| earlier article where I discussed the hiring of sales | | | | put off by the guy when he starts that |
| professionals, I stated that if you are a hiring | | | | laugh.” Seriously? What about the fact that |
| manager with a lot of “pet peeves” | | | | he’s been in your industry, calling on the |
| when it comes to other people and their personalities | | | | exact same prospects your company calls with a |
| then you need to be sure and take those factors | | | | verifiable, documented record of success (with the |
| into consideration when making a hiring decision. My | | | | W-2’s to back it up) for the last 8 years? |
| reasoning was that it’s usually the small, | | | | “Nah, let’s keep looking.” In |
| seemingly insignificant foxes that spoil the vines. | | | | hindsight, this really should not have come as a |
| Remember Rob Schneider from Saturday Night Live, | | | | surprise to me considering the fact that this particular |
| the annoying “Making copies!” geek? | | | | candidate’s disqualification was preceded by |
| (That five-minute sketch gets on my nerves--I | | | | candidates who were removed from consideration |
| can’t imagine listening to a guy like that on a | | | | due to the following reasons: lack of excitability, a |
| daily basis.) In personal relationships, those things you | | | | smoker’s cough, a presumptuous attitude, |
| thought were odd or funny (in an irritating sort of | | | | too technical, over-qualified, over zealousness and |
| way) about your mate when you first met can | | | | overly inquisitive. Eight candidates, each one highly |
| eventually become deal-breakers down the road. Until | | | | qualified and experienced; eight |
| recently, I didn’t see a lot of distinction | | | | eliminations—and not a single one based on the |
| between personal and professional relationships. | | | | candidate’s background or track record of |
| We’ve heard people say “Hey, | | | | performance. Had this been a contingent search I |
| nothing personal, it’s just business,” | | | | probably would have hung it up after the |
| meaning that I can screw you in the boardroom but | | | | “smoker’s cough” explanation, |
| afterwards we can go have few drinks, laugh it up | | | | but this was a retained search and throughout the |
| and you won’t hold it against me that I made | | | | entire process the client insisted he was anxious to fill |
| you look incompetent in order to cover my own | | | | the role. |
| backside (this pretty much sums up Donald | | | | As an outside recruiting consultant, I would like to |
| Trump’s “The Apprentice” in | | | | believe (or at least hope) that everyone involved in |
| case you’ve never watched it). Personally, | | | | the hiring and decision-making process has the best |
| my powers of “compartmentalization” | | | | interest of the company at heart and that |
| are not that advanced. I have a real problem being | | | | they’re not allowing their own personal |
| friends with someone I do not trust or respect. | | | | agendas to influence their decision. For example, if a |
| However, when making a hiring decision, should we | | | | retiring executive is involved in the process of |
| evaluate job candidates using the same set of criteria | | | | identifying his successor my hope is that he would |
| we use to determine whether or not we want to be | | | | want to see the most qualified candidate in the job, |
| friends with someone? If we’re talking about | | | | not the one that’s going to make everyone |
| trust and respect, then absolutely--without question, | | | | in the company long for the days of the old regime. |
| but my experience in the recruiting industry has | | | | And while this was not the situation with the client |
| shown that all too often candidates are being | | | | just described, the fact remains that this particular |
| eliminated and even worse, considered for positions | | | | hiring manager bypassed numerous potentially |
| based on the hiring manager’s insignificant, | | | | valuable employees because he placed his own |
| personal biases. | | | | personal biases ahead of the company’s |
| When I think back to the handful of employees that | | | | objectives. I’ve talked to recruiters and hiring |
| have been terminated at our firm over the years, | | | | managers alike that say they can determine whether |
| what stands out in my mind are those characteristics | | | | or not a candidate is a good fit for a particular |
| that bothered me when we first met: the weird | | | | position in the first five minutes of the face-to-face |
| sense of humor, the lack of eye contact, the liberal | | | | interview. |
| interpretation of “business casual.” | | | | That may be true if the candidate’s resume |
| Surprisingly enough, none of those factors weighed in | | | | does not indicate a documented track record of |
| my decision to fire them; it simply came down to | | | | success that would lend itself to the new position. So |
| performance issues (or lack thereof). Now it could be | | | | whatever criteria the hiring manager/recruiter is using |
| argued that those small “personality | | | | to evaluate the candidate against in those first five |
| flaws” (according to me) were the warning | | | | (apparently insightful) minutes doesn’t make a |
| signs of future behavior. But I now realize that | | | | difference to begin with. The interview itself was not |
| ignoring my gut instinct was not what led to the | | | | warranted, so why did the hiring manager/recruiter |
| error in judgment. The bad hiring decisions were | | | | even bother conducting the interview in the first |
| made because I chose to overlook the lack of | | | | place? It’s most likely due to the fact that |
| documented experience and chose not to thoroughly | | | | they are overlooking the lack of experience (possibly |
| investigate their track record simply because I was | | | | due to lack of available, qualified candidates) in the |
| desperate to fill the position. On the other hand | | | | hopes they’ll find someone with whom they |
| I’ve hired and worked alongside many | | | | immediately establish rapport and will feel confident |
| individuals over the years that have excelled in their | | | | that the candidate’s personality and |
| positions and we’ve not had to be the best | | | | enthusiasm will make up for their lack of firsthand |
| of friends for them to do so. | | | | experience. Is it possible to find successful, long-term |
| During a recent, exhaustive search for a Business | | | | employees using this system of evaluation? Sure, |
| Development Manager, a client eliminated a highly | | | | anything is possible, but if we’re playing the |
| qualified candidate because he had, and I quote, | | | | percentages you stand a significantly better chance |
| “an uncomfortable laugh.” What | | | | of securing a valuable, high-performing team member |
| exactly is an uncomfortable laugh, I asked (I | | | | by focusing your attention on their history of |
| didn’t recall “endearing laugh” | | | | accomplishments rather than questioning their choice |
| as being part of the original job description). | | | | of black slacks with navy blue socks. |
| “Nice guy, but I can foresee our clients being | | | | |