Logical Reasoning

PT104 · S1 · Q25 When interviewing job candidates

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When interviewing job candidates, personnel managers not only evaluate a candidate’s work experience and educational background but also inquire about hobbies.

Conclusion (therefore)

Personnel managers should not inquire about a candidate's hobbies.

Evidence

They inquire because they're hoping that the enthusiasm someone shows for a hobby may well carry over to enthusiasm for a job.

But such enthusiasm may also indicate that the candidate is less concerned with work than with play.

Evaluate

So because someone who's enthusiastic about their hobby may be more concerned with play than with work, we shouldn't ask people about their hobbies?

It's not even clear this is a significant downside, but even if it is, what if it's outweighed by the positive aspects of asking about hobbies?

Goal

Since this is an EXCEPT question, we're less inclined to try to figure out "the" answer ahead of time. After all, there will be four answers that describe a potential objection.

So we move a little more quickly toward the answers, knowing we're not going to anticipate them all, so we might as well get busy.

25.

The argument is flawed because it overlooks each of the following possibilities EXCEPT:

  1. A candidate’s involvement in particular

    Weakens

    This points to a potential positive about asking about hobbies. The author has only considered one potential downside and on that basis forbade the practice of asking about hobbies. She's failing to consider the Net Gain / Loss of this practice. One benefit could be that someone who is invested in a hobby is more likely to be a committed long-term employee (managers hate employee turnover; they prize retention. so this is an important trait to someone hiring a new employee).

    6% picked this

  2. Correct

    Candidates who have no hobbies

    Why this is right

    This points to a potential negative about asking about hobbies. The applicant may be tempted to lie about it. That would mean that the personnel manager isn't even getting accurate information to base their decision on. That would only strengthen the author's notion that personnel managers shouldn't inquire about hobbies.

    Skill tested: Flaw · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    73% picked this

  3. Inquiries about a hobby may

    Weakens

    This points to a potential positive about asking about hobbies. The author has only considered one potential downside and on that basis forbade the practice of asking about hobbies. She's failing to consider the Net Gain / Loss of this practice. One benefit could be asking about hobbies is an effective form of small talk that takes candidates out of their stressed out "interview character" and allows the manager to see the real person. Specifically, it allows the personnel manager to get more honest answers to important questions. Getting good data on important queries is a valuable advantage that "asking about hobbies" can provide.

    5% picked this

  4. Having certain kinds of hobbies

    Weakens

    Like (A), this points to a potential positive about asking about hobbies. People who have hobbies might have a desirable trait. (A) talked about long-term commitment to the job. (D) talks about good organizational skills.

    3% picked this

  5. Personnel managers may make better

    Weakens

    This points to a potential positive about asking about hobbies. One benefit could be that it makes the interviewer a better interviewer. If they're free to ask about hobbies, they don't feel the need to self-regulate the conversation as much and can make better choices. When there are "rules" about what the interviewer can /can't say, the interviewer is too lost thinking about those rules and makes worse choices. This is definitely a weird storyline, but we're supposed to accept these answers as true. If being allowed to ask about hobbies allows the interviewer to make better choices then it carries an advantage the author failed to consider.

    13% picked this

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