Can you offer some advice to people who are low-openness and don't see why that's a problem?
But imagine you're at a restaurant with your team and someone orders a dish you've never tried. Do you simply decline to try a bite? Or do you try a small bite in case you might like it? I find that openness to new experience correlates highly with good problem solving skills and team cohesion.
Many group/team interactions are essentially minor culture clashes, and being able to navigate them requires being open to different points of view, etc.
I'm really NOT keen on trying chocolate-cover ants, thank you.
But why not try one ant? I'd try one.
Many groups are discriminated against (historically or presently), and members of those groups may not be too keen to open themselves up to unfair stereotyping. I've dated a girl who would never tell a prospective employer she was Jewish; she just wouldn't eat a pork dish and would probably seem evasive to you.
That doesn't even account for those who may just be squeamish or petrified of insects. Still others have embarrassing dietary restrictions.
It's hard to fathom when you have mainstream traits and limitations (it certainly was for me), but many people who consider themselves others are reluctant to give away information that could later be used to hurt them. Sadly, this reluctance is often justified.
True, I meant it as a metaphor for the kinds of new experiences/ideas one encounters day to day in the workplace.
What I'm saying is, the one-shot impressions from interviews are horribly inaccurate. There is simply not enough data, plus the measuring instrument (interviewer) is flawed also in nonreproducible ways.
A simple thought experiment: let's say I build a machine that measures confidence and ability to read the room. Would it select different candidates than you?
But, I understand that other people do like food. And that's ok.