Saturday, November 24, 2007

Perspectives from Hiring Authorites

When I sit down to wrote a column, I try to instill the idea of looking at every thing from a hiring authority's perspective--what is it that your behavior communicates to them that will affect their decision about you.

Here are a few that I have compiled over many years:

One client has us ask potential employees to go to their website to learn about their business. The often tell me about people who lie about reading what is on the site and then tell them about experience they have that would help them immensely--experience in fields that have no relevance to their business.

Where do you see yourself five years from now? Apparently doing work that doesn't fit with what the business the employer does. Not too smart.

How about being taken for lunch by an employer, confirming a date, time and place well in advance, and then trying to juggle everyone else's schedule because you need to be back for a meeting . . . or trying to move three other people to meet much closer to you so you don't have to travel. Smart move, huh?

How about arrival time? Does arriving a few minutes early to complete paperwork seem like good sense? Apparently fewer people think so, preferring to arrive late instead. Then, the lateness is compounded by not acknowledging it or explaining it with something as simple as a call in advance (there was an accident that is delaying me a few minutes) or an explanation (I'm sorry I was a few minutes late; I was detained at a meeting that was called by someone I am supporting; it usually lasts 45 minutes; today it ran close to two hours because of a few problems that had occurred).

Have manners become unimportant?

Everything you say and do at an interview sends a message to an employer about what they can expect from you as an employee.

Has your behavior been sending the right message?


Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
 Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

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