Abstract
Thomas held out his hand and welcomed Mike “aboard.” After a three-month search, Thomas was certain he had found the right man for the job. He was impressed with Mike’s credentials and felt good to be able to deliver such good news to a man he knew had been out of work for six months. Although Thomas would never have placed Mike’s credentials as a committed Christian over the basic skills and experience the candidate would need to be successful in this job, Thomas was pleased to hire a man who made it clear he, too, possessed Christian values. Thomas was especially impressed with the manner in which Mike spoke openly in the interview about his love for his family and his active work as a Christian. He felt pleased that Mike felt comfortable enough to volunteer this information in the interview. Thomas already felt an affinity for Mike. Sometimes the business of defense contracting could be harsh, and it felt good to have a new employee to whom he could relate in more personal terms. No sooner had Thomas delivered the good news than he felt the façade of playing “interviewer” start to drop.
