As I continue to figure out the code of hiring and finding great talent, I began thinking about the idea of timing. Does it matter "when" we interview someone? Then I realized when I ask myself when, am I referring to the time of day, or time of year, or fiscal year? Does timing make a difference in what type of talent we are interviewing for? These questions lead me down a deep rabbit hole where I ended up reading Daniel Pinks book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. I did not find all the answers I was looking for but he did lay the groundwork for what I will continue to build on.
What I learned...
Our cognitive abilities are not constant throughout the day. Our abilities follow a type of rollercoaster shape having highs and lows (there are some great pictures online that outlines this perfectly. Just type in "Daniel Pink peak, trough, and recovery". Search in the images section of google). Showing there are times of the day that our cognitive abilities are stronger and therefore better suited for certain tasks than at other points of the day when our cognitive tank is empty.
For example; for most people who are 3rd Birds (60-80% of the population) they follow a cognitive roller-coaster starting with high cognitive ability at the peak, then dipping into a trough period and finally bouncing back into recovery. The peak is ideal for vigilant focused work. We can bat away distractions and stay focused on the work at hand. I have found that a lot of successful people start the day focusing on their "most important task" (MIT), which makes sense giving the nature of our cognitive abilities at that time in the day. Understanding a few things will help us organize our task at the best time, in this case interviewing, according to our cognitive abilities.
1. Type: Larks vs. Third Birds vs. Owls:
Our chronotype depends on our sleep cycle. Pink keeps it simple for us, "What time do you wake up when you don't have work?" Then find your midpoint of sleep. There are also MCQT tests you can take online.
Lark = Midpoint of sleep before 3:30 am
Owl = Midpoint of sleep is after 5:30 am
Third Bird = Midpoint of sleep is between 3:30am & 5:30am
2. Cognitive Pattern:
This shows our cognitive abilities throughout the day outlining "when" we should schedule certain tasks.
Larks & Third Birds:
Peak = Morning
Trough = early to mid-afternoon
Recovery = early evening
Owls:
Peak = later afternoon & into the evening
Trough = early to mid-afternoon
Recovery = Late Morning
3. Tasks:
Pink explains that all brain work is not created equal and breaks it down the three categories; peak, trough, and recovery. Below outlines what type of work we should focus during those times.
The Peak time period is great for analytical tasks which requires focus, mental acuity, and vigilance.
The Recovery time period is great for insight tasks that require a wider focus and greater looseness (brainstorming)
The Trough time period is not good for much other than administrative tasks that don't require too much cognitive capacity, emails, filing, etc.
3. Timing:
This is the easy part. Once we figure out what our type and tasks are then we schedule at the appropriate time. In this case, we are focusing on interviewing. This is the new approach I have begun to use …
1. What is the chronotype of the team?
2. What is the chronotype of the interviewers?
3. What type of interview are we conducting?
3. What times should we avoid interviewing at?
4. What is the chronotype of the candidate?
The next time you interview a candidate think about how you can create a positive interview environment and be purposeful with planning and actions. A great place to start is the time you schedule an interview for. To keep it simple, no interview should ever take place in the "trough", and to take it one step further, you can differentiate scheduling an interview during the Peak vs, Recovery depending on the context of the interview and the questions that will be discussed.
With this understanding of "timing", we can be more successful in our interview process. The goal is to build an environment and process where everyone is leading with the best version of themselves and not being the victim of cognitive exhaustion from either side; the interviewer or candidate.
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