I had asked those of you with experience in interviewing and hiring new employees to send me any advice you could give me to pass along.  My students are particularly eager to learn what prospective employers are looking for in applicants in terms of skills, experience, and attitudes.  Here’s what I would like to be able to tell them:

· three things you look for in an applicant                                               · three things you don’t want to see in an applicant                                  · advice, tips, or suggestions for people entering the job market

There’s still time to send comments!  Again, thank you to everyone who already has sent me comments, and I look forward to hearing from more of you. Click here to send me an email.

He Leaps Out Of The Starting Gate, But He Has Trouble Crossing The Finish Line

Harry is caught in a syndrome that the Performance Profile can point to by comparing the “Big Picture Orientation” and “Organization, Structure and Planning” ratings.   If “Big Picture Orientation” is a “7” or higher AND “Organization, Structure and Planning” is a “4” or lower, then this individual is going to exhibit the same behavior that Harry does.  These people are very interested in the challenge of problems, and they are often creative and innovative in the solutions they devise, or the projects that they propose.  Once they understand, or “see,” a solution, however, it feels like a done deal to them.  They get their sense of closure from seeing and planning a solution, whereas people who do not have this syndrome are more likely to get the same sense of completion from completing each step of a task or project.

 It is not a matter of intention, because a person with this syndrome is often quite aware of it and starts out every time with the intention of seeing it through to completion.  His or her problem is that, once he “sees” the solution, it feels completed.

There Is A Way To Cope

Stay on him.  Don’t assume that, just because you have reminded Harry of Friday’s deadline, it will get done.  Work together to set up a series of check points for a project, and then follow through at every check point.  Don’t fall into the mental trap of thinking that, because you have covered the “completion problem” with your Harry, it won’t happen again.  This is a fundamental personality characteristic, and it won’t go away easily or permanently.  Be prepared to live with it.

I got an interesting call from a client the other day.   “Mary” originally completed the Performance Profile questionnaires as part of her application for the Chief Financial Officer’s position.  She was not selected for that position, but a few months later, the same client realized that she was an outstanding applicant for the newly vacant Chief Operating Officer position.  My client wanted to know whether the “Job Match” rating on her original Performance Profile Report would apply to the new job opening.

The answer is, generally, no.   When I review and interpret the Performance Profile questionnaire results, I assign the “Job Match” and “Potential for Growth” ratings in consideration of the specific position for which the person is being considered.  A different position might make quite different demands of the person who holds it, which could mean that a person who is an outstanding applicant for one kind of position may not have as much potential for a different position with different requirements.

If you want to change the position for which an applicant is being considered, call me so that we can talk it over.  As always, the more specific the information I have about the demands a job will make, the better my evaluation will be!

  · The person may have difficulty actually delegating tasks and responsibilities to others.  It just seems easier to this person to do it himself.

  · The person may have a strong tendency to micromanage others.  After all, this person essentially feels that others aren’t going to do a very good job on their own, and so he (or she) thinks it is necessary to watch over every little thing.

  · This person may tend to work alone, even when she is part of a work team, to such an extent that she doesn’t seem like a team player.  She may be a better individual contributor because she just doesn’t trust that the other members of the team are going to do their parts.

Any one of these three situations can lead to problems on the job.   When you see a low (“4” or less) Team Orientation rating on the Performance Profile Report, do a little probing in a follow-up interview by asking the following question:

How do you feel about the expression, ‘If you want the job done right, you have to do it yourself’?

What To Listen For:

You want to hear that the person has some self-awareness of their personal preference to go it alone, but nevertheless recognizes the necessity of delegating tasks to, and working cooperatively with, others.   People with a low Team Orientation rating can still be effective managers if they accept that their natural preference is not always productive, and train themselves to use it to hold people accountable after they have delegated tasks.

What You Don’t Want To Hear:

You don't want to hear your applicant agree enthusiastically that, by golly, he or she is the only person who can do things "right!"  The less self-awareness and flexibility that the applicant indicates, the more likely that you will watch this person burn out quickly trying to do everything alone, and run off good employees in the process.