Catching out the dishonest candidateMost personnel managers agree that job interviews are one of the least objective recruitment methods. But the advantages of testing are not going to change the attraction of the interview to employers. The appeal of the interview have everything to do with human factor.Most people believe they are a reasonable judge of character and their instinctive feelings. We might use some kind of test to aid the selection process. But we usually pick a candidate who interview well, has good qualifications and an impressive work record.But suppose the candidate lies or is less than completely honest. 'This can be a serious problem for employers', explain Alan Conrad. Chief executive at Optimus recruitment. The most difficult liars to find are those who tell half-truths rather than complete lies. Research shows that up to 75% of curriculum vitas are deliberately inaccurate. The most common practice is omission.Interviewers should therefore concentrate on areas of uncertainty such as gaps between periods of employment and job description that seem strange. Focusing on these areas will force candidate to tell the truth or become increasingly dishonest. This is usually where people signal their anxiety by their body language. Sweat on the upper lip. False smiles and nervous hand movements all indicate discomfort.Conrad does not suggest an aggressive police-style interview technique, but insists that close inspection of a curriculum vitas is absolutely essential. Only by asking the right questions can you confirm the suitability of the candidate or put pressure on those who are being less than completely honest.Food for thoughtsSince young school children spend a significant proportion of their day at school, it can be a headache for parents to make sure their offspring eat properly while they are there. Their dilemma stems from the fact that while it is highly recommended children should eat five daily helpings of fruit and vegetables; they almost invariably opt for junk food instead. Some schools which have become aware of this have made changes to their menu and now provide healthy salad alternatives in their canteens. However, these are often prepared hours beforehand and after sitting under lights for most of the morning, take on the appearance of anything but an appetizing dish. So the only solution that very often remains open to parents is that of providing their kids with a packed lunch and keeping their fingers crossed that they will not return home with their food untouched. LAUGHING IS GOOD FOR YOU - SERIOUSLY It is a sad fact that adults laugh far less than children, sometimes by as much as a couple of hundred times a day. Just take a look at people’s faces on the way to work or in the office: you’ll be lucky to see a smile, let alone hear a laugh. This is a shame – especially in view of the fact that scientists have proved that laughing is good for you. ‘When you laugh,’ says psychologist David Cohen, ‘it produces the feel-good hormones, endorphins. It counters the effects of stress and enhances the immune system.’ There are many reasons why we might laugh less in adult life: perhaps we are too work-obsessed, or too embarrassed to let our emotions show. Some psychologists simply believe that children have more naïve response, and as adults we naturally grow out of spontaneous reactions. Luckily, however, it is possible to relearn the art of laughter. In India, ‘laughter clinics’ have been growing in popularity over the last few years, thanks to the efforts of Dr Madan Kataria, whose work has won him a devoted following. Dr Kataria believes that his laughing techniques can help to strengthen the immune system and lower stress level, among other things. He teaches his patients different laughs or giggles to relax specific parts of the body. In 1998, when Dr Kataria organized a World Laughter Day at Bombay race track, 10,000 people showed up.ADVERTISING AND THE MEDIAThere are four companies (NBC, CBS. ABC and Fox) in the top tier of America’s national TV networks and they, like the vast majority of media companies, are at the mercy of the ebb and flow of advertising revenue for their very survival. As a result, there is fierce competition to secure a market share of viewers that will maintain a good state of financial health, keep the shareholders happy and ultimately allow employees to retain their jobs.Advertising rates are set according to the degree of popularity of the program during which the commercial is shown. This means that in order to stay financially healthy, the TV networks have to attract and keep viewers by providing them with smash hits. When a show is popular, everyone is content but if its popularity fades, it is likely to be scrapped. The problem then is one of replacement, as launching new shows is a high-risk venture.
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