Stop With "So Tell me About Yourself"

"To be, or not to be." It's a classic existential conundrum extending to decisions beyond those of life and death. When presented with candidates for your open positions, you must decide whether to “interview or not to interview”, but that is definitely NOT the only question! You should also be deciding HOW to interview those candidates. The HOW, and the execution thereof, makes all the difference in the world to the success, or failure, of your hiring process. As the Bard said, "Nothing will come of nothing." If you don't truly invest in your candidate interviews, you can't expect exceptional hires.

A high-performer we highly respect recently shared word-for-word: "I have never figured out why the hiring process tends to be vague and subjective, in which the "wrong" questions are asked. Often, it seems like a marriage decision based on a 2 hour conversation with a blind date. What is even more strange is that it has been my observation that, unfortunately, full honesty and being open and frank tend to backfire. People seem to prefer to hear the "party line" not the real truth. It's the times we live in.” (Take heart leaders! …………….does this describe a process you know about?)

Those who know us, know we’re much more than a search firm. Throughout the years we've shown a unique way of connecting to “the individual”… and it’s very intentional. As they say, it’s all in the details. We understand that paying attention to these personal details and establishing a relationship is what sets the tone of the conversations we share with candidates every day, and provides the format for a comfortable one-on-one conversation. 

When we reach out to a potential candidate and as the conversation progresses, inherently they want to tell the story of their resume, looking back and explaining who they WERE along with their responsibilities at the time etc. However, 15 seconds into that type of conversation I tend to bring things to an abrupt halt. Understand that it’s not about the Candidate Story, which often produces a linear regurgitation of their career - it’s much more than that. Every candidate has a brand that describes who they are and how they operate - just like any organization.

Probing questions like "What things were coming to your mind as we go through this? Where does this connect with you...?" (when applied appropriately and in the right timing) are more apt to open the door to meaningful insight. The goal of each conversation is to set the foundation where you learn more about who they are as an “individual” and what makes them tick - think. What are they passionate about? What do they care about? What is their difference - their value proposition statement? Where can they connect to the culture of the company - how it thinks, how it operates, what makes it tick?

The bottom line is “So tell me about yourself” will almost always offer you an incomplete answer, and in our case... we've already done the homework for you.

In the corporate setting, what the Hiring Leader is seeking is what can't be found on a resume. Among other things, they want to understand what this person brings to the table? What is their mindset? What about them indicates their ability to make a true and immediate impact? What they are truly after is a mindset that will continue to move the needle of the organization and elevate it to new heights.

What lies on the surface is precisely that - it's what's on the surface. The true value of a candidate exists when you go deeper and deeper down the proverbial rabbit hole to uncover the cream that will eventually rise to the top, and show itself in one's personal endeavors and accomplishments, as well as within the confines of a team environment.

It's important to recognize that leadership takes on many forms and wears many faces. Some lead from behind, while others outwardly stake their claim to progress and innovation. Indeed the process of sifting through the immense global talent pool before us in an attempt to find the illusive blend of soft skills and thought-leadership is an exhausting task, however the process is necessary in order to isolate, vet and feel confident in the end that he or she represents the best of the best.

After 98% of the journey is complete, traditional steps of course take their place within the four walls of the perspective employer. The initial interview, the regurgitation of information by the candidate that has already been presented upfront - but can't help being asked simply due to the fact that everyone is in rinse and repeat mode. The problem with this, begins with understanding that no two people are alike, and if you simply put them in a box and apply the same principles time and again, ultimately you will miss who they are. It is important to understand that not all questions are relevant to everyone who walks through the door. After interviewing more than 35,000 professionals and reaching out to/connecting with well over 100,000 professionals in a 25+ year span, and absorbing the knowledge and insight that is derived from those interactions and experiences, you can't help but acknowledge certain things. One of which is that interviewing styles need to change in the context of the knowledge based economy that we live in.

The fact of the matter is, you won't find disruptors, high-performers or Renegades by looking at a resume; in fact they're quite useless. They provide a lot of information about past success but precious little regarding future potential, therefore, more attention should be given to looking forward - not back. Using the Future Value Contribution Quotient (FVC Quotient), we at Redmond are able to quantify the exact potential a candidate exhibits for a more in-depth talent analysis. We interpret and translate conceptual ideas into game-changing human capital results, understanding that everyone is after a mindset that continues to move the needle of an organization, but few recognize that it's what the individual has integrated into their DNA that makes them who they are. They don't wear it on their sleeve or stamp it on their forehead - they ingest it, and continuously feed it in order to up their game. It’s why it’s so difficult to recognize "it" because it’s innate and developed by continuous effort that is often well below the surface. It takes one who has gone there before to recognize "it". It is our job to extract those qualities and bring them to the surface for the employer to interpret and review.

As I stated before, it begins by creating a unique connection to the individual, as we have done for so many years. It's a connection built on trust and genuine intent that can only exist when you actually have someone's best interests at heart. This deliberate platform opens the door for what's known as "good old conversation" and offers an in-depth path to the individual's true self. It also allows us to bring forward the most earnest needs of the company and speak on their behalf from a very unique perspective. - “What we heard from several candidates was that your approach was unique and effective... that you really understood the position and company you were presenting and made a thoughtful pitch as to why it would be a fit for them. We also heard that you represented Legrand very positively and came across almost as an employee - Good Work!" - VP of Marketing."

