You have probably heard that many hiring managers claim they can tell in an interview if the candidate is right for his/her organization at “the handshake.” Alas, I suspect it is true. I worked for a busy corporate vice president once who was very proud of the fact he could tell immediately if someone was “the one” we were looking for. If true, it is a shame, because I sense there is much more to a person than can be observed in the first five seconds with them. That said, we must accept for the moment that some number of managers make hiring decisions all too quickly, and now is the time to plot a strategy for beating them at their game.
As the job candidate, you must seek to control everything within your power and not worry about the rest. Following are some suggested behaviors everyone can control: (more…)
Archive for June, 2009
Be Ready-Some Jobs Must Be Won At the Handshake
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Your Resume Leadership Advantage
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009Picture this:
You are tasked with interviewing new college graduates for work in a “fast-track” manager training program. The job requires participants to work in each functional area of the company then be assigned to a position in operations. Most candidates are the “cream of the crop” with impressive academic credentials from top business schools. Each of them spent time abroad studying or traveling. They have excellent grades, a fine resume, speak intelligently, and present themselves with aplomb.
But one of the candidates is different from the others. He had “B” –level grades in college, went to a well-known but smaller university, and was employed full-time as a parking lot supervisor for a downtown professional sports stadium while attending school. He worked many nights and weekends, and had responsibility for hiring/managing as many as sixty people. On the strength of the information in this true story, should he be considered for the job?
Education Is Good, But What About Experience? (more…)
Measuring Selection Effectiveness Is Key
Friday, June 19th, 2009Alice: “Would you tell me which way I ought to go from here?”
Cheshire Cat: “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to!”
Alice: “I don’t much care where….”
Cheshire Cat “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”– From Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Unmeasured Hire Practices:
Competition for talent in key positions is fierce, even in these difficult economic times. In the past, many organizations preferred the flexibility and informality of unmeasured hiring practices. This approach was satisfactory provided the practices were executed effectively and administered with consistency. Experience has proven that in many cases unmeasured hiring processes perpetuate themselves and result in misunderstanding, inefficiency, and hiring the wrong people. (more…)
Finding the Best Professional Resume Writer
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009Job candidates in this economic recession are frequently turning to professional writers to create resumes that will attract the attention of employers. In today’s labor market, a good resume should help you land the right interview, for the right job, to start work sooner rather than later. With selected industries experiencing major shake-ups, like automotive, financial services, banking, real estate, and others, many people are finding job search time required to find a new position is much longer than in recent years. So why consider a professionally written resume? (more…)
Advice For New Managers – Understand The Players and Make Tangible Progress
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009To transform the total organization or their little part of it, new managers must gain the support of internal and external groups. This means identifying and understanding key players, recruiting support, making quick tangible progress, and creating momentum. (more…)
Advice For New Managers – Communicate and Cast a Vision
Thursday, June 4th, 2009New managers head straight for problems when they fail to communicate. Good communication involves sending a clear message about priorities, conveying important values, and clearly defining expectations. (more…)
Advice For New Managers – Build Your Team
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009Most new managers inherit a variety of employees, a few of whom perhaps they would not have chosen. Some will have the knowledge, skills, and ability needed to drive the business forward. Others will not. Some may have aspired to your job, perhaps even have been told in the past that the job was virtually theirs. Others may have hidden agendas because you represent a potential threat to their positions. Often, a new manager finds their “senior team” is less than they hoped for. (more…)