Pet Peeve - "I'm a People Person"

I interview a lot of people. Many of them tell me the same thing, "I'm a people person."

What does that mean, exactly?

Does this mean that you like people?
That people like you?
That you are a homo sapien?
That you can't stop talking to people?
That you don't like working alone?
That you carve people out of large blocks of marble?
That you work well with people (this is vague in and of itself)?

You might respond - come on Lisa, we all know what this means. No we don't. I have had dozens of people, who seem to have little in common, tell me they are people people. I have no clue what you think this means.

Name one famous people person.
Show me a behavioral assessment that measures whether someone is a people person.

To me, saying you are a people person during a job interview is like a beauty pageant contestant saying she wants world peace. It's lame and does not differentiate you from all the other people-people out there bragging they are people-people too (would that be people cubed?).

If you are asked to share strengths, zoom in what you really do well and share something that means something. Be specific. Being a people person is about as valuable as saying, "Hire me, I've got a pulse!"

Regards,

Lisa
Purple People Person Eater (just the chocolate covered kind)

Comments

[Ian McKenzie]

Yeah, that's a pet peeve with me as well. I tend to tell the candidate that, unless you're a hermit living alone in a cafe, everybody is a "people person".

[Mike]

Just because I love to spare, Bill Clinton is the people person's people person. Most people persons believe they have special empathic powers - or they're just bullshitting. You decide on the example I gave.

[Lisa Haneberg]

Mike - Bill Clinton? Yes, I suppose he might qualify under several definitions.

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