Welcome to F1GMAT’s #AskAtulJose series. I am Atul Jose. Today’s question is about the Haas MBA admissions interview. The question is:
• Question the Status Quo
• Confidence without Attitude
• Student Always
Diversity and Inclusion have multiple contexts, but the admissions team is looking for an example where you went ‘Beyond Yourself’ to achieve a milestone.
Q) How to Answer Haas Examples of Diversity and Inclusion Interview Question?
For context, the question is, “Tell me about a time when you saw the value of diversity.” Haas is among the very few schools that have mentioned its four defining principles, which is:
• Confidence without Attitude
• Student Always
• Beyond Yourself
If you are planning to mention an example where you felt that some injustice is being met to a team member based on the person’s color, age, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or race, you really have to script the answer. Any extreme judgment other than systemic biases and assumptions would lead to some awkward conversations or speculations about your employer. It has to be something that our society is still struggling to articulate.
For an applicant whose team member was Asian, the typecast was based on his culture, having excellent work ethics and mediocre communication skills. The task allocation from the Project Manager was confirming the typecasting. As a team lead, the applicant vouched for the person and shared multiple instances where his communication skills solved complex technology and operational hurdles. The case for the Asian candidate changed the decision, and the applicant was right. The project could cross several setbacks because of the candidate’s superior communication skills.
Another example would be related to age. In Silicon Valley, the perception that older candidates can’t pick up technology is rampant. Older in the sense that anyone above 35. The effort required to learn and the commitment to persist through setbacks is considered low for older candidates.
Additionally, the family commitment would discourage project managers from considering older candidates. I have heard a client share about a career switcher who was passionate about technology but, coming from a Philosophy background, struggled to get interesting projects. She took it upon herself to mentor and assign one of the toughest but consequential projects for the candidate. Through mentorship and timely guidance, the older candidate picked up the skills in record time.
Inclusion could also be about second chances. When a candidate fails in achieving a milestone or doesn’t meet the expectations of a client, the logical step is to remove the person from the project and assign them to a less consequential one. Once the reputation is against you, very few project managers and team leads would take the risk. If you had an opportunity to bring a candidate who has failed before on an important project, it would also be an interesting example.
For this question – add a lot of context without the inclusion of any jargon.
I am Atul Jose. For help in scripting, storytelling, and preparing for Interviews, Subscribe to F1GMAT’s Mock Interview Service