Perceived Value of Recruiters

Let’s face it.  We all have strong opinions about the usefulness of recruiters and our trust in them.  What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “recruiter?”  Incompetent?  Unprofessional?  Manipulative?  Self-serving?  Car dealer?  All the above? 

There are two distinct camps on the value associated with recruitment firms.  One camp consists of many hiring managers and executives who have experienced poor service and even poorer results from using a recruiter.  Thrown into this group are those who have never used a recruiter, but heard more than their share of horror stories from those who have.  To every stereotype, there’s the potential for an ounce of truth.  With regards to recruiters, there are several truths worth examining.

Many executives believe they can do a better job of recruiting by tapping into their own network and using their own internal resources.  Though not an unreasonable line of thinking, this is not a scalable approach.  Perhaps they’re tainted by having used recruiters that didn’t provide sufficient value-add to the process.  For example, many recruiters simply resort to a passive recruitment process – posting a job and waiting for the influx of resumes to fly in.  Many companies have already tried this on their own and found out the hard way that this amounts to a major time suck with no laudable results to show for it.  Generally speaking, passive recruitment techniques are ineffective as they usually do not reach and attract top talent. 

Another typical ploy used by many recruiters is to regurgitate candidates from their database, trying over and over to place the same people.  Once again, this is not the way to source top talent.  Moreover, this technique screams of not putting their client (the hiring company) first as it’s more representative of a self-serving shortcut. 

Funny enough, many recruiters, who have worked on a similar position in the past, come to their client with an air of expertise on filling that role, bordering on arrogance.  Yet, they haven’t taken the time and effort to learn as much about their client as possible – from the nuances not specified in a preliminary job spec to every facet of the company’s being – its history, financials, GTM strategy, growth objectives, challenges, value prop, competitive landscape, customers, and people (culture and DNA). 

These recruiters are not about listening, learning, caring, and helping.  Call it a lack of interest, lack of passion, lack of business savvy, or lack of common sense.  Unfortunately, every now and then, these recruiters do make a placement, reinforcing their subpar methods and attitude. And to compound matters, these same recruiters sell themselves purely on price, further fueling the misconception that recruitment is a commoditized low-level service.  No wonder hiring executives want to make a go of it themselves. 

The other camp of executives views recruiters as a drop dead must have business partner.  This group has experienced firsthand what’s it’s like to work with client-centric, consultative, proactive, talent management thought leaders, who consider themselves an employee of their client.  This type of boutique search professional brings much more to the table.  After all, they’ve likely been a hiring manager themselves and thus have walked a mile in their client’s shoes.

High quality high value recruitment firms provide guidance on the current talent market.  They help craft and refine the positions, including roles, responsibilities, and compensation.  They help set long term hiring strategies and budgeting.  They opportunistically ferret out potential business partners and other people of interest for their client to meet.  They make interviewing, hiring, and onboarding an effective process.  They understand that their own success hinges on their client’s ability to meet its business objectives, which in turn is dependent on meeting its hiring objectives.  They know that quality is everything and they’d rather present you with a select few highly scrutinized candidates than throw spaghetti against the wall, hoping that some of it sticks.

There are many recruiters out there, which denotes two salient points:  1) There is a low barrier to entry into recruitment; and 2) There is a great need for recruitment.  In selecting a recruitment firm, consider what value-add that recruiter will bring.  Talented people are a successful business’ crown jewel.  As a hiring executive, what investment will you make in order to ensure that your most valuable asset is reinforced?  You hire a top notch CPA to oversee and protect your financials.  You choose top tier vendors for SEO/SEM, web design, ad work, collateral, and PR.  Be equally selective in your recruitment firm.  Going with the right resource to help you attract and hire top talent is the investment that pays dividends many times over and for many years to come.

 

Action items:

*  All recruiters are not created equal.  Understand that there are distinctly different echelons of recruiters and seek to learn the differences.

