Last
week, I had the pleasure of addressing a number of individuals at the St.
Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church Jobs Ministry. I took this opportunity to pull back the
curtain on the wizardry of the executive search process. Speaking on behalf (unsolicited) of all
headhunters, I outlined what headhunters look for in a candidate. While I am not sure all of my colleagues will
agree on every item, I am sure that all will agree that each item has a major
impact on whether or not a person will be considered a viable candidate for
further consideration.
Over
my career in the search business, I have met what seems to be hundreds of
thousands of candidates. In reality, it
certainly is in the thousands. My
observations contribute to the basis of my list. Since establishing my own firm, I also sit in
the sessions when my client (the hiring person) meets my candidate. The observations from actual interviews have
been invaluable in determining why many candidates do not continue in the
process. This experience forms the basis
for my list of what I look for in a candidate.
To the list we go.
1.
First
impression.
How
you appear as far as appropriate clothing choice, eye contact and a firm hand
shake may sound shallow, but you could be digging an unnecessary hole if you
neglect one of these. Bottom line is: Do
you look appear as though you fit the role?
2.
Engagement
During
the meeting, are you showing energy? Have you prepared by researching the
company and the role? Are you listening
to what is said and responding appropriately with questions or agreement?
3.
Communication
skills
Are
you able to speak in complete sentences, focus on the subject and convey your
thought in brief, cohesive answers?
4.
Presentation
of Case
Like
a litigator, can you present your experience and actual examples of performance
that support your candidacy?
5.
Accomplishment
I
am not looking for someone who has brought world peace to New York or cured
cancer. I am looking for someone who has
performed very well in his/her career and has been promoted based upon
accomplishment. Specific examples of
accomplishment are critical.
6.
Questions
Questions
are your friend. If you are engaged in
the interview, you should be asking questions about the company if for no
reason but to confirm what you have learned in research. Your questions provide great insight into how
you think. Voltaire said “Judge of a man by his questions rather than by his answers.” If you have no
questions, you are probably going home early in the process.
7.
Suitability
This
is a no brainer. Are you suited for the
job based upon your industry and experience?
8.
Decisiveness
I
personally look for a person who is capable of making a decision and can
provide examples of doing so. Too many
managers today are incapable of making timely decisions.
9.
Recoveries
Life
is a series of wins and losses. Your
decision-making abilities are judged by your win/loss ratio. In addition, I am very interested in your
losses and what you did in response. My
experience is that you learn far more from losses. What you do in response to a failure provides
insight into what you will do in tough times.
10.
A
sense of humor
Generally,
my client will be spending 40-plus hours each week with the successful
candidate. I look for a person who is
seeking to be successful and enjoy life. Humor is a great ingredient.
Each assignment I undertake will add one
or two additional criteria but all assignments include these benchmarks. While you don’t have to hit each one out of
the park, you cannot ignore any of them.
High scores on each of the criteria will greatly increase your chances
of success.
PS...
In a selfish plug of our book, From Interview Disaster to Interview Master,
during my presentation (Really, the book perfectly addressed at least two
questions during my presentation.), I noted that the book was available for $4
on Amazon in Kindle format. Some said
that they didn’t have a Kindle. I am
pleased to say, you don’t have to own a Kindle to take advantage of the
pricing. There is a Kindle app which is
free, that you can download to your PC/Mac which will allow you to take
advantage of the electronic publishing resource. It works for most if not all e-books.
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