The Strategic Case for Changing Jobs

By Rikka Brandon

There are many deeply personal reasons to change your employment situation. However, from a purely strategic point of view, there are four good reasons to change jobs within the same (or similar) industry three times during your first ten years of employment:

Reason #1: Changing jobs gives you a broader base of experience: After about three years, you’ve learned most of what you’re going to know about how to do your job. Therefore, over a ten year period, you gain more experience from “three times 90 percent” than “one times 100 percent.”

Reason #2: A more varied background creates a greater demand for your skills: Depth of experience means you’re more valuable to a larger number of employers. You’re not only familiar with your current company’s product, service, procedures, quality programs, inventory system, and so forth; you bring with you the expertise you’ve gained from your prior employment with other companies.

Reason #3: A job change results in an accelerated promotion cycle: Each time you make a change, you bump up a notch on the promotion ladder. You jump, for example, from project engineer to senior project engineer; or national sales manager to vice president of sales and marketing.

Reason #4: More responsibility leads to greater earning power: A promotion is usually accompanied by a salary increase. And since you’re being promoted faster, your salary grows at a quicker pace, sort of like compounding the interest you’d earn on a certificate of deposit.

Many people view a job change as a way of promoting themselves to a better position. And in most cases, I would agree. However, you should always be sure your new job offers you the means to satisfy your values. While there’s no denying the strategic virtues of selective job changing for the purpose of career leverage, you want to make sure the path you take will lead you where you really want to go.

For instance, there’s no reason to change jobs for more money if it’ll make you unhappy to the point of distraction. In fact, I’ve found that money usually has no influence on a career decision unless it materially affects your lifestyle or self-identity.

To me, the “best” job is one in which your values are being satisfied most effectively. If career growth and advancement are your primary goals, and they’re represented by how much you earn, then the job that pays the most money is the “better” job.

Intuitive Interviewing; Intuition in Business- Part 2

Intuition in Business:

by Lynn B. Robinson

The present is about rapid change. The future is full of unknowns. Depending on one’s world view, using our innate intuition helps us to cope with conditions of uncertainty that can seem frightening, restricting, or challenging. Though some people are uncomfortable with the word intuition, they willingly use popular metaphors such as “gut feeling,” hunch, or instinct.

Michael Munn, Ph.D. is comfortable with naming and using his intuition. As a former aerospace chief scientist for Lockheed, Munn is an award-winning engineer who has managed multi million dollar covert projects. He and his teams have worked on tough technical problems for which there were no textbooks because they worked at the cutting edge of discoveries. One example is their program aimed at stopping Russian nuclear bombs in space. Munn credits their success to the use of brief meditative periods throughout the day so that they had time to listen to their intuitions. Munn says, “How do I know the answers are there? I see pictures or movies or dreamlike sequences. I have an immediate inner knowing that this is the answer for which I was waiting. My intuition lets me know, ‘This is it!”’

Among its many definitions, intuition is called the act or faculty of knowing without the use of rational processes; immediate cognition. Another definition is the capacity for guessing accurately; sharp insight. Precursors include the Latin “intueri,” to look at or toward, contemplate; the Middle English “intuycion,” contemplation; the Latin and French roots, in — inside and tuicion — to watch, guard, protect. Intuition is an unconscious, specialized source of information which thousands of years ago people understood as a source of protection. Intuition is knowing without knowing how you know.

Joel Levey, Ph.D. of InnerWork Technologies, Inc. describes intuition as direct, unmediated knowing which functions in a realm prior to thought and is different from thinking. Levey maintains that if we learn to listen deeply enough, intuition will reveal significant, profound insight into any question we hold in mind.

Through a willingness to combine intuition and reason, intuitive people appear to have some life advantage. Edith Jurka, M.D. asserts that intuitive persons have a sense of more ultimate control and advantages in life because intuition and right brain functioning add creativity, humor, and the ability to solve problems, to reach goals and to manage people more effectively.

