Why ask job applicants to recommend a book

The type of book that candidates are reading can tell you a lot about their work ethic, skills and personality.

Assess writing skills If your candidate enjoys reading, the chances are that their writing skills won’t be too shabby, either. Test sincerity Has the candidate simply named a title they thought would impress you? Perhaps they named something they read at school? You want candidates to talk about a book that truly interests them.

Why do they like the book? Get a feel for their personality, sense of humour and motivation. This can help you assess whether the candidate’s personality is a good match. Not a fan of books? Not everybody is into literature, and that’s okay. If your candidate hasn’t read anything recently, you could get them to talk about an interesting newspaper article, documentary or movie.

photo credit: Book of the week…or year via photopin (license)