Another Reason Why YOU’RE The Answer!!!

We often use this statement as the goal for the hiring process:?“Matching what you (the candidate) do best to what they (the employers) need most.” ??

And while this sounds very simple and straightforward, if you’ve been on either side of that equation for a while, you know the myriad of complexities involved with both sides.?

The Cost of a Bad Hire

Today I want to get into a topic that is a high priority on the employer side of the equation, but not often even thought about on the candidate side. The topic? The cost of a bad hire! Here are a few headlines I easily found from a quick Google search on “the cost of a bad hire.”?

• Per CareerBuilder, the cost of a bad hire is between $15-17,000.?

• 60% of bad hires result from employees who couldn’t reach the employer’s quality standards.?

• The US Dept. of Labor states that a bad hire can cost up to 30% of an employee’s first-year earnings.?

• Intangible costs result from a bad hire (customer impact, lost time invested by other employees, company reputation, employee engagement, company culture, etc.)?

• The Harvard Business School states that it usually takes?six months or more for a business to break even?on a new hire.??

• Time and money spent on performance management for a bad hire – – OUCH!! ? Salt in the wound!?

Now, you may be asking yourself, “Ok, I can get my head around why it’s important for an employer not to have bad hiring, but I’m still a bit fuzzy on why this is so important for me, the candidate, to be aware of all this?”?

BECAUSE, over and over again we see that the most important thing lost by job seekers (AND for those who are unfulfilled, btw) is self-confidence. (See our blog on this subject HERE ). Inevitably, the tough job transition process beats down even the most optimistic people, and you need to be consistently reinforced and supported to believe that YOU ARE The Answer for what an employer needs most.??

Going beyond being barely aware to an increased level of understanding of the cost of a bad hire should enable you to more fully reframe your view of the interview process (See our blog on reframing HERE ). Shifting your perspective / broadening your view to include that of the employer should help you see more clearly that your networking, application, and interview are helping them solve their problem. And not just of the job to be done, but the avoidance of the cost of a bad hire!?

Why Mental Positioning Matters in Your Interview

Study after study shows that when we are positioned to help someone else vs. “I have to go through this interrogative process,” we have a more positive and confident approach to the process with which we’re engaged. And that is especially important in an interview situation!?

What does that look like? Rather than approaching an interview with anxious trepidation: “I hope they don’t ask me about this or that? I wonder, how I am coming across to the interviewer? What if they don’t like me? What if they ask me a question that I’m not sure about the answer?” All of these questions come from a position of weak self-confidence.?

Instead, approach an interview with:?“I can be the answer to their problems! I definitely won’t be a bad hire! I can shorten this process immediately because I’m the right person!” ??

You may think that this mental positioning doesn’t matter that much or isn’t too visible to the interviewer. I can assure you that it does! I’ve interviewed thousands of candidates over the years, and a lack of self-confidence is actually pretty easy to pick out.?

To add to your self-confidence, fueled by you NOT being the bad hire and costing the employer thousands of dollars, play up the skills, abilities, and experiences that you bring to the table that no one else on the planet can bring through your unique distinctions. (See our blog on this topic HERE )?

NOTE:?As a quick caveat, I’ve also had a few people who function counter to the premise in this blog. They are overflowing with confidence, so much so that they come across as narcissistic, arrogant people who think the world revolves around them. I’ve found these folks to be in the minority, but they do occasionally pop up.?

Be Confident in God’s Will for Your Life

And of course, Scripture has something to say about this topic!?Nehemiah 6:16 tells us, “When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God." ?

Joshua 1:9 adds, “Have I not commanded you??Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”?

If you’re a Christ follower, you can know that God dwells within you and is available to give you confidence in God’s will for your life, not just your own strength. All you need to do is surrender to His will and follow Him.?Time in His word is vital for this to happen, and the results are transformational. ??

In conclusion, knowing the downside an employer faces by not hiring the right person should give you a step up on your competition for the role! Know that YOU’RE The Answer for their interview process and proceed with confidence to knock that interview out of the park! Blessings!?

Dave Sparkman currently serves as the volunteer Crossroads Career board chair and local ministry leader. He is also the founder and managing director of Spark Your Culture , a corporate culture consulting firm. Prior to that he worked at UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune #5 public company, serving in the role of Chief Culture Officer. His unemployment experience came from the implosion of Arthur Andersen, where he served as the West Region Managing Partner, People.

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