to impress the members. 

He expected that the meeting would discuss every aspect of his plan thoroughly. One by one people entered the room. Higher the designation , more the delay -which typically Indian! The project director came in. Then the CFO, who entered a minute after, announced (though nobody wanted to listen to  it) “Sorry for the delay, guys, engrossed in an investment note.” Everybody knew that it was an indirect boast, a show off and perhaps a lie too. Thirty minutes later the M.D of the company, an old man with silvery hair, showed up.

M.D abruptly started “All of you, there! OK. I finalized the recruitment of the forty new people with our H.R Kishore. I gave him some advice.” (Mark! No greetings or salutations! No good morning to you all)

Kishore was a bit shocked. Actually it was Kishore who came with those suggestions. Now it was MD’s advice to Kishore.

CFO felt that he should not miss the chance for creasing the ego of the chief (he never misses!) and just told “Yes sir, you are right!” To him boss is always right. Even he did not ask what the ideas were.

“Yes, my dear friend, the problem is that we have 800 boys. How to filter them? I think that we can have ‘one page essay test’ on coming Sunday. Select only 200 candidates from this test. Then… Kishore, Will you continue with what we discussed?” forgetfully MD passed on the responsibility to Kishore.
He blinked.“Next it is a group discussion, Sir.” Kishore went on “We will have 20 groups of ten candidates. From each group we will select 4 for interview. From this eighty we will have our forty.”

GM (technical) started to contribute something; but he was hushed by CFO.

“Why so many tests? Why not avoid group discussion?” asked the Information Director. A scornful look from MD silenced him.

“The meeting is over. Have a writing test, then group discussion and final interview. That is all. The whole process must be done within a day. There should be no more extensions and expenses. Let us go. Report me after everything is over.” Then MD left the place.

To his great disappointment, Kishore the young and enthusiastic man could not share his brilliant new idea. Kishore had a feeling that there was a knowing as well as understanding smile in CIO’s eyes when he left the place.

Now ,shall we have an analysis  of the situation that kishore went through?

 Do you think this is leadership? No.

 Isn’t this completely autocratic? Yes! Is there any time management? No.

Nobody was given a chance to speak out. Above all Kishore was completely ignored.No discussions.No appreciations.

Then let us see how Emperor Akbar handled such situations and what is a group discussion in the next post.

Why do we need group discussion while interview is an easier way out?

Let our Birbal explain it to us. Will you wait?