Choose Carefully; You Become Who You Hire

In the past few months, I’ve conducted a few hundred interviews. An increase in business brings with it the requirement for growing the workforce. New employees bring with them new ideas and a fresh perspective. And while this thought excites me, the process of finding the right candidates is often taxing.

At Qualitia Software & Zensoft Services, we follow an extensive recruitment process. Several rounds are conducted to shortlist the right candidates for respective roles. The process engages a lot of leaders internally to ensure involvement from both sides. I conduct the fifth and final round. You must be thinking that if a candidate has cleared four rounds, he/she must be competent enough to get a green flag from me as well. While that does hold true on most occasions, it's not always the case. My selection ratio in the 5th round is about 60%. And that’s not because my expectations are too high, but because I look for traits that are often ignored. In this article, I’d like to share what I look for in candidates.

1. An Effort to Learn More About the Company

I love it when candidates come for an interview having done substantial research about the company. Their effort in learning as much as possible about the company not only portrays their seriousness about the opportunity but also shows their commitment towards their own future.

Although this point may seem obvious, a lot of candidates I've interviewed hadn't done so. Which is why I urge all candidates to find out more about the company they are going to interview at, after all, this is a place where you'd be investing a few prominent years of your life.

2. Genuineness Reflecting in their Answers

My panel of interviewers makes sure that the candidates who are selected for the final round have the relevant competency and experience needed for the job. Therefore, my focus is more on cultural fitment. I believe that our responses to situations that come up in our life are based on our attitude and those responses in-turn direct the flow of our energy in day-to-day work experiences. There’s no right or wrong answer to my questions. It’s all about the candidate’s thought process and truthful attempt to respond to those questions.

3. A Solution-Oriented Attitude

We’ve been working hard to create an ethical and healthy culture in our companies. The culture in both our organizations fosters a positive work atmosphere and aims at giving all the employees a sense of pride in what they do and where they work. I believe that with time skills can get better, but culture is not that easy to ingrain.

While hiring, one of the questions that I always ask myself is whether the candidate is solution-oriented or is someone who will dwell on problems? My companies are currently at a growth stage, and we need people who are innovative when it comes to problem-solving, are self-driven and have a positive outlook towards life.

4.  Their Resume is Precise & Highlights their Key Strengths

Although going through a resume is a preliminary activity in the hiring process, I’d still like to state its importance. Candidates must treat their resume as a business case. It’s their very first sales pitch. This is why it should be precise yet powerful.

I’d advice candidates to refrain from creating a 5-6-page resume for it doesn’t communicate their key strengths. Instead create a one-pager which reveals your skills and how you can add value to the organization you’re interviewing at. Note that you will be able to do so only if you’ve done your research about the company (Point No.1).

5.   A Valid Reason for the Job Change

It’s a given that most people leave their jobs for a better pay package or designation. To be honest, that is absolutely fair. However, my question addresses those candidates that hoard 2-3 offers with an average 40% hike and can't provide an answer as to why they need the 4th offer? Greed for more money is not a valid business case. I am on a constant lookout for a valid reason that justifies why the candidate needs another opportunity.

Aptly said by Simon Sinek, "Great companies don't hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them."

This is it from my side for now. I’d love to hear your feedback on my views and opinions, in fact, I’d like it if you could add to these with your thoughts.

Source: https://www.zensoftservices.com/resources/blog/you-become-who-you-hire/