The Hiring Dilemma - what I've learned by interviewing more then 600 people in 8 months.

At JR Global our moto is: PEOPLE. IDEAS. RESULTS. We put people first and that's why we handpick all employees for our companies. But even though its a tiring process, it always excapes me how easily people take interviews. Through my own companies as well as the ones I've consulted within the last 8 months I've interviewed more then 600, for 3 different companies! This is what I found out and like to point out to those that are applying for jobs:?

1.Most candidates don't research the company they're interviewing for!?It's just shocking how many candidates just apply without even researching for what they're applying for. I mean, that's just crazy, for your own self, take some time to research where you'll be spending your hours and days. In addition, do you really believe that we're interested in someone that just viewed a hiring ad and applied without even Google-ing what the company does? If a candidate takes the time to research your company and prepares questions for the interview, you can bet that they're a cut above the competition. This goes to show that they really have an interest in the job—and who doesn't want to hire someone with passion?

2. Most candidates don't realise that an interview is not a test of knowledge, rather it is a test of personality.?The key to a successful interview is not so much about the questions asked as it is about reading between the lines. It is about being able to identify who makes a good fit for a role, aside from whether they were able to answer all of the questions correctly. It will be important to use your own judgement and cultural intelligence in order to craft an environment where candidates are able to express their personality and whether or not they have what it takes to be part of the team. At this point, I really don't test your knowledge, but rather personality. It all starts with realising that you have already won half the battle. The interviewer has already decided that you have at least a few of the basic requirements and is simply testing your personality, attitude and affinity for the work. This can sound rather daunting but trust me, it is not as bad as it seems.

3. Most candidates are not afraid of hard work, but that doesn't mean that they know how to succeed in an interview process.?It's not only about hard work, it's about commitment and how you resolve to tackle issues that will arise. There are 2 types of employees - problem seekers and problem solvers. Choose to be a problem solver and commit to it!

4. Self- Awareness is key!?It's incredible how many of them don't know how to answer the common question of "WHO ARE YOU". What are your strenghts and how you should use them to benefit the company you're applying for. Candidates should know common questions like "Why are you interested in this company?" and "What five words would you use to describe yourself?" and answer them with enthusiasm and specificity. Don't forget that different companies have different needs, and it's important to tailor your answer to fit those needs. For example, a candidate who has worked with numbers might say something like "I'm great at finding efficiencies in processes" for a position at a financial firm.

5. No body cares about the courses you take, or the education for that matter, but the work you do and how you do it.?This is quite the unpopular opinion, but I'm sticking to it. It's an obnoxious question that assumes that the value of your education is in your courses rather than the work you do outside of the classroom, the experience or the desire. You may as well graduated engineering for your parents sake instead of following your dream to be a TikTok star, I don't know. Honestly, we only care about what you get done while you're here. In fact, we don't even ask what your major is when you apply for a job. We don't care if you took Intro to Staring and Glaring with Professor X-Ray Glasses, or if you're double-majoring in Voldemort Studies. If you can prove that you can do great work for us, and grow your career with us, then we'll be happy to have you on our team.

6. Confidence is good, overconfidence is not!?Look, I've always been the person that hand picks quality employees. Not that I don't value hiring or HR managers or don't appreciate their opinon, NO. It's just that I put people first. So, it's me personally takeing care of the last round of interviews. Don't be cocky: It's okay to show confidence in your skills, but you still have to prove that you're better than everyone else that is interviewing for the job. You're a smart person, and we know that you're a good worker. But there's something we need to tell you. The truth is, hiring managers don't like when you're cocky. We don't have time for the type of employee who thinks they are amazing and will get the job done better than anyone else. The truth is, if you think you're so much better than everyone else, then you're probably not going to put in the work it takes to actually achieve your goals. Prove your worth. Just be normal, and show us how valuable you will be if we hire you.

7. Friendly is good, too friendly is not!?Man, it's wierd how people get overfriendly in such a short time span. Look, we're a friendly bunch of people at JR but, and sometimes we get a notch of being too loose, but still, this is a serious topic and the business requires being professional, especially with newcomers and stakeholders. You may be casual, sure. Even sassy a bit, why not. But you cannot behave like you've been at the company for ages and we're food buddies. I'm not your last row buddy from school or played streetball togather for that matter. Be good, be friendly, nice, smile, shake your head, but show us that you're serious to take on the job and that it'll not come down to being uncomfortable infront of our stakeholders.

8. Don't speak bad about the last company:?If you talk bad about your last employer, it will show us that at some point you will talk bad about our company too; which we do not like. And it shows certain immaturity. I usually don't call previous employers to check out about the candidate, couse it could be the fit didn't work right. So, its just about personallity. Also keep in mind that probably the interviewer knows your last employer as well, that could be an issue!

9. Only few of them were able to explain me in 2 minutes why they're the right fit for the job?and how they can help me solve the problems I told them about. What you've done before provides a certain view of what you can do of course, but it doesn't give us an idea of how you'd fit into our group, our team, and resolve our day-to-day issues. Look, WE HIRE FOR CULTURE. And I'm very clear about that, so get to reasearch the company, research yourself, and be someone who understand what it takes to succeed within the company. Your past is only and experience you may use for the current job, but it's not a requirement for the job.

10. Salary is not the determining factor of whether someone will be successful in a job or not.?

"What? Salary doesn't matter?"

…And you'd be wrong. It does, but it's not a determining factor of course. It's about the value you provide. You can't come in and ask an above average paygrade with just a year or two of experience and limited skills that would not immediately make the company stronger. It's really a simple math issue, the value you provide should make the company stronger, the stakeholders and the owners happy. Look, most companies look into people that would hit the ground running, because time is money and if the company chooses to employ a young and up-and-coming employee, it's because the deliberately choose to invest their time, effort, knowledge and finances into them. Training and education costs a bunch, and you have to understand that. Still, it's not a determining factor. I never pinpoint a salary to a position, but I do have an idea of a limit we have. Thus, understand and research the market, understand the requirements of the job, set a goal for salary development and what you provide to the company. In my experience, employees that succeed have been successful for less and for high. Their attitude provides confidence and the will to invest further.

So I learned that making a hiring decision is never clear cut. Even asking the hard question, there's no right answer. You can make detailed job descriptions, conduct in depth analysis and financial assessments of every potential employee, but it still comes down to gut feeling. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Understand that hiring is a process in which you create the winning team, with the right character. There is no such thing as a 100% perfect employee, but there is something as a perfect fit for the company.

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