*  Recruiters can and should bring much more to the table than just “filling slots.”  Seek out firms that take a genuine interest in learning about your business and provide counseling and support to help you meet your business objectives.

*  Gravitate towards recruiters that do more listening than you’re accustomed to.

Hear Yourself Listen

My highly spirited and extroverted 7-year-old daughter can be a good listener when the mood strikes her.  Luckily, she reserves most of her good listening behavior for school (lucky teacher!).  As with many kids, she has been reminded plenty of times that she has one mouth and two ears for a reason. 

Children learn the fine art of listening early on in life.  They learn the importance of listening as it pertains to having good manners or in school as part of everyday rules.  Eventually, kids come to an innate realization that in order to feed their curious minds, they must stop talking at some point and take in what’s going on around them.  So why does this natural life lesson seem to dissipate throughout the adult masses?

Everyone builds insecurities as they go through life.  Some of these insecurities can grow from the lack of attention, or as a corollary, the need to compete for attention.  As a means to fit in, many people fight for their fair share.  More often than not, this seems to manifest itself in excessive talk.  Whether at a networking event, client meeting, or job interview, I’ve noticed a propensity for people to dominate a conversation.  They love to hear themselves talk.  Perhaps it makes them feel more competent.  Maybe it helps them feel more connected, like they fit in. 

In my world, a great source of frustration comes from seeing highly qualified candidates blow an interview due to excessive talking, if not outright rambling.  Of course, it’s easily understandable how nerves can have this effect.  When nervous, many people risk morphing into a rambling talk monster.  Similarly, some hiring managers, who bathe in bravado and control, love to hear themselves talk on and on about their organization, business philosophies, and impressive record of success.  With all this excessive talk, how can one party learn about the other?  The interaction becomes lopsided, disjointed, disingenuous, and unproductive.  Under these circumstances, how in the world can people establish rapport and more importantly, learn about one another?

For candidates that may have a tendency to talk too much when nervous, I coach them to keep their responses concise.  The key is if it feels too brief, then it’s probably just right.  The two things to avoid are rambling and TMI (too much information).  For example, if a hiring manager asks you for a recent relevant situation that would demonstrate your ability to do the job you’re vying for, why would you take them to Canada via China, Australia, Antarctica, and Indonesia?  That’s rambling.  Likewise, in taking them to Canada, does it really make sense to talk about the number of times you stopped for gas, the weather along the way, how the lunch at the diner made you feel bloated, how many purple cars you saw along the way, and which of your favorite ‘80s songs played on the radio?  That’s TMI.  Try starting with the 10,000 foot concise answer and follow-up by asking if a deeper dive into the details would be helpful.

Excessive talking carries several unintended impressions.  It can connote a know-it-all, someone who doesn’t value others’ thoughts, or a low level of self-awareness/emotional intelligence.  It’s the verbal equivalent of body odor.  Just think of the effect BO has on establishing rapport. 

Along with keeping explanations concise, the best way to stop or avoid excessive talking is to ask a question.  This forces you to listen.  Also, an interesting barometer to gauge talk quantity is to compare how much of the talking you’re doing vs. the person you’re interacting with.  Hear yourself listen.  And at the end of the day, if you’re listening, you’re learning.  If kids can do it (albeit occasionally), so can we.

 

Action items:

*  Avoid rambling or TMI by starting off concise and following up to see if a deeper dive into the weeds is warranted.

*  When nervous, if you reduce your talking to a point that feels like it’s not enough, it’s probably just right.

*  A great way to reduce excessive talking is to ask questions.

*  During a meeting, try to be cognizant of how much you’re talking vs. the person you’re interacting with.

Yes, You Are a Brand

Brands are no longer restricted to cars, clothing, and breakfast cereals.  Whether you like it or not, you have a brand, starting with the obvious – your digital presence.  When was the last time you Googled yourself or checked out your LinkedIn profile as if you were seeing it for the first time?  Pardon me while I quote from Wikipedia.  “Brands have become increasingly important components of culture and the economy, now being described as ‘cultural accessories and personal philosophies.’”  It goes on to say that those who focus on branding endeavor to form the “expectations behind the brand experience, creating the impression that a brand associated with a product or service has certain qualities or characteristics that make it special or unique.”   