Intuitive messages come in numbers of ways. They can come through the brain’s limbic system or neo-corex when you experience a hunch, visualize a symbolic image, have a relevant dream, have a wholistic “aha” moment, or gradually become aware of a correct path among previously divergent ideas. They can be expressed through the body when you experience a tightness in one or more definitive body areas, when you notice a distinct change in energy, when you hear a helpful directive or have specific awareness of changed feelings in a situation. They can originate in the outside world such as happens with a (Jungian) synchronicity, an unavoidable experience that leads to a new and right fit opportunity, or a convergence of options into a single specific one.

About two months after her husband’s death, a friend suggested to Kathy Whitmire that she run for city controller of Houston, Texas. Whitmere attests to knowing immediately that she would do so and that political office would be a big part of her life. Acting on that intuition, she quit her job at the University of Houston and closed her CPA office to run for city controller. Later, from 1983-1991, she served as Houston’s first female mayor and is now a fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychiatrist is credited with having said, “It is fashionable stupidity to regard everything one cannot explain as a fraud.” In a similar vein, well regarded author and management scholar Henry Mintzberg maintains that it isn’t possible to assess the use of intuition by purely logical processes: “It is a subconscious process, which no one really understands, except by certain of its characteristics (such as the speed with which it can sometimes produce answers.) Thus the dismissal of intuition as an irrational process is itself irrational, just as embracing it as a process superior to formal logic is itself illogical.”

The human brain is the vehicle for intuition. You can develop intuitive skills just as you can develop analytical ones. You just do it differently. Our need isn’t logic or intuition, however. It isn’t either or, it’s both. Because situations in which managers operate are often chaotic, rational forms of decision making are often impossible, and managers fall back on their intuition. Some managers, however, admit to how important intuition is.

Consider Colin Powell’s comments in My American Journey, “Dig up all the information you can, then go with your instincts. We all have a certain intuition, and the older we get, the more we trust it…I use my intellect to inform my instinct. Then I use my instinct to test all this data. Hey, instinct, does this sound right? Does it smell right, feel right, fit right?”

Peter Senge, in The Fifth Discipline, argues strongly, “People with high levels of personal mastery do not set out to integrate reason and intuition. Rather, they achieve it naturally-as a by- product of their commitment to use all the resources at their disposal. They cannot afford to choose between reason and intuition, or head and heart, any more than they would choose to walk on one leg or see with one eye.”

For more than a decade, Michael Ray, PhD. has taught Personal Creativity in Business as a course in Stanford’s MBA program. Business giants participate as guest lecturers and subjects of case studies for the course. Dr. Ray has found that the success or failure of intuition in business varies with the people and reasons for bringing intuition consciously into organizations. Crisis situations most often force people to resort to intuition.

Dr. Ray relates five truths about intuition, truths that he’s found many business people initially have difficulty accepting. Dr. Ray maintains, however, that as people begin to live with these truths, they begin to develop their intuition in remarkable ways-in business and in life. His five truths are:

1. Intuition must be developed. Each of us has intuition within us, but we must accept the responsibility for our individual style of intuition and its development.
2. Intuition and reason are complements. It is the combination of reason, experience, information and intuition that is so powerful.
3. Intuition is unemotional. It is paying attention clearly to the most appropriate alternative that comes from the creative Essence.
4. Intuition requires action. Follow-through is key to successful use of intuition in business. It requires timely hard work.
5. Intuition is mistake free. There will always be “rational” reasons to support intuitive leaps. Beyond this we must have absolute faith that the intuitive part of us does not make mistakes.

Those who accept the use of intuition in business do so in many ways. It is used in decision making, in product development, in stress management, in team building, in worker relationships, and in multiple other ways. As people begin to see work as a place for human, personal development, they begin to see deep intuition as key to that growth. They begin to use intuition to uncover and actualize the limitless potential of their lives.

Intuition is the birthright of each of us. It’s hardwired as a function or our humanity. To use intuition to its fullest requires attention to its growth and development

Intuitive Interviewing- Part 1

Intuitive Interviewing

 

Definition of Intuition – synonyms  

• The act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes; immediate cognition. See synonyms at reason.
• Knowledge gained by the use of this faculty; a perceptive insight.

