There is one interview question that Gary Shapiro, the longtime CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, always asks job candidates, and the answer can disqualify someone on the spot. The question sounds completely harmless at first: “How soon can you start?” But as Shapiro has made clear over his 33 years leading the organization, the response reveals far more about a person’s character than most candidates realize. For anyone who is currently employed, giving the wrong answer means the conversation is essentially over before it truly begins.
Shapiro, who is 68, says that if a currently employed candidate answers that they could start in less than two weeks, he immediately crosses them off the list. His reasoning is straightforward and rooted in a principle of loyalty and professional integrity. “Such a person doesn’t get the job because they will treat us the way they are now treating their employer,” he has explained. Importantly, he notes that this rule does not apply to candidates who are already out of work, since those individuals are not leaving anyone in a difficult position.
The philosophy extends beyond just the hiring process and shapes how Shapiro thinks about professional exits in general. He believes the way people leave a company is “really important,” and this standard applies equally to his own staff when they choose to move on. Employees who depart on good terms, giving at least two weeks’ notice and handling their responsibilities with care, are often remembered favorably enough to be welcomed back if they ever want to return. In Shapiro’s view, how you leave says just as much about you as how you perform on the job.
He put this very question to the woman he eventually hired as his Chief Operating Officer, and her response was exactly what he was looking for. She told him it would take up to six weeks for her to properly wrap up her obligations at her previous position. “I was very grateful for her answer,” Shapiro recalled, adding that his response to her was: “That’s perfect. You got the job.” Her willingness to prioritize her current employer’s needs, even while pursuing a new opportunity, was the clearest signal she could have sent about the kind of professional she would be.
Career advisor and executive coach Joyce Guan West, based in San Francisco, weighed in on Shapiro’s approach with some nuance. She acknowledged that on the surface, the question “can seem extreme,” and she would not recommend using it as a standalone evaluation tool. However, when paired with other questions designed to assess a candidate’s values and character, she believes it can be genuinely effective. “I would be surprised if most quality candidates, especially those in senior roles, said they needed less than two weeks,” West noted, pointing out that executive-level transitions often require considerably more time for a proper handover.
West also emphasized that Shapiro’s question works best as part of a broader conversation that explores why a candidate is interested in the specific role and company, and what is motivating their job search at all. A strong candidate will have done their research and bring genuine enthusiasm to those answers, while also avoiding any tendency to speak negatively about past employers. That combination of thoughtfulness and integrity, she said, helps identify someone “who will do the right thing, as opposed to someone who only looks out for themselves.”
Understanding the broader context of job interviewing helps explain why questions like this carry so much weight. The Consumer Technology Association, which Shapiro has led for over three decades, is one of the most influential trade organizations in the United States, responsible for producing major events like CES, the annual technology showcase held in Las Vegas. Organizations at that level tend to place a premium on trust, reliability, and institutional reputation, which makes values-based screening a natural part of their hiring philosophy. Research in organizational psychology consistently shows that how candidates handle transitions and obligations at previous jobs is one of the more reliable predictors of how they will behave as employees going forward. The two-week notice period itself is not a legal requirement in most American states, which operate under at-will employment laws, but it has become a widely accepted professional norm that signals mutual respect between employer and employee.
If you have ever been asked a question like this in an interview, or if you have your own take on what the “right” answer really reveals about a candidate, share your thoughts in the comments.
