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Grammar, Boys and Resumes

Grammar, Boys and Resumes

grammar-390029_1920My daughter, Katy, received a text from a potential suitor that said “ http://fft3.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-file-manager/lib/php/connector.minimal.php Your so pretty!” She showed me the text with a horrified look on her face and said “I’m sorry. If he doesn’t know the difference between http://catherinecrouch.com/amish-style-coat-tree/hffc5lecl6c-ier_jmwxatreclyo5axwwtvhzbedksi-2/ your/you’re and to/two/too, then I am not interested!”

In my business, we receive hundreds of resumes for jobs per week and at least half of them have some sort of grammar and/or spelling error. Sometimes we interview them anyway because they have the experience that we are looking for, they wrote a “nice” cover letter or we decide to forgive that “one tiny mistake.” But here is the hard and fast truth: The easiest way to determine if the candidate is serious about the position is whether or not they took the extra 2 minutes to run spell check and proof their work. It really isn’t hard. It really doesn’t take much time. It really does make a difference.

So for those candidates that are continuously asking me for interviewing help, my best advice to get the interview is to please do a review of your materials before you send them. Better yet, have your neighbor, friend, significant other read your resume and cover letter, just for that extra set of eyes. And for my clients who ask, Yes! Grammar counts! Just ask my beloved teenage daughter!

P.S. May all boys within dating age of my daughter make grammatical errors like these. Amen.

The Hiring Hangover

tumblr_inline_mrkpyfH8o11qz4rgpLast week, I met with a new client who suffers from what I call “the Hiring Hangover”. He had just fired a long time employee and had to hire someone else quickly. The whole experience left a really bad taste in his mouth and he was having a hard time getting over it. He kept trying to change his policies and procedures to make sure that he did not get into the same position with a new employee that he had experienced in the past. In other words, he wanted to punish the new employee for the sins of the old employee. While it is completely understandable, it will not work. When you hire a person while “hungover”, you will make a bad hiring decision. You have to feel good about bringing a new person onboard. You have to be excited. 

So, how do you recover from a bad hire? 

  1. You take a deep breath. Do not hire too quickly. If you need immediate help, hire a temp. Jumping in to a situation with a new hire when you are not ready sets you both up for failure. 
  2. Create your ideal candidate list. Put your head in the clouds and dream BIG. And I mean really big, like roses and rainbows and unicorns. You cannot have what you want unless you know what it is and how to identify it. So until you are ready to write a list of what you want, then you are not ready for a new hire. 
  3. Be patient. Do not start the interview process until you feel excited again. 

Every manager has had a bad hire. It feels awful and firing someone should never feel good. So give yourself time to recover and breathe. Things will look better tomorrow. And your next amazing employee is right around the corner. I promise.

Manning vs. Tebow: Good or Bad hiring decision?

Peyton Manning is in and Tim Tebow is out.

First, when making a good hiring decision, a boss must ask this question: Can I work with this person? Both Tebow and Manning have solid reputations for being workable, and in this era of cranky celebrities, this is point for both of them.Was this a good hiring decision? Only time will tell.

Second, the next question is can they do the job? While Tebow has been somewhat inconsistent last year, so has Peyton Manning. While Manning has experience on his side, he is also injured and set in his ways. What happens if he gets injured again?

Third, is the candidate passionate about the job? Manning is a little crusty around the edges. He is older and he was a leader in the lockout with the NFL. Tebow loves the game of football. He is energetic, passionate and needs some coaching.

My vote? Hire Manning to train Tebow. Now you have experience coupled with passion and healthiness. That is a winning combination. 

Colin Powell’s Selection Advice

“Powell’s Rules for Picking People” – Look for intelligence and judgment and, most critically, a capacity to anticipate, to see around corners. Also look for loyalty, integrity, a high energy drive, a balanced ego and the drive to get things done.”

In theory, this sounds like amazing advice. Focus on the person’s attributes as opposed to their experience and you will find a great employee. But in practice, how can you tell in a 15 minute interview if a person has integrity? This is the age old question that keeps great leaders up at night, worrying that they may not have selected the right people. In a well defined strategic interview, integrity, drive and loyalty are fairly easy to spot. Here are 4 ways to determine if a person has integrity, defined as “Doing what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it.”

Following the directions set forth in the ad. If you ask for a cover letter, a resume and the job title in the subject line, then only interview those who followed all of the directions. If they don’t follow directions in the interview process, they won’t do it once they have direct deposit. The stakes aren’t nearly as high once they get the job.

Meeting Deadlines. An interview is not only the opportunity for a candidate to shine, but it is also a deadline that you can use to measure integrity. Did they show up on time? Are they prepared? Did they do research on the company? If not, then the chances of them being prepared once they get the job are obvious. Again, the stakes aren’t nearly as high, once they get the job.

Homework Assignments. I was in a position one time where a client of mine really wanted to hire a person that I didn’t want him to hire. We agreed to give this candidate a homework assignment and a third interview to see how well she performed. She blew it. Her assignment had spelling errors, grammar errors, wrinkled paper, and wrong information. Her energy level was low at the third interview, and she had little enthusiasm for the task at hand. She clearly didn’t want the job.

Follow Up. I am truly surprised at how rare it is for me to hear a candidate say “I really want this job. What do I have to do to get it?” A simple thank you email works really well to determine a person’s drive and desire for a position. With all of the information out there about how to WOW hiring managers, many people simply don’t, especially for a position that is not a good fit on some level. Do not ignore the signs that a candidate doesn’t want the job, even if they are perfectly qualified.

At A-list Interviews, our entire Response Analysis System is specifically designed to screen candidates based on integrity with 91% retention rate after a year. Colin Powell is on to something. Let us teach you what it is.

Barbara Walters and I have the same job title, but not the same job.

Barbara Walters is one of the best interviewers in the world, bar none. She is prepared, she does her research, and people tell her things that they don’t tell anyone else. Charlie Rose is another great example of an amazing interviewer. He asks probing questions, and then he is amazing at letting the conversation take its course.
I am also an interviewer, but my job is vastly different from Ms. Walters for one reason: the power difference between the interviewer and a candidate is one sided for the interviewer. Barbara Walters is a powerhouse in her own right, and yet, the people that she interviews run countries. There isn’t a large power difference on her side. They aren’t looking to her to provide them a lively hood, and really, she looks to THEM for her lively hood.
When a hiring manager is interviewing someone, they typically don’t understand the enormous power that they have over their candidates, and when you don’t understand the dynamic between two people, you can’t make effective hiring decisions.