Two weeks ago, I had the following conversation with my daughter, Katy:
Katy: “I am posting your online dating profile tonight.”
Me (horrified): “WHY??:
Katy: “Because you aren’t getting any younger.”
Sigh.
After about a week, I had over 100 invitations to meet. Don’t get too excited: the one that chased me
the most was named Scooter and he was missing several teeth.
Those of you who haven’t been in the dating pool for awhile are probably wondering, how does this
experience relate to hiring? In a surprising number of ways, it is exactly the same. You create an Ideal
List for your next candidate/date with attributes, like honesty, integrity and bi-cuspids. You put together
a job/relationship description. You write your ad/profile. You wade though resumes/profiles. And then
you start interviewing/dating.
The key difference between dating and hiring is that in hiring someone for a job, you as the employer
have all the power. You dictate the criteria, the Ideal List, the interview process, the salary, the title, the
office/remote arrangement, and the job. Your potential employee has very little say in any of this until
they get hired.
In dating, the two people come together as equals, each with the ability to adjust to the needs of the
other. And this is a very big difference between dating and hiring.
And as far as Scooter with his missing incisors? Alas, we will not be meeting. I wish him the very best of
luck in his search.
Stay tuned!