Breaking the Mold: CEO's risky hire pays off; Nervous candidate shines despite interview struggles

Brigette Hyacinth, the CEO and founder of Leadership EQ, recently made headlines on LinkedIn for her unconventional hiring decision. Despite a candidate's nervousness and inability to communicate effectively during the interview, Hyacinth decided to give her a chance.

Challenging interview experience

In a post on LinkedIn, Hyacinth revealed her initial doubts about the candidate, describing the interview as a "nightmare" where the candidate struggled to express herself. However, Hyacinth trusted her instincts and hired her based on a gut feeling that she was the right fit for the job.

"Is it possible to overlook a poor interview performance?" questioned Hyacinth in her post. She emphasized the importance of looking beyond interview performance and recognizing the potential of candidates beyond nervousness in interviews.

Results surpass expectations

Despite the shaky start, Hyacinth's decision paid off. Within six months, the candidate emerged as one of the top performers in the company, proving that interview performance doesn't always reflect a candidate's capabilities accurately.

Hyacinth's LinkedIn post quickly gained traction, accumulating over 92,000 likes and sparking a flurry of comments from users sharing their own experiences and perspectives on interviews and hiring practices.

Many users commended Hyacinth's approach and shared similar stories of candidates who excelled despite poor interview performances. Some suggested alternative methods for easing candidates' nerves during interviews, such as providing questions in advance to allow for better preparation.