A Question to Ask Prospective Employees

An old man sitting at a well on the outskirts of a desert town.

A stranger approached and asked, “I am thinking of moving to this town, what are the people like?”

The old man answered, “What were the people like in the last town you lived?”

“Rude, uncooperative, selfish”, the reply.

“You’ll find the people in this town the same,” said the old man.

Another stranger approached the old man and asked the question, “I am thinking of moving to this town, what are the people like?”

The old man answered, “What were the people like in the last town you lived?”

“Helpful, friendly, considerate”, the reply.

“You’ll find the people in this town the same,” said the old man.

Ask prospective employees, “What were the people like at the last place you worked?”

The answer says much about the person before you.

(By Craig Arthur, Wizard of Ads Australia. The above story of the old man is my interpretation of an article I read over 30 years ago. The source is forgotten, but the message remains fresh.)