The
Globe & Mail
looks into the innovative research of Julie McCarthy, a professor at
the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. McCarthy has
spent years studying the negative effects of putting employees and
potential employees under intense pressure, suggesting that companies
looking for the best candidates should seek to minimize anxiety levels
at the workplace.
"Some people might argue that we want to hire someone who can handle
anxiety and if you can't handle it in a job interview, how can you
handle it on the job," she says. And in some cases, that may be true.
But, for the most part, the intense pressure that candidates face in
job interviews isn't characteristic of the day-to-day performance
that's required of them, argues Dr. McCarthy. "Just because someone is
anxious in a job interview doesn't mean they aren't going to be a
phenomenal employee," she says. "They might actually be superb."
"The research has important implications for companies that want to
ensure they use fair and objective hiring and advancement practices and
select the best qualified people. "You want to get as accurate a
picture as possible of the individual," she says."
"Dr. McCarthy has been studying workplace anxiety since she was a PhD
student, when she developed work selection tests for various companies.
Friends and colleagues used to turn to her for advice on how to curb
their nervousness during job interviews. Her research work now focuses
on analyzing the impact of employee anxiety on test and interview
performance. She collaborates with numerous employers to gauge the
impact of anxiety on an employee's performance in job interviews,
annual reviews and promotional exams, and to identify strategies to
reduce the negative effects of anxiety. She has worked with police
services, retailers, the armed forces, government agencies, and other
organizations in Canada and the U.S."
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original source
Globe & Mail