Gatekeepers of Dreams!

Finding the right title for this post wasn't easy, I have to confess! but in the end, it says all in the best way possible (I hope).

A few days ago, I had a meeting with a business partner and a good friend too, when she shared with me her passion. What she really loves doing is helping people accomplish their dreams and in her own words she loves "selling dreams", in a true sense of empowering people's passion, enthusiasm, and boosting a sense of purpose beyond their actual state of being.

I'm grateful for those words...they are still echoing inside of me and, hopefully, will too within you! and will take us on a journey of reflection upon her words and Why we do what we do in our companies and with the people with deal on a daily basis. Where is our sense of purpose? Especially those, who work closely as facilitators between people and organizations, constantly receiving people knocking on their doors and sending their resumés, expecting to get an interview or even an answer to their contact (preferably personalized), let us reflect upon this.

First of all, we have all been there! before being HRD, HRBP, MD or CEO or any other fancy position, we all were job applicants...candidates to a dream job, or at least we thought so, or we were told by someone that "they had a position that is a perfect match or a perfect fit for us", even before we were interviewed...or just applied to countless job posts with no answers or feedback at all. Sometimes, the job posts were too perfect for us we just couldn't believe, but still...no answer...or an automatic mail response that said: "Unfortunately, due to the specs of the position we are looking, your application will not be considered. However we'll keep your data on our database in case an opportunity arises...we thank you again for your trust, blah, blah blah....we will be in touch...best of successes." (I call it here we go again).       

Really? perfect match to the specs and what we send/receive is an automatic reply e-mail saying we will not consider/be considered? did we meet him/her? specs?

“The goal is not simply to 'work hard, play hard'. The goal is to make our work and our play indistinguishable.”  - Simon Sinek

How can we talk about trust when most of times we don't even bother meeting these people, their dreams, their expectations, their hopes and...their DREAMS? We don't simply C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-E properly and in a personalized manner. I know...It takes time and we only have 24 hours a day. True! and yet, also true, only by communicating effectively and listening carefully to every detail will we make a huge difference in people's lives, to their relationship with us, how they relate to our companies...how they perceive our knowledge of the market and of their expectations. At the end of the day, what really matters is to build strong lasting and trustworthy relationships with people!

"Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they're open" - Sir James Dewar 

We have to stop "interviewing" applicants in the literal sense of an interview, and start to set up the perfect conditions for a meeting...a "hang-out" or a get-to-know You! make people comfortable enough to show us the real "them". I'm sure we can know a lot more in a "conversation" with candidates, about their personal and professional lives, expectations, be more pragmatic and make use of day-to-day situations, instead of outdated scripts and boring questions. Please, don't ask anyone where he sees himself 3 to 5 years from now? (I also sure most of you already do this)

People became defensive, but they are not defenseless or powerless! neither are we, furthermore, we have a greater responsibility upon customers, to present them with applicants we "in fact" know about, and not about their CV or just about their professional "fitness". Let's face it...there's no such thing as a perfect match or a perfect fit for the X Company or the Y Company! For the applicants out there...be yourselves, follow your dreams and be ADAPTABLE! Get to know what really triggers you and what would make you go to work happier and be more productive  every single day!

By truly listening to people, we can truly find out how we can be helpful and, in so many ways, how will they help us too. It is rewarding and truly win-win for both! And believe me, there are so many ways we can help:

Number 1 - L-I-S-T-E-N!

Number 2 - Back to number 1, listen with the intent to understand. Why the person is there? who is that person? what's his/her background?(personal first and professional)...empathize.

Number 3 - give advice? you're the experts! don't focus on a customer you want to "close" or on that opportunity you have that could be a "perfect match"...focus on the person in front of you! get to know him/her...what drives him/her? well, I could go on and on here. Just get to know and make sure to make him/her comfortable. Getting to know the skills is the easy part, getting to know what drives people, what really motivates and inspires them, takes building trustful relations and (sigh)...there are no scripts for that.

“Great companies don't hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them.” - Simon Sinek

"The Greatest gift we can give to someone, is our TIME." By doing so in our professional lives, ultimately, we will become true servants of people, inspirers and drivers of Hope, and above all, gatekeepers of DREAMS. 

Let us make our mission to be these gatekeepers, and by doing so we'll be exponentially helping our customers finding the right motivated skilled people.

The only way I could end this post was by inviting you to come and meet us. we'll certainly be happy to know You!

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them with tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." - Antoine da Saint-Exupéry