1. A sense of something not evident or deducible; an impression.

 Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

 In philosophy, the power of obtaining knowledge that is not or cannot be acquired either by inference or observation. As such, intuition is thought of as an original, independent source of knowledge, since it is designed to account for just those kinds of knowledge that other sources do not provide. Knowledge of some necessary truths and basic moral principles is sometimes explained in this way. A technical sense of intuition, deriving from Immanuel Kant, refers to immediate acquaintance with individual entities; intuition (Anschauung) in this sense may be empirical (e.g., consciousness of sense-data) or pure (e.g., consciousness of space and time a priori as forms of all empirical intuitions). As conceived by Benedict de Spinoza and Henri Bergson, intuition is taken to be concrete knowledge of the world as an interconnected whole, as contrasted with the piecemeal, “abstract” knowledge obtained by science and observation.

 

1. Philosophy Dictionary Oxford

Immediate awareness, either of the truth of some proposition, or of an object of apprehension such as a concept. Awareness of the passage of time, or of the ineffable nature of God, have equally been claimed as intuitions. The notion is frequently regarded with suspicion, as simply labeling the place where the philosophical understanding of the source of our knowledge stops. In the philosophy of Kant intuition (Anschauung) has an empirical form, covering the sensible apprehension of things, and as pure intuition it is that which structures sensation into the experience of things in space and time.

 

Developing/Training your intuition

 

Recognizing, Trusting, and Taking Action on Your Intuition

(by Orin and DaBen)

We are putting our energy into assisting you in developing your intuition and inner knowingness as an important step for your spiritual growth, becoming your higher self and living as your soul. We wanted to offer you a short message, some written information, and an online guided journey to encourage and assist you in paying attention to your intuition.

What is Intuition?
Intuition is knowing without words, sensing the truth without explanations. It operates beyond time and space and is a link to your higher self. Intuition knows that past, present, and future are simultaneous, and can see the whole of any event. It often speaks to you as the playful child that would lure you away from a harder path to a more joyful one. Your intuition is always leading you toward aliveness and joy, and out of stuck places. Your intuitive mind synthesizes information in a flash, giving you answers to problems and decisions. It shows you the most effective steps to take to achieve your goals and dreams.

Often intuition comes to you as fleeting feelings, thoughts, or sensations that you barely notice until later, when you look back and think, “Yes, I had a feeling to do this, or not to do that.” You can make these intuitive feelings more visible, so that you notice them and can act upon them. You can learn to distinguish between the quiet voice of your intuition that is showing you a good choice or direction, versus the often louder voice of your fears and doubts that want to stop you from doing new things and taking risks.

You are already Intuitive
You are already intuitive, and are probably receiving intuitive guidance in many ways. Your body may be speaking to you, giving you hints of the healthy and healing foods it would like to eat. Your emotions may be speaking to you, telling you to follow your heart, take a risk, and do something you love in some area of your life. Your mind may be speaking to you, bringing you intuitive messages and dropping new ideas into your head. Your spiritual intuition may be guiding you to explore new inner places and to try out new spiritual practices.

Why follow your Intuition?
Your intuition guides you to do new things, to be in the flow, to experience more grace and ease, to follow your heart, and guides you to be in the right place at the right time. It is the voice of your soul and higher self communicating with you to show you how to follow your higher path and to live your higher purpose.

Following your intuition leads you to taking good care of yourself, your health, and your emotions, and to having improved relationships with people. It can make your career, creative endeavors, and work life better, more enjoyable, and even effortless. Following your intuition can increase the flow of money and prosperity in your life, for as your internal guide and teacher, it is always showing you what to do to increase the flow of energy. Money is one symbol of energy flow in your life, and as you act upon your intuitive guidance, you can experience more aliveness and flow in all areas.

When you follow your intuition, you have more energy moving through you – you are in the flow, you feel alive! When you don’t follow your intuition, life can become a struggle, like swimming against the tide. You can train your intellect to listen to your intuitive knowingness, and learn not to ignore, discount, or contradict the intuitive feelings you are getting. You can trust your own inner knowingness, and make yourself the authority of what is right for you.

What is your Intuition telling you now?
Think of these areas of your life and ask yourself, “Is there some intuition I have, some feeling of something I need to do, or stop doing?” If there is, let that become more visible to you now, or in the following few days, to show you how to be on a higher path in these areas:
          My body, health, and physical well-being
          My career, job, and daily activities
          My relationships with my family, friends, co-workers, and others
          My relationship to money, prosperity, financial independence
          Spiritual Growth – what is next for me?