If the point of a brand is to break through the noise and differentiate while portraying value and significance, then it behooves you to develop, cultivate, and refine the positioning of your brand on an ongoing basis.  This is vitally important for candidates and hiring managers alike.  As we all know, hiring managers investigate candidates’ online persona as well as back-channel references while candidates check out hiring managers’ and CEOs’ career pedigree and contact base.

Let’s look at some of the components behind your brand.  As it is part of the human condition to categorize, people need to understand in concise terms what you specialize in and what you are passionate about – ideally one in the same.  This can be summed up in your accomplishments (not merely responsibilities), thought leadership activities (e.g. articles, speeches, association participation, and interviews), and testimonials.  There ought to be consistency in your branding as well.  For example, an MBA who has risen in the ranks as a Director of Product Management should not have a LinkedIn profile riddled with typos, plagued with antiquated terminology, or sporting a recommendation that states, “I love Jim, put that boy in a dress and a set of heels and in low light he’s passable.”  And no, I didn’t make that up.

Specialization is important, no matter the field or discipline.  After all, if you required spinal cord surgery, would you seek out a general practitioner or a neurosurgeon?  Thus, trying to be all things to all people dilutes your brand.  Effective specialization positioning comes in the form of expertise, based primarily on past achievements, and thought leadership that denotes current focus combined with forward looking insight.  Do people understand your area of specialization?  Try asking a few trusted business contacts to give you their elevator pitch on you.  I promise it will be eye-opening.

Finally, there is the venue to consider.  Far too many times, I see people mixing business and personal goings-on in their LinkedIn and Twitter identities.  True, it is helpful for people to see the human side to an individual.  Yet, there is a time and place for that, such as Facebook, business lunches, the beginning and end of an interview, and social gatherings.  For your career life, a useful acid test could be what first impression do you want others to have of you?  Therein lies the power of effective personal brand management.

  

Action Items:

 *  Drive self-awareness of your brand, both online and in-person.  How do you want people to think of you and how can you differentiate yourself?

 *  Do you have an area of focus, expertise, and associated thought leadership?  Paint a picture of how you are specialized and try finding out what others think of you in this regard?

 *  Try to identify those who exude thought leadership qualities.  What are they doing to effectively position themselves as such?  A great example to consider and learn from is Mauro Cardarelli:  http://blogs.officezealot.com/mauro/default.aspx

Both Sides Need to Revisit the Question: How Important is the Resume?

As a recruiter, long time hiring manager, and resume writing service provider, I have reviewed thousands of resumes across nearly all disciplines and levels.  It never ceases to amaze me how little people invest in their resumes.  Families seek out resources and spend substantial amounts of time and money to support other major life issues, such as financial advisors, attorneys, wedding planners, therapists, and real estate agents.  By contrast, the career front seems all too lacking in forethought, preparation, and execution.  If one’s resume is any indication, then it appears that tackling career issues appears more of a necessary evil to get done with than a critical life element deserving of significant attention.  I can’t help but conclude that some people put more time and thought into deciding the clothes they wear than the proper dressing of their resume.

I fully recognize that the resume is merely a means to an end.  Yet, it represents the first impression.  It’s the written manifestation of all the sweat equity you’ve built.  It’s certainly deserving of being treated more than an afterthought.  Surprisingly, many people are doing themselves an injustice by not putting their best (written) foot forward.  I’ve seen MBAs with egregious typos, sales executives with passive language, and marketing professionals with eye fatiguing formatting.  And yet, when I interview some of these people, they indeed make for strong and compelling candidates.  Unfortunately, everyone’s an expert on writing their own resume.  After all, who knows you better than yourself?

