I've always subscribed to Penelope Trunk's advice about interviewing. She explains that an interview is like a test that you can prepare for, the questions often being predictable enough to hit out of the park. I had to smile recently when I was in an interview session and received the gem of "how would you describe your leadership style?" Since I had prepared for that same question, it went off like a new hit single.

Unfortunately, some new research is revealing a bit more about interviews and the fact that they might not be as reliable as we once thought. Fast Company's recent magazine deals with this issue, making the case that a good interview is just that- a good snapshot of a person but maybe not an accurate indicator of a person's work performance.

Turns out more companies are now relying on work samples, mini-performances and even writing tests. They figure that a person's ability to handle real workplace issues outweighs their ability to cleverly answer what can too-often be planned questions.

How will you conduct your next interview?

*Photo by Thomas Hawke