Much easier said than done.
I have been interviewing for
over 10 years and I am absolutely fascinated by people. In particular I am
fascinated by the fact that many people are good while there is a small
percentage that are simply extraordinary. You can meet 4 great people in
a row and then as soon as that special number 5 walks in your energy level
jumps up 10 notches, you build rapport super-fast and you automatically find yourself selling an opportunity instead of waiting for the candidate to sell
him/herself to you. You smile, you laugh and you enjoy the interaction
entirely. You come out of that meeting feeling like you are ready to just take
off and run around the block (if only I actually did this more often but
somehow the Thai lunch special down the road always seems to have a stronger
lure).
We've all been there and I
thought this might be a great opportunity to further explore 2 areas of
interest here -
1. What are
some of the traits and behaviours that extraordinary people share?
2. What are
some of the signs (during and after the interview) that confirm you have indeed
recognised quality talent and have not been swept away by salesmanship and
false-perception?
I certainly don't have all the
answers. It is a lifelong work in progress for me but here are some of my
thoughts..
Common traits of quality
individuals
- They listen
more than they speak - and when they speak they articulate their story
with pinpoint accuracy and don't waste words (especially the big ones that
nobody understands anyway..)
- They ask loads
of intelligent questions - prepared and spontaneous
- You can't help
but get drawn in by their enthusiasm - it's contagious
- When they smile
they sparkle - and they smile a lot!
- They exude
confidence and self-awareness - but they do so in a very humble way -
never with arrogance
- Their body
language allows you to catch a glimpse of their character - are they
poised and in control or are they clumsy and anxious?
- They take pride
in their appearance - it's a matter of self-respect and respect for others
- They are always
punctual - in fact they usually arrive a little early
- They are open
minded - always willing and able to discuss different options and welcome
different schools of thought
- They are positive and easy going - never abrasive
Checklist for confirming your hunch
- They come prepared! They have done their research into the organisation and responsibilities
of the role. They may have even spoken to a few people that currently work
in the organisation. They are clear about what they can offer in the role
- They don't tend
to move from job to job every 6 months and tend to show a clear
progression path within their work history
- They have no
issues openly discussing the reasons for why they left previous roles for
others - and these reasons are sound, verifiable and intelligent
- They have solid
and meaningful reasons for wanting to explore other career options - money
is sometimes part of the reason but it rarely the sole reason
- They usually
have a strong idea of where they want to be - not necessarily in terms of
exact time frame but in terms of an identified and strategic career path
- It is easy for
them to talk in depth about their philosophies towards building strong
rapport, providing strong customer service, managing expectations and
priorities effectively
- If asked to
provide further information after the meeting they do so extensively and
in a very prompt manner
- They seem very
willing to partner with you (the recruiter or hiring manager) to ensure a
positive outcome ie. they give insightful feedback and they follow up as
promised
- Reference
checks are very important - yes it may be true that most candidates
provide referees that will be favourable but it is not always what the
referees say about them that is the most important but HOW they say it..
Identifying quality talent is
all about subtlety - actions tend to speak louder than words and it is often
what is not said that is the most interesting and informative..