As you review each area, notice if one stands out for you. Ask yourself if there is something you are getting a feeling to do differently, or to change. Have the intention for your inner guidance to become clearer to you, so that you can recognize what it is showing you. The only action you need to take right now, if you are not sure what to do, is to ask that your intuition become stronger and clearer so you can take action on it.

Orin: I am teaching a course on the seven qualities of Divine Will. The Will to Harmonize is the Will that awakens intuition. You can work with this quality of will through the practices I have written.

Practice to Strengthen Intuition
Think of these areas of your life and ask, “Is there some intuition I have, some feeling of something I need to do, or stop doing?” If so, let that become more visible to you now, or later, to show you a higher path in these areas:
• My body, health, and physical well-being
• My career, job, and daily activities
• My relationships with my family, friends, and others
• My relationship to money, financial independence
• Spiritual Growth – what is next for me?
As you review each area, notice if one stands out for you. Ask yourself if there is something you are getting a feeling to do differently, or to change. Have the intention for your inner guidance to become clearer to you, so that you can recognize what it is showing you. The only action you need to take right now, if you are not sure what to do, is to ask your Divine Self to reveal to you your next steps in these areas.

How to WOW Candidates…

Wow! Where Do I Sign? …Impressing potential employees.

 

It’s nothing new to hear that competition for talent is tough. Attracting the right people is undeniably important. So how do you get it right just out of the gates? Wowing and wooing potential employees doesn’t have to involve a lot of splashy gimmicks, but rather a lot of listening, thoughtful planning, and salesmanship.

 

The thoughtful planning should happen both before and after the interview. Thinking of the interview as an invitation helps color the entire process with courtesy. Besides reviewing in advance what you want to learn from candidates as well as what they will need to learn from you, take steps to make candidates feel as welcome and comfortable as possible. Arrange for any reasonable accommodations that they request, and reimburse all travel and meal costs. For out of town candidates, small details such as timing a break between flight arrival and the interview to allow the candidate to refresh or eat a meal are generally appreciated.

 

If the candidate arrives the evening before the interview, arrange to have a company welcome pack at the front desk upon check in. Besides company propaganda, this could include information on your community that is available from your local Chamber of Commerce or Visitors’ Center. If the spouse is traveling with the candidate, include his or her name on the packet and include information on local attractions, housing and job information, a list of recruiters in the area, as well as a list of Web sites that can direct the candidate and his or her family to even more information about the area.

 

Enough time should be scheduled with each candidate to allow for a relaxed, unhurried interview. The first impression of the office environment is as important as the initial impression you make on the candidate as the potential employer. When the candidate arrives, take him or her to a comfortable room where he or she can sit and read prior to the meeting. And make sure you’re on time. Being late is impolite and reflects poorly on the company.

 

The interview should, ideally, be a structured but relaxed conversation, not an overly formal review of the candidate’s resume or an intimidating question-and-answer session. Try to be mindful of talking too much. Let the candidate do most of the talking and pay attention. Preparing professionally and having a conversation with the candidate establishes rapport and increases the chances that he or she will respond honestly. The importance of this cannot be over-emphasized because at this point you need to discover what really matters to the candidate. This means including the candidate’s personal life (read: family and lifestyle) in the hiring process.

 

Being familiar with the candidate’s background, experience, and career aspirations all help you understand his or her vision so you can “show and sell” how your opportunity can help achieve those goals. Likewise, uncover the candidate’s motivations – is it mostly money, or what about quality of life? Do you offer childcare on site? Gym corporate discounts? Pension? Flexible scheduling? Do you live in an area with great beaches, hiking trails or other enticing natural features? Play up every attraction – every angle – you have, and let the candidate know that you recognize that there’s life away from work. This could tip very even scales your direction when a hot prospect is comparing your offer versus another.

 

Close the interview by explaining what happens next in the hiring process and thank the candidate for his or her time. Timeliness is especially critical now as delaying offers generally costs employers the most in-demand candidates. The top 10% will be gone after the first week, so minimize inefficiencies and approval delays. If there is an unavoidable delay, however, have the hiring manager call the candidates to let them know where things are in the process, and provide a date when they can expect to know an outcome.

