Recently, I was coming back from lunch and about to hop into a lift when a couple of us in the lift noticed an elderly man, who was looking very lost and not really knowing where to go. We both stopped to help him, the other person in the lift with me, pulled out his phone to Google after the elderly man told us where he was going, while holding the lift open. I was then able to run over to look at the building tenancy board to try to figure out what level he should be going to.

In the end, we got the man to where he needed to go.

Not breaking news, I know. But it was what happened next that counts……

The gentlemen who was sharing the lift and kindly offered his assistance came out on the same floor as me and as I walked back into my office, he followed behind into reception. At this point, I turned to ask him to ask how could I help, to which he replied, “I am here for an interview”…..

Needless to say, I was on the phone to his recruitment consultant as soon as I could, to rave about how lovely he was helping with the older gentlemen downstairs and that we MUST find him a role. I didn’t know this candidate from a grain of salt, but my first impression of him was one that I felt compelled to share. I’m a big believer in what goes around comes around and I was thinking that it’s a bit of a ‘sliding doors’ moment really. If this ‘gentleman’ candidate hit the close button on the lift, I would have had a much different conversation with his interviewer. He was able to demonstrate, he was genuine.

The lesson to be learnt here is to treat everyone with respect. Quite simply, just be a nice person. We have a motto at p2p ( taken from the Sydney Swans) to ‘not hire dickheads’…. So don’t be a ‘dickhead’ and remember that first impressions last! That person you share a lift with, may be your next employer.