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 Corona Virus Will Impact Your Work
So, I'm going to share something you already know but might not always apply.
There are things that are in your control and things that aren't.
Getting really clear on what's what can help you focus your energy on the things that will improve your position.
This might be in your daily life, it might be at work, or it might be in something specific that's going on right now.
The context doesn't matter in this case.
Specifically, let's talk about the Corona Virus.
Yep. Went there.
Things you can't control about it:
- What the CDC says/does.
- What President Trump says/does.
- What the WHO says/does.
- What other people do/don't do.
Things you can control about it:
- Wash your damn hands.
- Assess how it will likely impact your career/job.
- Adjust what you're doing to accommodate this reality.
2 Minute Action:
What's the number 1 thing you're stressed about, right now?
It might not be the Corona Virus, but we can take this important lesson away from this insane situation we're in.
What can you not control about the situation?
What can you control about it?
What steps will you take to adjust to reality?
Read This If You Want Your Job To Make You Happy
I have really bad news.
But first, I'm going to tell you a quick story.
When I was in college, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do after graduation. I pulled a few graduate students together, into a panel, and asked them questions.
One grad student said something that really resonated with me.
She said:
"there's no job in the world that will make you happy, unless you're already happy."
- Helen G.
Whoa. That really stood out.
Let's be clear, if you're a coal miner and you get the black lung, I think we can agree that you have a crummy job and you'd be much happier somewhere else.
The point that this grad student was making was that I had only considered external factors in the creation of my happiness. I had never considered all of the internal factors, and those were even more powerful.
My point in telling you this story is to ask you a question about your work, your productivity, and your impact.
It's not the job that makes us happy, it's how we see ourselves in our jobs.
It's not the career that makes us happy, it's all of the experiences we have and relationships we build that make us feel happy.
2 Minute Action:
So, today, I'd like you to take 2 minutes out of your day and consider some of the things that truly make you happy. Look outside yourself, but also look inside yourself.
Go ahead, make a list. I love lists.
When you see the full scope of what makes you feel alive, you'll be able to diversify your sources of happiness.
I know it's scary, but it's important.