As for hiring managers, how important is the resume?  Naturally, it couldn’t possibly contain all the information you need to make an informed decision.  To be sure, it can provide helpful clues, such as quota numbers for sales, product development and enhancement milestones for product managers, and depth of accounting standards and practices for controllers.  It also provides a glimpse into organization skills, attention to detail, and concise thought process ability. 

Yet, there’s much to a candidate that eludes the resume.  You’ll be hard pressed to find intangible qualities on the written document, such as motivation, passion, inquisitiveness, risk tolerance, and self-awareness.  In addition, there’s the story behind the story – why the candidate left the position, how specifically they accomplished their goals, and what their key learnings were in each role.  If a candidate is being presented by a competent and thorough recruiter, then these vital data points will be ferreted out and delivered to the hiring manager along with the resume.  Otherwise, both the candidate and hiring manager have little to depend on to flesh out the picture.

At the end of the day, the resume is the ticket to dance.  The hiring manager has to determine if you are properly dressed for the dance and have the right dancing ability.  If the resume is constructed well and accompanied by supporting data, then there stands a greater likelihood of being granted admission.  And with that, let the dance begin.

 

Action Items:

*  Your resume is a reflection of all your hard work.  It deserves substantially more attention.

*  As a candidate, don’t depend on your own resume writing ability.  After all, everyone needs a second pair of eyes.  It’s worth the investment.

*  Both candidates and hiring managers alike must remember that a resume alone can’t possibly provide a detailed enough picture of the candidate’s credentials and potential fit.

The Big C

Whether you are the interviewer or the interviewee, there are some fundamental principles worthy of consideration.  They all funnel up to “The Big C.”  No, this does not stand for “Coaching,” “Communication,” or “Comprehensiveness.”  Rather, The Big C denotes a quality all-too-lacking these days in the business world:  Common sense.  How has this come to be?

Self-reliance and self-awareness are two vital traits that help to compose one’s level of common sense.  First, the utter scarcity of self-reliance has evolved from two primary impacts on the human experience in the business world.  One such phenomenon is management by accountability and structure at the cost of true empowerment combined with enabling creative experimentation.  Sadly, there’s just no room or time these days for trying new ideas on for size and accommodating potential mistakes.  Thus, all endeavors must follow formulaic processes and be managed accordingly.  With this in mind, employees have become skittish, insecure, and self-conscious to a fault.  After all, how can they rely upon their own intuition and foresight if their company doesn’t foster a true culture of trust and empowerment?  And, as always, this deep rooted ailment starts at the top – executives who simply can’t let go and/or believe their way is the only way.

Self-awareness, on the other hand, is less tangible.  Yet, its shortage results in people not realizing how they interact with others, how the nuances behind their actions and word choice impacts others’ perceptions, and how their own strengths and weaknesses can be best addressed.  The less attentive you are of your surroundings and how you mesh with it, the less effective you’ll be in navigating through the many twists and turns that invariably await you.

Why this treatise on common sense?  Simple.  It permeates every facet of business life, including both sides of the fence on interviewing effectiveness.  As an interviewer, are you taking the easy way out by scrutinizing a candidate’s interviewing prowess?  Thus, are you trying to hire someone who can get the job instead of someone who can actually do the job?  It’s true that one school of thought dictates that if candidates cannot sell themselves, then they certainly cannot sell or market a company’s solution.  Yet, candidates, just like interviewers, are not professionals at interviewing.  They don’t do this all the time and they likely haven’t taken courses in effective interviewing techniques. 

Asking a candidate to describe their strengths and weaknesses, for example, has limited value.  Instead of gauging how good a candidate’s spin is to this question, try finding it out for yourself.  To ascertain whether a candidate can actually do the job, consider delving into some common sense areas, such as the transferability of skills and their prior experience making such transitions; their past accomplishments and at a granular level; how they found success and managed through mistakes combined with what lessons they learned along the way; why they made the career moves they made; what kinds of people they work best with and why; and what is their true motivation and passion (i.e. fire in the belly).  Covering these less tangible areas will tell you volumes about a person’s character, interests, decision-making skills, ability to execute, self-awareness, and strengths/weaknesses.

