You might be leaving your best hires on the side of the playground.

Elementary and middle school can be a ruthless experience for any kid with a handicap. In their immaturity, children have a habit of being unkind to those who are not “normal.” One way this plays out is in playground sports.

I still remember the blacktop surrounded by the chain-link fences used to contain the feral and energetic flock of 70 or so third graders at my school. When the doors opened, the kid-swarm would split and flow into different areas designated for their favorite activities. Following in the dust cloud of the flurry of footsteps was me, almost always the last one out the door.

Due to an accident I’d had when I was young (that I mentioned in another newsletter by the way), I required lower leg braces to walk correctly. I was slow, chunky, and out of place. Every recess, I’d take the dreaded walk to find a group that would accept me and allow me to play. Often, though, I’d spend fifteen to twenty minutes sitting against the fence alone while I admired the small yellow flowers and ants that populated the blacktop boundary.

Picked last, if I was ever picked at all. Rarely given a chance to show that despite the things that didn’t have, I could be a valuable asset to the group. While you may not have grown up with a disability, I’m sure you can relate.

We live in a world where we are given abundant surface-level information about almost everyone who has an internet connection. As leaders seeking rockstar hires, we get pummeled with resumes containing degrees, certifications, and accomplishments. Like a male peacock flaunting its feathers, these pieces of paper court us toward an in-person interview.

Don’t get me wrong, there IS value in a solid resume, but I want to ask you a few questions…

What if initial standards for hiring leave the best players sitting by the fence looking at the ants?

And if so, what can we do to prevent ourselves from missing out on a great teammate?

Just so happens, I have some thoughts.

Take time to understand what you really want

How do you know if this candidate’s master’s degree is ACTUALLY going to accomplish what you want to accomplish with the role you’re hiring for? Are you able to directly correlate the experience and knowledge they’ve gained in their classroom to the void that needs to be filled?

Hiring documents are very task-focused and list requirements that we believe will help achieve those tasks. However, it behooves us to take a step back and examine the end goal of this position. Doing this may reveal that it makes more sense to hire someone with less professional experience so that we can train them up into a niche performer that hits the proverbial nail on the head.

Avoid the flashbang

A flashbang is a tool often used by law enforcement to stun threats in a room before they enter. It’s called a flashbang because it uses a bright flash of light and a loud bang to disorient the senses. In the professional world, stacked resumes and social profiles have a similar effect.

Many people have done many incredible things. This is the truth, and oftentimes, it makes those people incredibly valuable. Just as often, though, this list of “awesome” disorients us and we miss obvious red flags.

It’s ok to be impressed, but don’t let it destroy your diligence. Maintain your focus and properly examine this potential candidate like you would anyone else. Design your questions to address potential gaps that might be covered up by your candidate's certificate stack.

Focus on the untrainables

Resumes can be edited. Cover letters can be iterated. Even interviews can be rehearsed. All of this can lead to hiring the wrong person to accomplish your goals. This is a reality for even the most seasoned veterans, and you’ll never develop a perfect system because people are complex creatures.

However, one of the best ways to lower your hiring risk is to ask questions and provide situations that highlight a person’s “untrainables.” How calm are they in a stressful situation? How kind are they to someone who wrongs them? How do they react to criticism?

There are many emotional situations we are put in as professionals and we have the freedom and right to experience these situations in our own way. However, our response to these situations is something that we are also responsible for. These responses can move our team forward or stop progress dead in its tracks.

At the end of the day, we should approach growing our team with diligence and caution. We have to take the time to view everyone not only for who they are on paper but also for the propensity of who they can be.