"Is the Pen Mightier Than the Interview Process?" - 10/16/19 Edition
Stephen Says Column
Dear Stephen:
While I was interviewing someone last week for a job we have open, they pulled out a pen to take notes. The pen was clearly company swag — you know, like the pens a bank gives out free. However, this one was not from a bank and was more ornate with a multicolored logo. I’m afraid I found the pen so distracting I basically forgot the details of the candidate’s background. I even stopped at one point to ask where the pen was from.
It distracted me from the interview and unfortunately the loser in all this was the person I was interviewing. I got consumed about the pen’s looks and where it came from and missed some of my own notes and questions I usually ask. I do not expect people to come with some fancy pen, and I’m just not sure how I felt about this pen as a distraction. I do not like candidates taking notes on a computer, tablet or their phone because we have a lot of concerns about being recorded.
About the pen: Is it just me? Am I expecting too much or being petty? Honestly, if this person was a sales rep for my company, and they pulled out that same pen at a client sales call, I would have a problem with how that reflects on our brand. Does this ever come up? What do you think of this?
Signed,
Distracted
Dear Distracted:
Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that I would rather have someone in front of me during an interview who takes notes than someone who does not take notes, no matter what the pen looked like. But as someone who has ADHD, I fully appreciate how something like any kind of ornate pen especially swag, can be a distraction. That is the whole idea behind swag — the item, whatever it is, is designed to make you remember the company that gave you the pen. It can play the same role if brought in to an interview.
Now, back to your question. I think you sound crazy. You lost track of the interview because of the pen someone was writing with? If the pen is a distraction to you, then make a two-second side conversation about it — the candidate will likely tell you they grabbed the first thing they could find — and guess what? That is your answer. You sound a bit anxious and high strung to be interviewing at all. As far as what your employees bring to write with while on a sales call, again, I am not sure it matters.
In fairness to your question, I have had many HR professionals and hiring sales managers who have had issues similar to yours. They are distracted by a pen or some other item the candidate has with them, and worried about how it will play on a sales call. Sometimes it’s not even swag, it’s just ornate or expensive looking. On occasion, more than you might think, they have told me it definitely influences their decision on whether or not to hire the person.
So, candidates reading this, beware: Pen shaming is a real thing and can cost you a job. I have seen it firsthand. Taking the design of the pen out of the equation, let me give some pen interview etiquette: When going on a job interview, bring a generic pen — not the Montblanc your grandmother gave you for college graduation. Also, be prepared with a pad of paper and have a list of questions to ask the interviewer. If you plan to take notes on a tablet or computer, ask for permission first because different companies have different policies. Never use a phone to take notes, that is definitely distracting on an interview. Finally, before you leave an interview, ask for the business card of the person you are interviewing with so you can send a follow up thank-you note or email. More people do not have the address of the person they should be writing too, because they did not ask for a business card, and if you are on an interview it is your job to ask.
So, to be sure my answer to you is clear, everybody’s right here. If it bothers you, that’s your prerogative. It doesn’t personally bother me. Wouldn’t it be ironic if the candidate in question wrote you a handwritten, follow-up letter instead of an email, with that very same wacky pen? At least you wouldn’t have to look at the pen and lose your focus.
Signed,
Stephen
You can send your workplace questions to Stephen at: StephenSays@bellow.press
Questions selected to be answered, will appear in this column. Please use the Subject: Stephen Says for all emails. Stephen Viscusi is a bestselling author, television personality, and CEO of The Viscusi Group, global executive recruiters located in New York. Follow Stephen on Twitter @stephenviscusi. Like Stephen on Facebook and follow him on LinkedIn.
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