by Beth | Feb 28, 2024 | Selecting Good Candidates
I am working with a client who is seeking a high-level executive. We received an application from a woman who wasn’t qualified for this particular position, but she was highly qualified for another opportunity within the company. The problem was that the salary for the position she qualified for was about 30k less. I called her to discuss the new opportunity, and I very clearly pointed out the difference in annual salary. She was in!
She interviewed with us 4 different times: the phone, 2 via zoom, and 1 in-person. She completed 3 different assignments, and she nailed the interviews. My client was very excited and made her an offer at the TOP of the range that we posted for that lower position.
5 days later, she requested 35k more than the offer.
In other words, she requested the salary from the original job that she applied for but ultimately wasn’t qualified.
My client called me to discuss this, because he had to cut her loose. Paying her that much would have thrown off the comp structure for his whole organization. But did we miss something?
Yes, we did. She never applied for the position that we considered her for. However, I still believe the risk in redirecting her was worth the potential reward. Why?
Because my client did something that REALLY good CEO’s do: he tried to take the opportunity and turn it into a win. He saw a highly talented person and tried to put her in a place that she ultimately didn’t want to be. It took us a while to figure this out.
I am proud of my client for taking a chance. Who knows? It could have worked out. And, when an applicant applies for a position and you offer them another one, make sure that the salaries are comparable. You will have a much better chance of success.
POWER THOUGHT: Pay attention to the position for which the applicant is applying. Maybe your round peg ends up being square after all.
by Beth | Jul 12, 2023 | Employee Hiring, Selecting Good Candidates
A client of mine called last week. He needed help deciding between two candidates. We walked through the interviews and his notes, and there was a clear winner when we talked it through. He was very excited about offering the job to the top candidate. His next comment, however, totally baffled me.
“I will wait to let the other candidate know after this one has accepted the offer.”
“Why?” I asked, incredulously.
“In case, they don’t accept. You know the saying: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
I paused for a minute.
He is right from a conventional wisdom standpoint, but when it comes to hiring, what if the bird in the hand is the wrong bird? Are you really going to hire someone that is clearly your second choice?
Many of my clients think this way: that somehow hiring a second choice will still be a great hiring decision. It isn’t, though. The new hire will act like the second choice (because they were), you will treat them like the second choice (because they were), and you will ultimately fire them because they were your second choice.
If for some reason your top candidate doesn’t accept the position, your job is to figure out why, fix that issue, then start over with a brand new candidate pool.
As it turned out, the top candidate did accept the position, and all is well on the home front.
POWER THOUGHT: When it comes to hiring, a bird in the hand only counts if it is the right bird.
by Beth | Dec 14, 2022 | Employee Hiring, Interview Process, Interview Techniques, Selecting Good Candidates
Over the Thanksgiving holiday a few years ago, my daughter and I were listening to the radio. A song came on that we both love. I began belting out the tune at the top of my lungs and sang along to the chorus of the Zac Brown Band song. I sang “Long Gone” along in perfect pitch (to me at least). My kid laughed uproariously. “MOM”, she yelled, “Those aren’t the words!” I said, “Yes they are!” She giggled “No, really. It’s not ‘Long Gone’. It’s ‘Home Grown’!” She had to Google it for me to believe her.
This misunderstanding happens in interviews for new employees all the time. Someone on the interview team will recount what the candidate said and someone else will have heard the words from the person completely differently. The very first step in the analysis of an interview for the hiring team is to agree to what the candidate actually said. The candidate’s choice of words that they used are very important. For example, “My boss is really great to work with”. Did they really say “with”? Are you sure they didn’t say “My boss is really great to work ‘for’”? That simple word changes the entire meaning of the sentence as well as the intent of the comment. The word “with” denotes that the candidate doesn’t acknowledge their bosses’ authority, and if they don’t acknowledge it in the interview, they really won’t when they have direct deposit.
I talk about listening to the exact words all the time to my clients to ensure they get to hire someone who will fit with the company culture, leadership style and even the position itself. If you are not paying attention, you can miss something important in an interview which can lead to a bad hire. You can also really embarrass yourself in front of your beloved daughter.
