What Hiring Managers Really Look For

By selecting this article for today’s Tuesday Reading, I’m not suggesting that you should be out looking for a job.  Rather, given the author, Steve Tobak, who has extensive experience on both sides of the hiring desk, I thought that his piece “What Hiring Managers Really Look For” was excellent advice for the hiring manager.

So, translating his advice to the hiring manager’s side of the desk:

1.  What’s your gut reaction to the candidate?  Presence?  Does he/she look you in the eye?  Is there good chemistry?

2.  Does she meet the job spec?  Does the candidate have the skills and competencies necessary for the position?

3.  Is the flesh-and-blood candidate who you expected based on the resume you received?

4.  Is the candidate’s experience relevant to the open position?

5.  Is he smart?  How does he think and problem solve?  Give him a real scenario to work through to give you the info you need.

6.  What her personality like?  What kind of person is he?  Can-do attitude?  Or, a sense of entitlement?  Strong work ethic?  Can she handle responsibility?  How does she hold herself accountable?

7.  Does he get along with others?  A loner?  Team player?  Easily irritated?  Listener?  Etc.

8.  Are you like-minded?  While it’s not necessarily logical, we do look for people who have characteristics we value and pass by those we find grate our sensitivities.  Keep your mind open for differences that can actually improve your team.  But, as they say, don’t buy trouble.

Dust off your competency based interviewing skills and you will have the tools to dig out the details you need to understand the candidates skills and competencies.

Good hunting.  

….jim

Authors @ Google – <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_KxrFGhV5E>