These words Quality and Taste are often both thought of as subjective terms. The evaluation of something/anything by another person (and, now various AI entities) based on an opinion. When someone is judging Quality, hopefully they have the knowledge and experience to back up their judgement. Taste? We all respond to varying degrees of like-or-don’t-like opinions on a great many things every day. We usually know when we really don’t like something, frequently based on “standards” set by others and well as our own intuitions and opinions. But our likes and our dislikes do not necessarily make us experts in something without that specialized knowledge and experience.

 

Stay with me for a moment!

 

Do we equate Taste with Quality?

 

Sometimes, but hopefully not always.

 

If we like something, do we automatically assume it’s of good quality?

 

Yes, when personal taste outweighs a knowledgeable judgement.

 

When employers are trying to fill a role at their company, are they able to distinguish Taste and Quality in their decision- making?

 

I sure hope so!

 

Are hiring decisions made merely because someone likes you?

 

Sometimes! This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But it works both ways. Getting a job offer because your personality is a known entity can be a compliment. The company knows who you are, and how you’ll respond to expected situations, etc. But, just as easily an employer who knows (of) you, might automatically think that you won’t fit in to their environment and not want to hire you.

 

Will AI eliminate the Taste-quotient? Will AI be Taste-less? Will AI make decisions based on pure objectivity of Quality and quality alone?

 

That is one of AI’s perceived advantages, that it removes the like or dislike quotient. But will nuance and “gray areas” be dismissed in the process? Maybe.  But as AI continues to advance, it is forming its’ own opinions within those gray areas.

 

Whether you are a person wanting to advance an already upward-trajectory career or are just looking for a job, you can’t ignore that opinions are being formed about you the moment the recruiter or bot decides you are an appropriate candidate to fill a position. And frustratingly for the job seeker, they’re not quite sure what the employer is really thinking or looking for.

 

If you’ve been invited to six interviews with the same company for a single position, is the employer and its’ departmental leadership more concerned with personality interaction than the quality of the work you can do for them?

 

Indeed, there are times when employers deliberately put candidates through stressful circumstances to see how they handle themselves under less-than- optimal conditions. In their observations during this time, employers will be as judgy about the person as they are about the quality of the work the applicant can allegedly perform. The equation changes if you are in a trial work period and the employer actually gets to see how you perform expected tasks.

 

Yes, employers want workers who can do the jobs that they need done, and perform them expediently, adeptly, and hopefully, profitably.

 

But employers are also looking for team players, collaborators, internal partners and stake-holders with whom others can work side-by-side, effectively and cooperatively.

 

Since the post-Covid return-to-office push for workers, a stronger emphasis is being placed on hires who will get along well with their teammates in the workplace. Employers recognize that many of their staff have been working solo for an extended period of time and may need to reacclimate to working alongside others. For some workers, this is an easy transition. But for others, it’s more difficult. Hopefully this doesn’t lead to employers misjudging people because the quality of their work exceeds their ability work closely with others.

 

Keep in mind that the assessments of both Quality & Taste are in the eye of the beholder. If that “beholder” is an employer, as a job seeker, your first job is to make certain that there is convincing evidence the quality of your work goes hand-in-hand with your ability to work congenially and effectively with others.

 

 

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