Authenticity

 Can you show us samples of your work ? 

This was the nth applicant for graphic artist we were interviewing for the office via Zoom.  We were cutting out the usual small talk crap and going for the jugular.

Sorry for the undiplomatic stance, but we were tired of staring at the laptop screen.  Anyway, we’ve always held on the motto that “whatever is meant for you will be yours in the end.”  Despite our interrogrations and nitpicking, somehow the right person for the job got chosen.

I expected a faster weeding out of applicants during the hiring process with the help of technology.

Basic job qualifications posted in wanted ads by my office are now more realistic and inclusive, being an Equal Employment Opportunity Principle (EEOP) advocate. The department encourages qualified applicants regardless of disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, religion, and ethnicity. In other words, we’ve cast a wider net for applicants.

In that short experience as interviewer I’ve learned a few things about myself and other people.

WORDS OF ADVICE FOR INTERVIEWEES
Please don’t name-drop, entice us with your connections or youthful joie de vivre.  That only work if you have the talent and intelligence we are searching to match the job.

Also, be your genuine self. There is no point in trying to be someone you are not in order to get the job. Sooner or later,  people will find out the truth.  Besides, don’t you feel tired of always putting on a false face at work?  I think putting on a facemask to protect us from the virus is more than enough.

Show your authentic personality. It will save everyone from unnecessary pain and headache and the right individual gets chosen. By the way, this policy can also be applied to other areas of your life.  Believe me, authenticity simplifies your existence.

Normally, in a pre-COVID setting, interviews start with an informal type of discourse that does not cover any functional topics of conversation or any transactions that need to be addressed.

Unfortunately, we are in the midst of a health crisis, so everything has to be resolved fast. This means doing away with conversational “frills” and moving straight to the purpose of the interaction.

PATH TO ACHIEVING AUTHENTICITY
Isn’t it that deep down inside you want to be true to yourself, not just a follower of social expectations?  Afterall, you want to pursue your own happiness by being your genuine self. You also want to reap the psychological benefits such as inner peace, higher self-esteem and greater well-being.

But authenticity is a tricky thing, psychologists say. Although most people would define authenticity as acting in accordance with their own set of values, research has proven that people feel most authentic when they conform to a particular set of socially approved qualities, such as being kind, emotionally stable, conscientious and agreeable.

“This is the paradox of authenticity: In order to reap the benefits of feeling authentic, you may have to betray your real, unfiltered nature.”

From a psychological science standpoint, a person is considered authentic if the person has considerable self-knowledge and is motivated to understanding her/ his strengths and weaknesses.  Most important, authentic people behave in line with their unique values and qualities.

So, when it comes time to actually making a judgment about our own authenticity, we may use criteria that is closer to how we judge the authenticity of an object such as food. An orange peel pomegranate fruit flan may be unique, but the authenticity of the fruit flan is judged by its conformity to a conventional recipe. Similarly, it appears that the more we conform to social conventions about how a well balanced person should act, the more authentic we feel.

A number of studies have shown that people’s feelings of authenticity are often shaped by something other than their loyalty to their unique qualities. It is indeed absurd that feelings of authenticity seem to be also related to a kind of social conformity.

You realize that being authentic isn’t just about being honest about how we present ourselves to others, it’s also about accepting feedback from others and adjusting our personalities to live in harmony with a large segment of humanity without compromising our core values.

The problem is some people often worry that their real selves are inadequate or unacceptable and, consciously or subconsciously, imitate those they consider socially acceptable, admirable or ideal to fit in. In the context of work, many people radically alter their work personas to fit into the established culture of their organizations.

The point here is that going full on against our true selves by forcing ourselves to conform is exhausting and hinders our ability to perform our job well and fulfill our potential. In contrast, acting authentically frees up mental and emotional energy so that we can focus on our strengths.

In other words, to free us from unnecessary mental and emotional burden, is to integrate these different versions of ourselves that we create to adapt to socially accepted norms and to just act like ourselves, in accord with our core values, beliefs and motivations.

Being authentic means that our multiple identities overlap so that our real selves, the image that we bring to work or in job interviews, are compatible enough that they form a highly integrated persona.

Does this make sense to you ? (Loud guffaw)