Zero Ceiling Interviews Prioritize Relationships
Zero Ceiling in Whistler, BC, is a social enterprise committed to reducing youth homelessness and raising the quality of life for young people experiencing homelessness.
As an inclusive employer, their interviews are a casual thing.
Employer Case Study: Zero Ceiling
Just because their interviews are casual—doesn’t mean that they don’t take them seriously and prepare in advance.
They rarely do traditional behavioural-based interviews and prefer to take an informal approach.
Sean Easton, co-Executive Director, prepares their employment program candidates in advance by letting them know that it will be more of a conversation than an interview and that they should dress casually.
It’s important to Sean right from the start to set the tone as friendly, so that each candidate feels comfortable. And the interview is not just about assessing the suitability of the candidate; it’s also about the candidate interviewing them to ensure that the program and experience is a fit for them, too.
To ensure a positive experience right until the end of the process, Sean also provides constructive feedback should someone not be selected to join the program.
Building relationships, spreading a message of “unconditional love” to youth who’ve had many doors closed to them in their young lives is what Zero Ceiling is all about, from start to finish.
Inclusion Tip: Personality Assessments
People who are highly detail-oriented can get overwhelmed and stuck when presented with too many choices. When you know in advance a candidate has diverse cognitive abilities, including autism, or lower levels of literacy, it’s a reasonable adjustment to by-pass personality assessments and rely more on the interview to determine whether the candidate is a good match to the job.
This case study is an excerpt from the B2B Untapped Talent Guide to Innovative Hiring and Retention.