Resume Design: Tips and Templates that get Results!

By Rikka Brandon and Erin Mayer

 

Employers prefer crisp-looking resumes that get to the point. If your resume is wordy, unappealing visually, or boring- it will get tossed in only minutes.

Layout  
Add interest and clarity by using bullets, indents and varying font styles (such as bold and italic letters). Avoid using unconventional fonts or adding photos or graphics.

Length  
The general rule is: one page for early-career (entry level to 5-10 years); two pages for mid-career candidates. 

Job Data  
Provide the reader with relevant detail about your past and present employers, such as product information, size and physical location.  How many did you manage both directly and indirectly? What was your territory? Who were your customers, etc.

Measurables  
Quantify your job duties, reporting relationships and achievements with actual numbers.  Especially in the building industry, numbers are key.  You should be able to back up these tangibles with proof, as well.

Job and Education Dates
Make sure the dates are clear and without gaps. If you’re a mid- to late-career candidate, you can save space by lumping early-career jobs together. I would recommend NOT putting in phrases like ‘over 25 years experience in’ as it can age you rather than make you look experienced.  If you’ve got a role on your resume that is from years and years ago and is of no relevance to the position you’re seeking- leave it off.

Degree Credentials
Please be accurate-and honest. Misrepresenting your degree is unethical, and could result in consequences that are embarrassing-or worse.  Add in any certifications, awards, trainings, etc.  If you are currently working on a Six Sigma Black Belt- say that! If you’re only two classes away from an MBA, do tell!  List as many as you can that showcase your qualifications and ambition.

10 Keys to a Dynamite Resume!

By Rikka Brandon

To help you construct a better, more powerful resume, here are ten overall considerations in regard to your resume’s content and presentation:

1. Position title and job description. Provide your title, plus a detailed explanation of your duties and accomplishments. Since job titles are often misleading or their function may vary from one company to another, your resume should tell the reader exactly what you’ve done and how well you did it.

2. Clarity of dates and place. Document your work history and educational credentials accurately. Don’t leave the reader guessing where and when you were employed, or when you earned your degree.

3. Explicitness. Let the reader know the nature, size and location of your past employers, and what their business is.

4. Detail. Specify some of the more technical, or involved aspects of your past work or training, especially if you’ve performed tasks of any complexity, or significance.

5. Proportion. Give appropriate attention to jobs or educational credentials according to their length, or importance to the reader. For example, if you wish to be considered for an engineering position, don’t write one paragraph describing your current engineering job, followed by three paragraphs about your summer job as a lifeguard.

6. Relevancy. Confine your information to that which is job-related or clearly demonstrates a pattern of success. Concentrate only on subject matter that addresses the needs of the employer.
 
7. Length. Fill up only a page or two. If you write more than two pages, it sends a signal to the reader that you can’t organize your thoughts, or you’re trying too hard to make a good impression. If your content is strong, you won’t need more than two pages.

8.  Spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Create an error-free document that’s representative of an educated person. If you’re unsure about the correctness of your writing (or if English is your second language), consult a professional writer or editor.

9. Readability. Organize your thoughts in a clear, concise manner. No resume ever won a Nobel Prize for literature; however, a fragmented or long-winded resume will virtually assure you of a place at the back of the line. 

10. Readability. Be sure to select a conventional type style, such as Times Roman or Arial, and choose a neutral background or stationery. If your resume takes too much effort to read, it may end up in the trash, even if you have terrific skills.

Finally, I suggest you write several drafts, and allow yourself time to review your work and proofread for errors. If you have a professional associate whose opinion you trust, by all means, listen to what he or she has to say. A simple critique can make the difference between an interview and a rejection.