POWER THOUGHT: Did you really hear what you thought you heard?
by Beth | Sep 15, 2021 | Employee Hiring, Selecting Good Candidates
Several years ago, our family fostered a Boxer dog named Helen. She was blind in one eye and was considered aggressive. Therefore, she couldn’t be around other animals or children. Then, she blew out her knee and had to have it replaced. As we were rehabilitating that knee, the other knee blew out and it had to be replaced.
As a foster family, it was our job to come up with an Ideal List for Helen’s furever home. I really struggled with this one. How were we EVER going to find someone who was going to adopt a dog that had 2 replaced knees, who was blind in one eye, who didn’t get along with other animals, and who shouldn’t be around children? It seemed so daunting to even think about it.
Sound familiar?
Every client that I work with tells me that their position is going to be really hard, because they are looking for someone “really unique.” Their job is going to be so hard to fill, because they are looking for a unicorn. But really, the hardest part of a search is being patient. You have to wait for the right fit to come along, and in the world of “I must have it right now”, patience is in short supply.
Lo and behold, we found the perfect home for our beloved Helen, and she lived out her days with a family that thought she hung the moon.
You too can find your amazing new hire. It isn’t as ruff as you think.
Power Thought: It is a dog-eat-dog world out there. But with patience, you too can find your amazing hire!
by Beth | Mar 17, 2021 | Employee Hiring, Selecting Good Candidates
I graduated from college before the internet. (I am totally dating myself here!) I put on my panty hose (barf), printed my short resume on good quality paper, and drove to company #1 to see if I could talk to someone about getting a job. Then, I drove to company #2 and did the same thing. If I went to 5 or 6 companies per day, it was a good day! In other words, I had to be strategic about applying for jobs.
In this day and age, you can apply for 100 jobs on a Sunday morning in your favorite p.j.’s and fuzzy bunny slippers. There is no strategy required on the candidate’s part.
Last week, one of my favorite people on the planet called to me to ask me “How do I stop waiters from applying to my high-level job?”
The short answer is “you can’t”.
Quit worrying about what you can’t control and start working on what you CAN control.
Write a job ad that gets folks excited about the opportunity that you are offering. Start with your mission statement. Talk about the required soft and hard skills. Keep the ad short and concise. And end your ad with an invitation to apply. “We look forward to hearing from you!”
Focus on your Ideal candidate and hold out until they show up. And they WILL show up. I promise.
order Pregabalin overnight Power thought:
“Do your work, then let it go.”
– The Tao Te Ching
by Beth | Feb 17, 2021 | Employee Hiring, Selecting Good Candidates
I love Grape Nuts. I mean, I LOVE them! I have been eating them for over half my life. They are so VERSATILE! I eat them with fruit, with yogurt, with fruit and yogurt, with a little milk at night before bed. Swipe some almond butter on a banana and dip it into a bowl of Grape Nuts and eat it. YUM!
In early December, I noticed that I was getting low. When I went to Safeway to buy some more, they didn’t have any. They didn’t have any the next week either. Sprouts didn’t have any, nor do they carry them at all. When I asked the woman at the counter, she said haughtily “That is a POST product. We don’t carry any of Post products.” Ok then.
By January, I was getting really desperate, so I visited my trusted friend, Amazon. They had some. 2 boxes for $20.00 and an extra $10.00 for shipping. I am not doing that. The next week, no Grape Nuts at Safeway, and the online price was now $60.00!!! Are you KIDDING me? And I am not the only one to notice: read here.
The problem was that at this point, I was actually considering it! I told myself that I would skip Happy Hour that week and buy the damn Grape Nuts.
UGH…
On Monday, I sashayed into Safeway, and there on the shelf like a beacon of light was 2 boxes of Grape Nuts. The angels wept and the choir sang. I bought both of those bad boys for a whopping $4.99 a box, saved myself $50.00 and I didn’t have to skip Happy Hour.
SCORE!
When you are searching for your right candidate, you have felt like I did about my Grape Nuts. You look and look. You “post” your job ad on Indeed.com, on Linked In, on Monster… anywhere that you think might have your person. You are desperate. You start to get a tightness in your chest. Did they quit making my beloved Grape Nuts? Is there a WAR on Talent??
And then, when you least expect it, your prayers are answered… a gift from the Hiring Gods… or in my case, the cereal makers.
http://ifcus.org/doc.php Power thought: I want you to be a “cereal” interviewer, not a “cereal” hirer. Hold out! Be patient. Your dream hire is coming!