We know that one of the keys to being successful is the willingness to invest a considerable amount of time in order to understand and represent the intricate interests of both parties. With that in mind we gather what we have learned throughout the process and present a report to the company on each perspective candidate- a Redmond Read. Following is one such example. Slightly edited of course to protect the individual's interests.

Michelle

• Heard or inferred: Results-oriented Sales, Marketing & Operations Exec. Well versed in applying strategic thinking to build business via customer-driven expectations & life cycle product development. Talent for reversing negative sales trends, maximizing productivity, streamlining mfg practices & delivering sales/profit increases.
• Michelle was highly recommended to Redmond. We believe she would be an exceptional fit with your company culture and engage well with the CEO having worked very closely for another business owner. She’s also been a President. 
• High Level: Michelle has a strong entrepreneurial mindset- a high sense of loyalty to performing her activities optimally. She describes herself as a hard worker and shared that you get what you pay for. She's been known to work 80 hours a week and at the same time, family is very important to her. "I'm a go getter".
• Management style with her team: I'm straight forward in communication style - what you see is what you get. I would rather face issues head on than deal with repercussions later. I can deal with situations as long as I know what it is - lie to me… and we have a problem. Simultaneously, Michelle believes in friendly confrontation – a collaborative approach. You have to be willing to speak up but know when to back off.
• I'm not a widget sales person - I'm more about selling great innovation - IP. This is one of the reasons she is struggling currently as she prefers to deal at the C-Level Suite leading/negotiating million dollar deals and right now her role is focused on selling to individual hospitals and dealing with Purchasing often.
• Thoughtful Management: She talked about one of her previous roles where she was given a global leadership position. Within the first month, management was asking who she wanted to get rid of. Her response - I first needed to understand what made them tick, to determine what their strengths/weaknesses were before I can come to good judgment calls and this takes 3-6 months.
• Some interesting personal notes on Michelle: Family members include a diplomat and Ambassador. She grew up with roots in Holland and then spent a fair amount of time in South America. Can speak Spanish, French and Italian. Michelle Could likely open new possibilities for the organization in Europe.
• Michelle has successfully driven/negotiated/written deals with the big healthcare Guru's - both IDN's and GPO's. As she shared, with IDN’s, it’s important to ensure that the full breadth of your products and services (in this case our clients RF based solutions) be optimally represented on the agreements. IDN’s often seek an entire solution that lowers amount of vendors in the end. On the other hand, GPO's often seek very specific solutions, and it's here were you can show greater ROI and leverage those partnerships to drive more business across other BU's. It’s for this reason that she shared it will be important to get all of our client’s BU’s working together and acting as a "team" versus silo’d business think. 
• Michelle shared that she worked for a company with an owner similar in style to our client. She understands the importance of the right leaders as the owner hired someone to run that business, gave them great financial incentive who ultimately did not produce. It was at that time that she took over as President. In this role, she began to build a proprietary wireless system utilizing Bluetooth technology focused on magnetic fields and mesh networks. The end results were that the company had $1 Million in sales when she took over and 3 years later they were $18M-$20M. They accomplished this by streamlining an aggressive sales approach focused on major accounts only and during this period locked in 9 major accounts and tripled manufacturing capabilities. Unfortunately, the owner sought to gradually transition themselves away and hire a new President whose decision making has led to loss of clients.
• Key Sales Interface with Customers: Most sales for the company were derived by me. I made the calls, met face to face and sealed the deal. If I had to put it into numbers, 80% of the sales for the company were done primarily driven by me. I was very involved with product development but I am not a micro manager so I was able to keep focused on generating revenue while being informed about the technology, improvements and issues. The relationships that I have built in the industry are due to the fact that I was present for all strategic partner meetings regardless of the topic. Long story short, I spent 70% on sales and 25% with Engineering. The rest was office stuff as President. I surrounded myself with efficient and very driven individuals. I have no problem picking up a phone and starting from scratch.

Presenting in-depth knowledge on a candidate offers the company critical insight as to the potential before them at the onset of an interview. Knowing that we have already done the homework, the conversation can be elevated to an entirely new level and increase the speed of a new hire. Although this represents only one facet of our process, we feel that it's value is undeniable. 

In a world where resumes have become obsolete, harnessing the expertise to explore and examine the talent pool around us has become more and more of a necessary skill. Pair that with the tremendous amount of time that is required to execute the narrative, and you have Redmond. 

About Steve Diedrick...

Steve is the founder of Redmond, a global executive search firm whose clients include world renowned brands and start-ups that are shaping tomorrow's world. As a highly respected authority and pioneer in the field of human capital with close to three decades in the space, his progressive ideas on search-excellence reflect a profound understanding/passion for the global economy and the ever-evolving mindset of the unique talent that propels companies forward. He has personally reached out to more than 100,000 professionals and interviewed over 35,000 potential candidates throughout his career. His personal drive, perspective, discipline and focus is a culmination of his life experience living abroad and the 27 years spent mastering the Martial Art of Qi Gong. His Mantra: There is nothing like direct experience that takes you from knowledge - to knowing.

Email me at: [email protected] or Text me at: 947.222.9200 and let's discuss how Redmond can help you.

? Redmond Research, Inc. 2019