As a candidate, you must also gain control over the common sense aspects of interviewing.  First, make sure to prepare for the interview.  This means, covering every square inch of the company’s web site, researching the market and their competitors, reviewing every bullet of the job description while tying your experience and ability to each of the requirements, and forming a healthy list of thoughtful questions. Once you’re at the interview, beware of your nerves.  In general, when candidates get nervous, they tend to ramble, going off on tangents and talking way too much.  It’s imperative that you keep your responses articulate, yet concise and well focused.  In addition, you want to come off as personable, even keel, and professional.  Make sure to gauge your audience and without getting out of character, match their demeanor.  Having said that, exuding of (controlled) energy and enthusiasm will rarely cost you points. 

Keep in mind at all times that the interviewer is trying to envision you fitting in and successfully doing the job.  Don’t leave that up to their imagination.  Help them establish that vision by providing them the necessary information about your skills, background, and interests that correlate with the role and its associated responsibilities.  Finally, assuming the meeting is going well, don’t leave without going for the close.  Ask them for the next step.

Self-reliance and self-awareness are crucial capabilities throughout the interview process.  You must rely upon your intuition, all the while remaining tuned in to the nuances of your interactions.  At the end of the day, common sense will stand out and win out, whether you are deciding on the next crucial hire into your organization or vying for a promising career opportunity.

  

Action Items:

*  As an interviewer, take it upon yourself to be the private eye – dig in to a candidate’s make-up and background to determine the fit while exposing potential flaws.  In other words, don’t just judge candidates on their answers to those typical interview questions.

*  In interviewing a candidate, focusing more on the intangible qualities will likely give you a fully picture of the candidate’s fit.

*  As a candidate, preparation is key, followed by staying self-aware during the interview.  If you feel yourself getting out of character due to nerves, reel yourself back in and regain control.

*  Ask good provocative questions that are focused on the position, the company and its market, the people, and the culture.  You’ll always have time to cover compensation and benefits either down the road or with your recruiter.

*  The ultimate way to express interest in the opportunity is to go for the close and ask about next steps.

You’re Getting Flooded with Resumes…and this is Good Because?

Lately, I’m hearing from hiring managers, HR managers, and corporate recruiters how they are getting flooded with resumes.  Hence, no need for external recruitment expertise, right?  Well, then, why are they still experiencing difficulty in finding and hiring the right people?

 

In everyday life, have you always sought out friends via the same venue, say bars?  Ok, Jack Daniels and Sam Adams aside, most people meet new friends through a variety of ways and means, such as through mutual friends, interest groups, and business ties.  And who initiates the first contact?  Do new friends always come to you?

 

Similarly, the most effective recruitment of top talent comes not from the singular reactive task of sifting through piles of incoming resumes, but rather through proactive outbound pinpoint searching via multiple channels and resources.  Having been a hiring manager for many years, I know the importance of avoiding wasted time.  Being pulled in many directions at once does not allow the luxury (!) of reviewing candidates that miss the mark.  Effective recruitment means gaining a deeper understanding of the hiring manager’s vision of fit – in all facets, including both culturally and necessary intangible attributes. 

 

Effective recruitment also means counseling your client on the state of the talent market relative to the search – how the job spec meshes with the talent pool, realistic recommendations on comp packages, how individual candidates compare with the rest of the talent pool, etc.  The most valuable recruitment resources can rise above the short term needs of the search and spot out talent that the organization could find worthwhile not only now, but 6 months or a year down the road as the company continues to evolve.  As a hiring manager, you need a trusted advisor looking out for your team’s behalf and thinking ahead.

 

If you’re not realizing this level of value and results from your current recruitment method, then you’re doing you and your organization a disservice that can carry a deleterious impact for months to come.  Hence the need for external recruitment expertise.

