Leaderboard

Usually, recruiters a candidate having several job changes in the past as just a sign of instability; there are, however, few recruiters who may look beyond and see the experience, skills and knowledge the candidate has acquired, working across multiple domains & organizations. If your were the hiring manager, how would you go about it in such a situation?

For me, if this is a highly repeated tendency, I will be sceptical as it is not just the company that chooses a candidate, it is also that the candidate who chooses a company. If it is not a highly repeated pattern, I agree with Rajesh.

During a recent interview (for BPI Manager's position) that I attended, I was asked if I knew the formulas for different stat calculations. I replied that I did not. You can guess the outcome of the interview. Honestly, I don't think we need to know/remember these formulas; we have calculators/software for that. As excellence/transformation agents, we should be good with the concepts and methodologies. At lease, that is what I believe. I believe knowing formulas is desirable but not mandatory. I would like to know the thoughts/opinions of the other members on this. Please share.

It depends on what position you are aiming for. If you are aiming for a LSS trainer role, it would be important to have a reasonable grasp of the underlying statistical principles, if not the the actual formula. For other roles, where you may have to lead a LSS project, in whatever else may be your area of competency, you can either rely on the statistical software and take the help of an LSS BB or MBB, where you need help. One of the main reasons why these applied subjects did not (and maybe still do not) get enough of buy-in was that many used to get put-off on the stat part. In the earlier days one had to use tables and calculators to do the workings, but now, thanks to the advanced software packages available, we are able to perform that part with ease. So, if we keep harping too much on the theoretical part, we may once again kindle the discouragement. We need to be careful and practical in this approach.

Dear Papi Reddy I understand the conundrum around this as I have been on both sides of the interview table. For me, remembering the formulae for statistical tests (or advanced stats) was and is never a priority. More important is to know the usage, application, limitations of the test and then to be able to make business decisions basis the outcome of the statistical results. Having said that, there are some basic formulae (say for descriptive stats - foundation of statistics) which one is expected to know.

What is finally important in all purchase decisions is value perception. This is a combination of quality and brand connection in one's mind. People do buy Chinese unbranded goods, many of which are not associated with great quality but definitely meet the value criteria. Take the example of remote controlled cars or mobile phones which do not last long but have extraordinary features that work for few weeks or months. At the price they are sold, they are considered to be of great value. Someone who appreciates "Apple" products for great quality may not always buy them even if he/she can afford them. To take this discussion further, the objective of Lean Six Sigma is not to enhance to quality of products or services but to increase value for the customer. This is what finally increases repeat and referral sales.