Harvard Business School Case Study Analysis: Questions and Answers
2.
What is the value of informational interviews given that they are costly and not
used to screen people?
While the informational interviews may be costly, and are not really used to screen candidates, they are helpful in a variety of ways. For example, SG Cowen would use these interviews to see how enthusiastic a candidate might be and it also allows the candidates to get a sense of what the firm is like (Delong and Vijayarghavan 3). On the surface, it may seem to be something that is not cost effective, but it helps the firm to not waste time on candidates who would not be a good fit for the company. The informational interviews do provide candidates with the information they need to see if in fact they are suitable for a position at a particular company.
3.
Which of the four candidates do you think has the highest upside ? Which has the
lowest downside? How should this affect the firm's hiring decision?
It seems as if Ken Goldstein would have the highest downside and there are also concerns about Sanchez' intellect. Therefore, of the four, it appears that Natalya Godlewska has the lowest downside because she will likely perform well. She is a known entity because of her vast experience. Her grades are exemplary. However, there are perhaps concerns about fitting in with the city's culture, but there are no concerns about her fitting in with this specific cooperate culture because of her pre