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If there were a type of person I would never hire it must be the one that sounds like ChatGPT or someone who swallowed the textbook of their field or the one who is spitting social media narratives (read here). Why? Because you don't know what you are getting, the person never revealed him or herself. He or she is singing someone else's tune which is a massive red flag. That's not the person you want for many reasons competence would be the first.
However, things are not that simple because we have been taught to lie. Even the most competent people have been taught to say what people want to hear to be liked, accepted or in this case to get the job. So people tell sufficiently seductive lies so others can pick them, fall in love with them, be friends with them or hire them.
What a stupid way to get hired and start a job hey?
Sharing your opinion has both advantages and disadvantages. On the downside, it may result in not securing a job. However, on the positive side, not obtaining a position where they don't want who you are is quite a benefit. Expressing your views ensures that you don't end up working in an environment where you cannot voice your opinions on work-related matters.
Faking it to land a job is like playing a nerve-wracking game. It messes with your head even more than pulling 18-hour shifts, six days a week, where you can just be yourself. This whole act is why relationships go south too. Pretending eventually catches up with us, it's not sustainable. At some point, we will be checked and can no longer pretend. Who are we going to be checked by? Life!
I have seen it. People stay silent during meetings, roll their eyes over ideas but in the end, agree to proceed. Or attend town halls where they clap after the speech only to say "What a whole lot of BS they came up with again" upon leaving the room. I get it, we all play a game and adapt to the environment. It is necessary but at what point do we lose our identity?
Where do we draw the line between playing along and straight lying about who we are, what we think or how we feel about what is happening around us?
I am always careful and stay away from people who parrot what everyone says. I cannot trust them because I don't know if this is what they really think or if they are just scared and playing the game. The moment I hear or read something that I have heard several times before I am done. I label the person as unoriginal, unimaginative, with no private thoughts. I know it is not nice and I could be completely wrong.
I like people who look at things from angles that not many or nobody look at. I like people who give me different perspectives even if I disagree with them.
Disagreement is better than not having own thoughts.
Everyone's all about authenticity these days, especially in organisations and leadership circles. But here's the kicker: How can we champion authenticity when we're basically training people to lie? I mean, we talk about authentic leadership, but then we go ahead and weed out candidates during hiring because they don't fit the so-called "culture." It's like we're forcing folks to hide who they really are. Something's not adding up here. The corporate math is not mathing folks!
PS: My even greater problem with those people is that they continue the stupid childlike, age-inappropriate practices that infantilise adults as listed in my book:
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