How Not To Hire

Today's hiring policies are designed to be "fair" and "culturally blind." Thus decisions are made that seek to treat every candidate exactly the same.  While the desire to be even-handed is a good one, the end result if too rigidly applied runs the risk of hiring incorrectly because the real information is never acquired.

Some government agencies apply this concept so strictly - by asking the exact same questions to each candidate - never probing and never varying. In this way, they never delve and only get the expected - canned - answers. So, they are defeating the process they are trying to achieve.

For example, when consulting to one of our Silicon Valley cities, I observed the interview process for potential new employees. There was a panel of interviewers. Each was given a specific question to ask every one of the candidates interviewed. There was to be no deviation allowed. Not even additional questions - including not being able to ask for clarification or more information.

The result - a false sense of fairness. Candidates were graded based on their responses and of course that were better rehearsed got higher marks. This came about because most if not all the questions were pretty standard and pretty obvious. Because of the limited nature of this process, very little beyond what was on the resumes was learned.

That's how not to hire.

A good interviewer will delve deeply into answers, seeking for example additional information, clarification, and anything else that will enable her to really get to know the professional strengths and weaknesses of a particular candidate.

When I interviewed for high level positions, I usually took as much as a whole day with the candidate. I interviewed, I observed and quite often I administered a battery of tests. That's because the decision to hire someone at the C level in an organization is critically important and a wrong decision can not only cost the company thousands of dollars, but can reverberate down the chain of command and cause inestimable harm within the company.

Now clearly you can't spend that much time with candidates for supervisory or below positions because the risk is less. On the other hand, there is risk - remember "one bad apple can spoil the bunch." But, instead of having a bunch of people each spend a few minutes, you might seriously consider having far fewer people spend more time delving more deeply.

Not only do you want to measure skills and learn about experience, you also want to learn if the personality, character and values are compatible with those of your department and company.

I've noticed that sometimes when the interview process is either a large panel of people or a chain of individual interviews, the person that gets the job is the most mediocre - he or she is the one that everyone could agree on - not the best qualified.

So, I caution you to realize that interviewing is a skill and will take among other qualities the ability to walk in the other person's shoes - to empathize - to listen - to observe and to get out of your own prejudices at the same time.

Good Luck!

How not to hire!

When working with government agencies they sometimes create such strict rules that they defeat the purpose of what they are trying to accomplish.  One case in point is the interviewing process when trying “to be fair.”

When consulting to one of our Silicon Valley cities, I observed the interview process for potential new employees.  There was a panel of interviewers.  Each was given a specific question and their role was to ask that question of each candidate.  There was to be no deviation – and no additional questions – including asking for clarification or more information – were allowed.

The result – a false sense of fairness.  Candidates were graded based on their responses (often superficial) to the basic questions and at the end of the interview process little more was learned than what already appeared on their resumes.

A good interviewer will delve deeply into answers – asking for examples, additional information, clarification and anything that will enable her to really get to know the professional strengths and weaknesses of a particular candidate.

When I interview for high-level positions I might take as much as a whole day with the candidate.  Now clearly I don’t spend that much time with candidates for supervisory and below positions, but I do spend a few hours getting to know if they are who they say they are and if they will be a good fit for the people and the company considering hiring them.

I’m often told about a series of 20 minute interviews with a bunch of people.  I’m not sure how valuable these are – other than to weed out anyone who stands out to any of the team members doing this superficial interview.

Oftentimes, having a few highly trained and qualified interviewers spend more time is far better than a bunch of people who don’t have the insight or instincts necessary to spend a short amount of time each just to see if they like or dislike the candidate.

Nothing beats strong interview instincts and techniques – like most “soft skill” talents, the highly successful professionals are a combination of education, experience, and intuitiveness.

In my career, I’ve interviewed many C-level candidates for my clients – and those I selected were proven to be a good fit for the company and its culture.  Too, I learn little things that are useful for management.

For example, I once helped hire a CFO and observed that status was far more important to him than increases in salary.  He was subsequently rewarded by having a corner office, his own parking space, and other perqs that were obvious to one and all.  He was a happy camper.

Resume Writing & Interviews

Resumes and Interviews

The classic resume and passive interview no longer work very well in today’s job market. There are too many people seeking too few positions and you have to shine above the noise.

The first step is to really think about your strengths – your accomplishments, skills, personality and how these set you apart from others. When writing your resume and cover letter, you want to show how these come about. Show – not tell. By that I mean you need to share enough information so that people know you are not just spouting bragging clichés.

Next, or perhaps first: Get rid of the clichés. When you use specific examples of what you’ve accomplished you no longer need to say you are “a hard worker” or “dedicated” etc. Not even “looking for a position that is challenging and allows you to grow.” Everyone says those things.

Next: Do your homework. Do not apply for a job without having learned about the company, the specific needs that you might be able to fill, the culture, and anything else you can learn about that potential employer. This is where informational interviews with those who work there – or who have worked there can be helpful.
Be careful though that you are really only seeking information when you request an informational interview – don’t ask for a job at that time – you will ruin it for yourself and for others who might really be honestly asking for an informational interview.

Just as you proof read your resume and cover letter – proof read your grooming and image before you go for your interview. People will judge you by how you look.
When you have the interview – on the phone – or face-to-face, listen more than you talk, but when asked a question take the opportunity to expand on your answers. When you ask a question, make sure it is about the work – the company – but not about what’s in it for you. DO NOT ask questions about salary, benefits, time off, the expertise of the caterer in the cafeteria or any of those questions during preliminary interviews. They might be negotiating tools at the end of the process after the offer is made to you.

You are there to persuade the interviewer that you are the best person for the position.

In short, you need to stand out as more interested, better qualified, and more interesting than the others also seeking employment.

Good Luck!

Energy, Enthusiasm & Excitement

Energy, Enthusiasm & Excitement Gets You To The Front Of The Line
On November 17th, I spoke to the group at CSIX about the importance of the quality of everything you do towards networking and getting a job. My talk ranged from the importance of doing your research to the way you write your query, cover letter, and resume. I offered suggestions about how to handle the interview (once you get it) so that you appear to be the “A Player” they are seeking.
Mostly though, I talked about the importance of staying energized. You, especially if you are not a “twenty-something” need to show your vim and vigor. You need to be energized and enthused. I offered my audience a series of tips on how to stay energized. They included:
• Start now – you can’t wait for the last minute
• Get plenty of sleep – even take a nap if you can
• Exercise
• Have FUN! This is most important
• Socialize – yes, even though you are depressed
• Personal Hygiene and Grooming – at all times (as I looked around the audience, I knew this one had to be emphasized)
• Learn something new
• Be around young people – they energize
• Get involved in your community, associations, etc.
• Create and meet with small support groups
• Read – for pleasure
• Love children – be around them to hear their giggles – it is so energizing.
• Love family, friends – let yourself love and be loved
My conclusion: As difficult as it may be because you’ve been out of work too long, you have to pull yourself together and act as though all is well in your world. You can’t do that if you are staying in a deep tunnel of depression. Grab a toe hold this minute and start to pull yourself out of it. You need to be energetic, enthused, and excited in order to convince those you want to have hire you that you are the best possible choice for them. Good Luck!