Question

Analyse the following case and answer the questions:

You are a few years out of respiratory therapy school and are working at a local hospital specializing in gerontology. It’s a great place to work with room for advancement and the ability to be active in many areas of the hospital that interest you. The hospital is rapidly growing and your manager mentions the need to hire someone to work in a new program for community outreach and asks if you might

know someone. You immediately think of your friend Bob. He minored in Marketing Communication and always had an outgoing and friendly demeanor. He’s been working for a non-profit organization focusing on social media marketing. You reach out to Bob and pass on his resume to your boss.

When Bob shows up for the interview, you are a bit unsettled and shocked. You had mentioned to him that the hospital environment is traditional and conservative, with professional attire as the norm. You also informed him the job would be interacting with an aging population—potential and existing clients, families, and hospital administrators. Bob arrives wearing a suit and tie but he also has a series of facial adornments including a nose ring, eyebrow ring, and very large ear gauges.

You are worried that your boss will think you have wasted her time with acandidate who clearly is less serious about this important role for the hospital. You are angry with Bob.

Question for discussion:

1. Why might Bob have failed to consider the meaning of “conservative and professional attire”?

2. If you could go back in time and start the situation over, would you be more specific with Bob? If so, what more could you have done to prepare him? Or would you now choose not to recommend him at all?

3. What could Bob have done in advance of the interview to determine if his personal adornment would be of significance?

4. What else might you do in this situation?

Answer 1

Ans 1)

Bob has been working in a non profit organization focusing on social media marketing, he must have been meeting various kinds of people and working in a hospital environment is new to him. Bob must have misunderstood the information passed onto him or he was used to the attire which he was wearing so he showed up like that only.

Ans 2)

Yes, If I could go back in time I would be more specific to Bob.

I would have been more specific with all the details and would have personally met him one day before to know exactly how he would be coming to interview and presenting himself before the interviewer.

I would definitely recommend him because talent is more important for me than the attire. The looks can be changed but the talent which he has is difficult to find. I would make my amends by explaining Bob in more specific manner about his attire.

Ans 3)

Doing proper research and preparing oneself as per the environment in which interview will take place is a very important step for a job seeker. Bob could have asked me or he could have done some research about the job profile and the employees working in the hospital.

Ans 4)

I could make an excuse for Bob that he is unable to give the interview as he is not feeling well and could ask him to slip away and come back the next day in proper attire or I could personally reach out to my boss and request him to excuse Bob for his attire and give him a chance for the job considering his talent in the required profile.