What Language do you speak?

Work last week was rather interesting.

We're currently recruiting like mad for Customer Service Consultants due to internal growth and staff leaving.

Being an education provider with students from all over the world, we're always on the look-out for bilingual speakers.  Last Thursday there was an interview scheduled with a Mandarin speaker.

The Manager of my department along with the Customer Service team leader were meant to interview her, but the team leader had something come up.  And our International Officer was busy.

So I was asked to be in the interview instead.  It was also suggested that I could ask some questions in Chinese to confirm she was really fluent.  

So that started a frantic minute of me going through my contacts list to find someone who could teach me how to ask three questions in mandarin.

'How would your colleagues describe you?' 
'Do you prefer to work in a group environment or on your own?'
"How do you like to be managed?'

My first try was Leny; engaged. Kevin; could not translate a word for me.  Angie; came through by asking her manager to translate it for her.  I couldn't understand the pinyin for the third question so I settled for the first two questions in Mandarin and everything else in English.

I was asked how I was going to understand the interviewees response if I don't even understand Mandarin?!  And I responded with, 'If I don't understand a word of what she's saying, then she's good.'

And boy was she good!!  The way she rattled on, I did Not understand a word of what she said.  But I had to keep nodding like I did.  And the funny thing is, if we hire her (which we most likely will) she will eventually find out that I don't actually understand Mando.

But either way it turned out to be quite fun because after the interview everyone in the department wanted to have a go reading the pin yin!!