Several years ago, I was in Boulder with a client, interviewing for a Salesperson. This was a software technology company that had been in business for a while. A man came in for an interview with us, and he had some really unique experience to bring to the table. I was excited to interview him!
Before we got started, he asked me if I needed references, and I said that yes I did. He had a FedEx envelope with him that was sealed and it had a pull tab on it. Instead of pulling the tab, this candidate pulled out a knife, pushed a button and the blade popped out. He sliced the envelope open, put the knife on the table, pulled out the reference sheet, and handed it to me. He picked up the knife, pushed the button again, the blade disappeared, and he put the knife back into his pocket.
You could have heard a pin drop.
The man starts describing the references on his sheet. No one moved. I guided him through a few questions and then informed him that he would have answers by Friday. He seemingly was never aware of how his actions affected everyone in the room. He thanked me profusely, saying that you never hear from companies when you apply for a job. I walked him to the door, shook his hand and he left. I locked the door behind him. After that, I eventually quit doing first interviews in person. It just felt like too much of a risk.
I am writing this on Saturday April 20th. It is the 25th anniversary of Columbine and I am reminded of how vulnerable we really are in our daily lives. We think that it can never happen to us, but it can.
Please don’t let another day go by that you don’t review your security policies for safety in your office. None of us want to think about the unthinkable, and yet, thinking about the unthinkable can save lives.
POWER THOUGHT: Think through the unthinkable and put a safety policy in place.