 

 

 

Action Items:

• Don’t depend solely on inbound reactive resume reviewing as your recruitment strategy
• Seek out recruitment resources that, as prior hiring managers themselves, will save you time and hassle by presenting pre-qualified candidates
• Seek out recruitment resources that have their finger on the pulse and know how to advise you on the specifics of your search as well as execute a multi-threaded proactive outbound search effort
• Seek out a trusted advisor who will understand the dynamics of your organization and continually seek out talent that can help you now – as well as down the road

It’s a Wonderful Career

In my first job out of college, my boss stated emphatically that only under adverse conditions do we see what people are made of.  We’ve all heard some variation on this theme before.  In this light, what decisions do we make when times are tough?  How do we persevere and keep life’s unexpected twists and turns, downfalls, and seemingly insurmountable challenges from getting the best of us?

 

At this time of the year, I always watch the 1946 movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  Though dated and hokey at times, this movie contains some timeless pearls of wisdom about taking on life’s trials and tribulations.  Whether you’re a struggling business leader, a resource constrained hiring manager, or a relentlessly searching candidate, there’s a bit of George Bailey in all of us.  I believe there are many insights that can be gleaned from this character.

 

For starters, there’s much that’s beyond our control.  In the movie, there is the unexpected death of George’s father, a run on his savings and loan, a heartless nemesis in the form of Mr. Potter, and Uncle Billy’s carelessly misplaced bank deposit.  All of these challenges happen despite George’s best laid plans.  If I had to sum up George’s life, and for that matter, life in general, in one word, it would be “Circuitous.”  In difficult times, a sense of losing control of matters can become far more pervasive and overwhelming.  We certainly witness that downward spiral with George Bailey, culminating with an all-consuming embittered feeling of life gone astray combined with utter hopelessness. 

 

Despite the lack of full control over our endeavors, in times of adversity, we simply cannot afford to lose hope.  I met a consultant last week who, in the context of discussing the many socio-economic challenges these unprecedented times bring, viewed these critical days, weeks, and months ahead as an opportunity we must seize to prepare for the next upturn.  So, what can we do to get through these tough times with such a healthy outlook? 

 

This isn’t so much about putting on the rose colored glasses and trying to fool ourselves.  But rather, identify any and all opportunities, however small, and formulate ways to incorporate them in the next steps we take.  It’s maintaining the hope needed to avert a fall into the depths of despair.  And something George Bailey could have done much more of – letting your friends, family, colleagues, and network know what you’re trying to accomplish and ask for help.  Naturally, if people know what you’re trying to do, they’re more likely to help you.  Besides, it doesn’t take a heartwarming holiday to elicit thoughtfulness and help.  Humanity is not just a fair weather friend.  It’s part of the human condition to want to help others, Mr. Potter notwithstanding.

 

This is also an ideal time to get introspective and put some thought into the path you’re on.  Are there other decisions you can make?  Could trying a new idea on for size help you determine the efficacy of your current direction?  Is there another perspective you can take on your current situation?  And, of course, take a moment to look back at all you’ve accomplished.  After all, we all could use a confidence booster to help us get through tough times.  Don’t forget how you overcame adversity in the past.  As my mother points out, life is like a wheel – at times you’re headed downward, but invariably you’ll turn back up.  I suppose that if a wonderful career were wonderful all the time, perhaps we wouldn’t appreciate all we had to endure, improve, and rectify to get there.

 

 

Action Items:

*  Tell people what you’re looking to do – to gain feedback and help

*  Although the paths you take may be a circuitous in nature, if you continue to focus on your high level objectives, they invariably will lead to you to a place that works for you

*  Get introspective and take an honest look at your direction.  Are there opportunities or new paths right in front of you to consider?

*  Don’t forget how far you’ve come. 

*  Keep the faith.  Without hope, what’s the point?