Links to Job Boards across the US

 

General Job Boards:

www.Monster.com

www.CareerBuilder.com

www.Craigslist.org

www.hotjobs.com

www.TheLadders.com

 

Job Search Engines: These sites aggregate listings from around the web.

www.Indeed.com- aggregates search listings from all over the web

www.Jobster.com

www.Justposted.com

www.Linkup.com- Scours company websites for job postings

www.Risesmart.com- For $100K + jobs

Industry Specific Job Boards:

 

www.Dhi.org

www.Simplyhired.com

www.Hotjobs.com

www.Jobsinmanufacturing.com

www.Millworkjobs.com

www.Millworknetwork.com

www.Woodweb.com

www.Windowanddoorjobs.com

www.Topbuildingjobs.com

www.builderjobbank.com

www.roadandbridgejobs.com

www.builidingindustryjobs.com

www.constructionindustrycareers.com

www.BuildingProductJobs.com

www.ConstructionEquipmentJobs.com

www.FireandSecurityJobs.net

www.GeneralConstructionJobs.net

www.GeotechnicalJobs.net

www.GreenConstructionJobs.net

www.HeatingandAirJobs.com

www.HomeandGardenJobs.com

www.JobsinPlumbing.net

www.LandscapeJobs.net

www.MarineConstructionJobs.com

www.RoadandBridgeJobs.com

www.RoofingJobs.net

www.SewerandWaterJobs.com

www.VoiceandDataJobs.com

www.VoltageJobs.com

www.WallandCeilingJobs.com

http://www.roofingindustryjobs.com/

 

Reviewing your Recruiting Process

Have you ever wondered about your candidates’ experiences when applying for a position with your company? Even if your business is in the minority of organizations that isn’t strongly affected by the tight labor market, gauging the effectiveness of your recruitment process is a smart business practice that affects your employer brand for better or worse.

 

One of the first steps in reviewing your recruiting process is to consider your job descriptions. Are they accurate? Compelling? Lacking in detail? It’s in everyone’s best interest for the applicants to be fully aware about the specifics of the job, including the physical requirements, type of workplace, relocation considerations, opportunities for advancement, and salary range so that applicants can self-screen and make decisions on that basis. The beauty of using the web to recruit is that you are not limited by space to describe your opening.

 

Job descriptions are also valuable tools to get your candidates excited about your opportunity. Include any information on benefits, stock options, or other unique perks your company may offer. Creatively re-thinking the job title can also be beneficial in terms of sparking a job seeker’s interest.  Think: Super Star Branch Manager Needed or Project Manager with Sign-on Bonus.

 

Next, consider your job posting. Where and when did you post? If you’re doing it right, you should expect 10-15 qualified candidates. If you do a lot of online postings, Friday afternoons is not an optimal time as job hunting is no longer tied to the Sunday paper. Instead, Monday through Thursday is usually the busiest time for job boards because people look while they’re at work.

 

One very effective way to test your process is to utilize “mystery shoppers.” Commission people to be phantom candidates who will apply for positions, submit “perfect resumes,” and even interview with your company to let you know what was frustrating, where they wanted to quit, what was helpful, and in general, how they found the experiment. This will indeed deliver the moment of truth about your recruiting process.

 

Other considerations include the time it takes to get through the entire recruiting process (at a minimum, you should average one step per week as the all-star candidates won’t be available for long) and a review of your compensation. Salary.com offers an easy way to check if your offerings are competitive.

 

Finally, do you sell yourself? Similar to creating compelling job titles and descriptions, making your voice heard amid the cacophony of employers vying for job seekers’ attention means you need to convince candidates why they should work for your company. Taking this to the next level, sit down with your leaders and figure out a way to do this in a way that attracts the kinds of candidates you most want to hire. None of these ideas take a tremendous amount of time or money to implement, but putting them into practice can pay big dividends in terms of beefing up your recruitment machine for the long haul.

How to answer Interview Questions

By Rikka Brandon and Erin Mayer

Here are eight of the most commonly asked (and basic) interviewing questions. Do yourself and the prospective employer a favor, and give them some thought before the interview occurs.  

• Why do you want this job?  

• Why do you want to leave your current job?  

• What are your personal and professional goals?

• What do you like most about your current job?  

• Where do you see yourself in five years?

• What are your strengths?

• What are your weaknesses?

• What do you like least about your current job?  

The last question is probably the hardest to answer: What do you like least about your current job?

