Read This If You Want To Hire Someone Or Get Hired
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I've been asked a few times more than usual, lately, about what employers are looking for in a candidate.
I've had some friends reach out about specific jobs for which they were interviewing, but I was also just on a panel with Denver Public Schools talking to some of their awesome teachers.
They wanted to talk about what their graduates should know before they hit the workforce.
I definitely was the youngest panelist there.
I definitely didn't agree with everyone.
I definitely didn't want to talk about MS Office Suite the whole time.
So, I told them my own rules for hiring.
Hiring Characteristics I've Hired For:
Aptitude
Aptitude asks: can you do the work?
This isn't about skill set, this is about the capacity you have to learn and run with the skill set.
Attitude
Attitude asks, when faced with a challenge, does this candidate complain, sink into a hole, and do their job reluctantly? Or does this candidate see the challenge as an opportunity to grow, develop a new skill, or survive a new experience? In it's most basic sense, attitude asks "does this person add or subtract energy from the team?"
Cultural Fit
This is a hard one. For some reason, people think that culture is the ping-pong table, the Keurig, the snacks in the office kitchen, the 401(k) with employer match, or the nerf guns. These are perks, not culture.
Culture asks "how will you treat each other when the work gets hard?"
Culture is about treating others with respect, treating your office environment with respect, and thinking about the greater good of the company.
Skillset
This is different from aptitude. This is literally "does this candidate know what to do when we hire them?" For many jobs, this might not be relevant. For some, it might be absolutely critical.
If you're hiring a neurosurgeon, you're going to hire someone who knows what the hell they're doing--not someone who can learn on the job. If you're hiring a construction worker, they just need to be trainable.
My final rule on hiring . . .
Trial Run
It's really, really hard to accurately gauge someone's candidacy in an interview.
Some people interview really well and then don't deliver.
Some people interview really poorly but that skill might not be relevant for the position you're hiring.
So, if someone has what I think I need, on the surface, it's time to set up a small project.
"You can't work for me until you've worked for me."
- Seth Godin
I find a small, low-risk, low-budget project that will test the skills/attitude/aptitude/cultural fit or whatever I'm looking for.
I might also just pick a short time period, like 30 - 90 days, where we have a "trial run."
Either of these options gives me a real-world project that will help me see the candidate's actual work.
Consider this:
Employers are taking a risk when they hire someone. If they bring you on immediately as a W2 employee, they are accepting liabilities like unemployment and onboarding costs. Employers are incentivized to choose wisely.
It's better for you and for them if you both take your time and find the right fit.
It's not a formula, it's some combination of these things.
Most companies/agencies/etc. are hiring for some combination of the 4 characteristics I listed above; aptitude, attitude, cultural fit, skillset.
It's up to the company and industry to communicate what ratio these fall in. This should be evident by auditing your values and mapping them to the company's values.
A scrappy startup is not going to have the same values and needs as a children's hospital.
If all of these things are at least directionally aligned, and you're able to, toss a trial run on top for best results.
Cheat Code:
There's also a way around this process.
It's a lot less work and most of the time it even works better.
It's called a referral.
If someone did a great job for me, it's really likely that they have friends who would do a great job, too.
2 Minute Action:
Even if you're not hiring or looking to be hired, take 2 minutes to outline your values.
Here's a quick and easy exercise:
Let's make up a point system.
You have 10 points.
You now have to allocate them in the 4 categories mentioned above (aptitude, attitude, cultural fit, skillset).
How would you assign them?
That will tell you what you value which might help you in hiring or aligning with another organization's values.
Read This If You Think You're A Rebel
Someone said something to me yesterday.
He was talking about his attitude and how it matured as he got older.
He mentioned that early in his journey he felt like a rebel. He was out there making things, sometimes without guidance, sometimes without intention, and certainly without permission.
A rebel is someone who opposes things. They may not have a reason other than some general discontent with authority.
But then, this person mentioned that something happened to his mindset as he began to experience the results of his effort as he moved through life.
He developed intentions, purpose, and importantly, a plan.
He said, "instead of being just a rebel, I became a renegade."
A renegade is someone who changes beliefs based on new information, often endures social ex-communication or stigma, and commits to a new belief or way of being.
Part of this commitment is taking calculated action on those beliefs.
How will you turn your work, attitude, or mindset into action?
Are you a rebel or a renegade?
2 Minute Action
Here are some ways you can turn an idea or intention into an actionable plan:
- If you're having trouble turning an idea into action, take 2 minutes to "phone a friend" and ask them to hold you accountable to a small goal. Let them text you to remind you, or you can offer to do them a favor if you bail on your goal. (I had a friend who wrote a $1000 check to a trusted friend and said he could cash it if he failed to take action.)
- Set a block on your calendar that is reserved for just one part of your project and invite a friend to join you.
3 Characteristics Of Rock Star Teammates
Stop hiring for specific skills.Hiring this way almost always overlooks the three most important traits of a strong candidate.There are 3 things that good managers hire for.Of course, sometimes, you really do need a highly trained skill set. There's just no amount of positivity that will substitute for an expertly-trained brain surgeon--but unless you need a super specific, high-stakes skill like this, you're much, much better off starting at these 3 traits:
Aptitude
Do they have the ability to learn and execute the skills they need to be successful?
Attitude
Do they make others around them feel confident, capable, and like excellence is possible? No one can sustain this all the time under all circumstances, that's just faking it. We're just looking at most of the time. What's their common thought habit?
Cultural fit
Culture is not the ping-pong table, the nerf guns, nor the Keurig. Culture is how you treat others when it's hard, when you're tired, and when you're frustrated. Cultural fit on a high-performance team is "do you believe what we believe?" "Do you have similar values as shown by your actions?"Finding these three traits will lead to capturing the right people. Training, mentoring, and supporting them are the things that will keep them with you.
2 Minute Action
Quickly list a few traits of your high-performers.What are the characteristics that make them successful? Pick 3-5.Now rank your other teammates on a 10 point scale for each of these 3-5 characteristics.If anyone is below a 6, you should schedule time to identify/discuss and solve this.Reviews do NOT need to be annual. Make it happen, today.