When one of the nation’s leading economic indicators says employment numbers are on the upswing, it means many growing companies are bringing people on board. Whether they’re full time employees, freelancers, consultants, agencies or even interns, employers often fall in love with their new recruits.
Why wouldn’t they? The new employees’ resumes are stellar, their raps during the interview are strong, their recommendations are glowing. You make them an offer, they accept, and you’re feeling proud for being such a good judge of character.
Rather quickly, however, things frequently head south, and you find yourself scratching your head and wondering how it all went wrong.
I’ve hired hundreds and hundreds of people, seen clients hire thousands and thousands, and I’m finally beginning to see a pattern here. While I can pat myself on the back for recruiting some great talent here and there, I still fall for the same seemingly logical qualities year after year. Here, then, is my list of Misleading Indicators when assessing a new hire:
A is for Attitude: The smile, the high energy, and the can-do spirit are more than ingratiating. They’re downright intoxicating, and by the time those hand-written notes arrive in the mail, the ones saying how psyched they are to join the team, you’re smitten. But wait a few months, and you learn that these Type-A-for-Attitude folks are mostly about first impressions, hopping from job to job once the initial charm wears off and it’s time to actually perform.
B is for Brains: Their high intelligence is so alluring. You can’t believe they actually want to work for you. They’re so smart, and it’s so great, but soon you start to realize that they’re not working for you: they’re in business for themselves. When these brainiacs look in the mirror, they see a future strategist, a thought leader, a policy maker. And when you ask them to crunch some data or do some research or engage in any other entry-level pursuit, they get offended. It’s beneath them. Resentment follows soon thereafter.
C is for Credentials: They received an MBA from an Ivy League School, played Division One sports, served as a former Army Ranger, and started an NGO all at the same time. You’re impressed, until you realize that the pursuit of degrees and honors is all that these cats are about and find yourself willing to trade in all those credentials for one decent week of getting stuff done.
D is for Domain: Their industry expertise is said to be unrivaled. You soon discover though, that their actual knowledge of the space is narrow, already dated and not particularly appealing. Even worse, you learn that their domain expertise is all that they’ve got, and if the domain changes, they’re confused and reluctant to roll up their sleeves and learn the new ways.
E is for Experience: He worked at Microsoft and AMEX. She worked at Facebook, Google, and BuzzFeed. They have a unique way of understanding how the world is ordered, and they can take your young company to the next level, just as they’ve done when working with Mark or Larry or Sergei. You soon realize, however, that weaknesses that were easy to paper over in huge corporations are much harder to ignore in a small start-up, and that these emperors of experience have no clothes.
F is for Fit: They’ll make a great cultural fit for our company, you think. They’re genuine team players and collaborators. You love the energy they bring to the office, but you don’t love the fact that they can’t really write, don’t really think, and bring on no new business, which makes them not much of a fit after all.
So if these tried and true things to look for in hiring are actually traps, what do you look for in building a stronger, more diverse, and highly committed and competent workforce? Listen to the wisdom of my friend and former client Kirk McDonald, a leader of the ad tech industry, and start with the stuff that you can’t teach. It may sound too simplistic, but Kirk has narrowed it all down to two elements: Self-motivation and intellectual curiosity. If your new hires have these two qualities, no matter what else they lack, they’re likely to find a way to become key players, no matter the company.
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