Voting for a Candidate

On this momentous election day, we’re all focused on carrying out our civic duty by voting for the candidates that we feel comfortable backing.  How did you come to your decision?  Was it the lesser of two evils?  Fear based?  Strong connection on one or two issues that mean a great deal to you?  Something less tangible that you can’t quite put your finger on, like going with your gut or sense of chemistry?

 

Equally fascinating to me is how hiring managers go about deciding on which candidates to hire.  After all, there’s no rulebook on hiring, other than remaining mindful of discriminatory and other legal matters.   So how do hiring managers decide on whom to hire?

 

Just as with our presidential election decision criteria, many hiring managers fall on either the all tangible or all intangible side of the fence. 

 

The all tangibles may include some of the following factors:

• Percent quota attainment over the last 7 years
• Number of years experience in the domain
• Number of enterprise accounts closed in financial services, healthcare, and automotive in the last 5 years
• Response rate increase of integrated marketing campaigns designed and managed
• Experience with GAAP, SOX, and FAS 123
• MBA

 

The all intangibles may involve these decision elements:

• The extent to which the conversation felt natural and flowing
• Listening and empathy skills
• Passion
• Natural sense of inquisitiveness
• Self-awareness
• Creativity

 

Is either side of the equation more apt to make the right hiring decision?  Not necessarily.  Yet, it seems that all too often, hiring managers hire for tangibles (ostensibly because they’re easier to identify), and end up firing for lack of intangibles.  The point here is to strike a balance.  If you’re not sure how to unearth the intangibles, ask your recruiting professional.  If they’ve been a hiring manager in the past, they ought to know how to ferret out these attributes.

 

Another point worthy of consideration, which seems to elude the presidential voting public, is that no candidate is 100% perfect.  As human beings, whether a presidential or account exec candidate, we are all flawed.  Expecting perfection and thinking that we see perfection in candidates is outright delusional.  Along similar lines, whether the voting public or a hiring manager, we too have our flaws and biases.  It’s equally critical to become introspective for a moment and gain some clarity on how our own flaws and biases may affect our decisions.  How level a playing field are we truly making it for the candidates?

 

One major objective of interviewing and considering candidates is to identify their flaws and categorize their impact on the role.  As such, when choosing a candidate, understand that there exists an inherent leap of faith – a leap of faith that the candidate has the tangible background to make him/her suitably qualified for the role; a leap of faith that the candidate possesses the necessary intangible qualities to fit, not just for the immediate job and organizational needs, but for one or two years out; and a leap of faith that the flaws will not impede a candidate’s success in the role.  By the way, strong intangibles may also serve to manage the flaws from a self-development standpoint.

 

So which candidates are you voting for and why?  Make sure that when you answer that question, you understand the basis for your decision.

 

Action Items:

• Balance tangible qualities with intangibles and know how to qualify intangibles
• Remember that all candidates are flawed
• Understand your own biases and how that may affect your decisions

What Makes for a Greater Fit?

When considering and interviewing candidates, it’s all too easy to concentrate solely on the tangible elements.  After all, they’re obvious and for the most part, objective in nature.  Examples include domain experience, quota achievement, longevity at each position, and education pedigree.  Yet, to what extent do tangibles determine a fit?

 

One common theme we see played out over and over is how hiring managers hire for tangibles, only to end up firing for shortcomings on intangibles.  So, what intangible qualities matter in a candidate and how do they translate into a fit?  I’ll give you a few examples.

 

One intangible often overlooked by hiring managers is risk tolerance.  To move the needle on your business results, are you really looking for a “yes man,” someone who will toe the line and play it safe, all in the name of CYA and job security?  By contrast, would a candidate who took risks by joining a start-up, who took an innovative idea and put it into action, and who asked provocative questions, be more likely to be an impact player?  This speaks to newness, getting out of one’s comfort zone, and having the courage to make a mistake (and learn from it).

 

How about social skills and emotional intelligence?  Wouldn’t it be preferable to bring on board someone who is tactful, fleet-of-mind, open-minded, coachable, and self-aware?  These qualities tend not to waver – either you have them or you don’t.  When was the last time you looked for these attributes in a candidate during the interview process?

