Getting the right job from a great company can be hard. Hiring the right person can be challenging. But having the wrong person in a team can be disastrous.
We recently created a new data analyst position at our company. It’s probably my favorite role at the company. I have started doing phone interviews for the position. You can learn more about the position by visiting the following link: https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=e561b47859811d88&tk=1co3gnmohas17800
It’s a real challenge to try and determine who the best fit for the position is. I’ve heard it said that interviewing is the second worst way to find the right candidate. Everything else is tied with worst. The problem is that you get so little time with a person to try and understand who they really are.
Despite the challenges of interviewing, here are two things I do to try and make the process better.
Give People a Chance
I came across one resume that I wasn’t sure about. His experience and education weren’t as strong as what the others had. It was getting late. I just wanted to be done reviewing resumes for the night. So, I just wanted to put his resume in the reject pile and move on.
But I didn’t.
I have found that some of the best candidates don’t always have the best resumes. While I do reject resumes that show no connection to the job I often give people the benefit of the doubt. I even strongly consider candidates with weak or no experience if they have a great cover letter explaining their passion for the field, our company, and how they are learning the necessary skills in their free time.
So, back to the candidate I nearly rejected based on his resume. I called him for a phone interview and was actually really impressed with him. Despite being a late night, I’m so glad I gave him a chance to tell me more about himself.
Be Respectfully Open
I also struggle with the balance between being direct and being kind. For example, this job requires that the candidate loves math and statistics because that’s most of the job. I had a candidate who had a degree in mathematics and statistics. This was great!
So, I called him and learned that he had poor grades in those classes and wasn’t that passionate about the field. Without that passion for the subject, he wouldn’t enjoy this role. He might be great for other roles in our company, but probably not this one.
I was honest about my assessment and asked if he thought I was wrong. If I was wrong, I would have loved to hear of examples that show me that.
I find most candidates appreciate hearing what I think. That helps them guide my thinking and correct me when I’m wrong.
But I also struggle because I don’t want to demoralize anyone. I have been demoralized in an interview and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. Instead, I want to inspire people to be successful.
So, I try and strike a balance between being respectful and being open.
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