I’ve found that rather than pointing out the faults of others (as in, “I can’t stand the office politics,” or, “My boss is a jerk”), it’s best to place the burden on yourself (“I feel I’m ready to exercise a new set of professional muscles,” or, “The type of technology I’m interested in isn’t available to me now.”). By answering in this manner, you’ll avoid pointing the finger at someone else, or coming across as a whiner or complainer. It does no good to speak negatively about others. It is an enormous ‘red flag’ for recruiters and prospective employers to hear a candidate consistently blaming someone else for jobs not working out. 

I suggest you think through the answers to the eight questions above for two reasons.

First, it won’t help your chances any to hem and haw over fundamental issues such as these. (The answers you give to these types of questions should be no-brainers.)

And second, the questions will help you evaluate your career choices before spending time and energy on an interview. If you don’t feel comfortable with the answers you come up with, maybe the new job isn’t right for you.

When it comes to discussing strengths and weaknesses, make sure to tie strengths back to the expectations of the role.  If you’re applying for an outside sales position, emphasize the fact that you’ve hit goals x,y, and z consistently… that you’ve won ‘Q’ award, and that you have a ‘hunter’ mentality.  Don’t say that you like to sit back and accept leads and your weakness is that you are scared of cold-calling.

Thanks, But No Thanks…Why Candidates Decline

by Rikka Brandon, February 2009

The interview was brilliant. Your candidate seemed excited and ready to become part of your team. Details were discussed almost as an after-thought. Everything was perfect. Or so you thought, until the prospective employee blind-sided you with a courteous decline. What happened? If you’ve discovered yourself in this position a time or two, it pays to take the time to evaluate all the nuances of your company’s hiring process.

 

Go back to the initial point of contact. Whether it was over the phone, in person, or even if the candidate met with someone else from your company, how was he or she treated? When most other things like compensation, benefits, and type of work are considered equal, little things like the friendliness of staff or energy in the work environment can easily tip the balance in favor of one job over another. This is crucial even during the initial screening phase when there may be a large pool of candidates. Who wouldn’t prefer the red carpet treatment versus the feeling of being one of the herd. In the same manner, cancelled or postponed interviews, dull interviews, and delayed hiring decisions leave a bad taste in the mouths of candidates with options. If they aren’t treated professionally early in the relationship, they certainly wouldn’t expect to be later. First impressions weigh in.

 

Lack of enthusiasm is another reason candidates decline. Recall the Cheers sitcom jingle… “You wanna go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came…” If candidates don’t feel your excitement to have them join you, why should they be excited? Have the company president or other senior executive make a personal and persuasive call to add their weight to the offer. And don’t just wing it, plan what to say, and even test it out on others involved in the hiring process to get their feedback. Sound ridiculous? Remember… it’s not playtime for talent, it’s often an all out war.

 

So maybe the offer was extended with aplomb, but the candidate still says nay. Then check out the offer itself. Did it propose any “wow” factors or other compelling features that would make the candidate feel important? Maybe you completely missed the target, and instead bombed with a deal breaker. Identifying the candidate’s priorities and turn-offs early in the process saves both parties’ time and energy. For instance, a cut in pay is a common deal breaker. For candidates with options, it’s critical to stay on top of current salary and bonus information. Working with a recruiter can be particularly helpful as they have ready access to information on salaries being paid by comparable companies. Also, Homefair.com offers a free salary calculator that factors in cost of living comparisons.

 

The other side of the coin then, is over-focus on pay without considering other factors like personal life. How many seemingly flawless job offers have been foiled due to a spouse’s refusal to relocate? Too many to count. Think about it. The spouse has probably never been to the new town, knows no one, has no job, and if there are children, would have to uproot them as well. How excited would any of us be? So, right from the start, the candidate’s family should be involved in the process, right down to paying the added expense of flying them all out and arranging for them to be educated about the town, its job opportunities, schools, etc. Inviting the spouse to lunch or coffee with people from the company also helps him or her feel more involved and comfortable with the potential life change.

 

As with most functions in business, the art of salesmanship during the hiring process helps ensure a bevy of talented employees in your ranks. How your organization interacts with candidates from the very first impression to the last goes a long way in determining how those individuals feel about your company. So even if one of those talented candidates gets away for reasons beyond your control, you still have their respect, which in turn improves your brand, your image, and may possibly land you other opportunities for referrals down the road.