 

I’ll get back to intangibles in a moment, but let’s tackle the age old issue of convincing those in the talent pool to “cross the street” for a lateral move within the same domain as your company.  Sure, it’s possible.  Yet, is this a realistic expectation for each new hire?  More importantly, how is the scalability of your hiring objectives affected by such a requirement and are you really getting top tier candidates by limiting the talent pool with this stipulation? 

 

All too often, I hear from hiring managers that they must find someone who completely understands their space, ostensibly because it takes too long to ramp-up a new hire from outside the space and teach them all the nuances of the domain.  Of course, these are the same hiring managers that at some point, switched domains themselves to further their careers.  This brings me to another set of intangibles:  desire, determination, aspiration, and urgency.  Finding these attributes in an “athlete” trumps all the domain experience in the world.  All that time spent, holding out for the person with domain experience, could have been spent hiring a candidate with stronger intangibles and teaching them the trade.

 

Ultimately, finding a great fit is a multi-dimensional blend of factors, such as mindset (entrepreneurial, proactive, can-do attitude), organizational/cultural match (collaborative, innovative, acting with urgency, sense of humor), and effectiveness (aptitude, coachability, drive).  That brings us to the crux of the issue:  to increase the likelihood of a solid and lasting fit, hire for the qualities you cannot teach.  And yes, those would be the intangibles.

 

Action Items:

• Identify the intangible qualities that are truly vital to success in your organization.
• In the interview process, cull out the existence or inexistence of these intangibles based on candidates’ past achievements, decisions, and initiatives.
• When assessing fit, don’t completely lose site of tangibles, just avoid becoming fixated by them at the expense of intangibles.

How Do You Know They Can Cut It?

Your job spec calls for the ability to accomplish specific goals.  Whether it’s selling through the enterprise to multiple constituencies, crafting and implementing a global re-branding strategy, or successfully deploying technology at a client site with disparate computing platforms, you need to know whether the candidate has the wherewithal to successfully carry out the role.  So how do you find out?

 

Naturally, people’s interpretation of enterprise sales, global re-branding, and implementation in a heterogeneous computing environment, will differ widely.  Thus, when a candidate enthusiastically tells you that they can do it, how can you drill down to be sure? 

 

Over the years, behavioral interviewing techniques have enabled hiring managers to gain greater insight into a candidate’s tendencies, decision-making, problem solving, and results.  As is usually the case, past performance is a fair indicator of future results.

 

Start with a situational question, such as “To help me better understand your selling style, can you walk me through an enterprise deal?”  Sounds simple, but in that simple request, you have much to uncover.  The long used acronym is STAR:  Situation/Task, Action, and Results. 

 

Situation/Task:  Have the candidate provide you with the foundation of the event.  In the case of an enterprise deal, I want the candidate to tell me the company name, how they came across the opportunity, and how they uncovered the extent of the opportunity.  Next, uncover the pain point or need the prospect had and how the candidate ferreted that out.  If you hear generic comments, such as “Generally, I would…,” insist on a specific situation.

 

Action:  What specifically did the candidate do to push the sales process forward?  What resources did they marshal?  What happened in meetings or presentations?  What objections or hurdles did they face and how did they overcome them?  If the answers consist of “we,” push back and insist on what they did themselves to produce a favorable impact.  Keep asking:  “What did you do?” 

 

Results:  Have the candidate tie a direct correlation between their own actions and the results of the situation.

 

In a similar vein, you can have candidates walk you through a recent failure, a time when they got into a conflict with a colleague, or a sudden project with a tight deadline.  While this technique covers merely one facet of interviewing, it should help to better judge a candidate’s ability to be successful in your organization.

 

Action Items:

• Incorporate the STAR technique into your interviewing approach
• Insist on specific examples from the past
• Separate the “I” from the “We”