Examining a Universal Truth

Sure, some of the advice you received from your parents might have been overblown, but one nugget of wisdom was not: “There’s nothing more important than making good decisions.”  This holds true no matter the situation or the circumstances involved.  It is, in other words, a universal truth.  In this issue of The Animal Science Monitor, we examine this truth as it pertains to career development.  The decisions you make not only dictate your future path, they also say something about you as a person.  So enjoy this issue, and we thank you for choosing to be a loyal reader of The ASM.  (See?  You’ve already made a good decision.)

—Dan and Don

 

Career Choices and Top Candidates

(By Dan Simmons)

A leopard, as they say, can’t change their spots.

And for many job seekers, the same is true with the type of decisions that they make.  This is of the utmost importance for hiring managers and companies, because their success or failure is predicated upon the decisions that their employees make on a daily basis.  But can you predict what kind of decisions a candidate will make if they become part of your company?  With 100% accuracy, no, but you can identify patterns of decision-making, and your ability to do that could save you headaches down the road.

When it comes to candidates, their skill set, their talent level, and their experience are completely separate from their ability to make sound decisions.  Just because somebody possesses a top-notch set of skills doesn’t mean they’re automatically able to make good decisions most of the time.  The problem that often arises is that hiring managers are blinded by a particular candidate’s raw ability and talent, causing them to overlook the potential for danger.

The ‘hidden resume’

A resume is more than just words written on a page or a series of facts or events.  There is a “hidden resume,” one that can reveal far more than what the candidate intends to.  The trick is to discern the pattern that exists within this “hidden resume” and decide if that pattern is one that you want to bring onboard with your company.  The rule of thumb is rather simple:

Somebody who has a history of making questionable decisions is likely to continue making those types of decisions in the future.  Conversely, somebody who has a history of making sound or good decisions is likely to continue making those types of decisions, as well.

A star candidate is certainly desirable, but a star candidate who makes good decisions is the crème de la crème—all upside and no downside.  Let’s take a look at a few of the patterns that might exist in a “hidden resume” and what they could mean to you if you hired this fictitious individual.

• Significant gaps between jobs—Sure, they have qualifications out their ears, but where were they between 2000 and 2002?  If they didn’t put it on their resume, do you even want to know?

• Glaring lack of advancement—If they’re so skilled, why didn’t they make considerable strides at their previous employer?  You want somebody who is motivated to be the best they can be and to do the best job possible.  That’s the only way to maximize the potential of your company.

• A series of short-term positions—While it’s true it could be a non-factor if the person likes the freedom and flexibility of contract work, it’s another matter for somebody who’s only worked direct-hire positions.  Poor decision-making may be at the root of the problem.

• Many unrelated jobs—Have they been trying to “find themselves?”  If so, have they done it yet?  You need people who are committed, motivated, and focused, not experimenting.

Balancing the scales

Exactly how important are good decision-making skills when it comes to hiring top talent?  Imagine for a moment a scale similar to “The Scales of Justice.”  One on side are a candidate’s skills, talent level, and experience.  On the other is their ability to make decisions.  It doesn’t matter how great this person is regarding the technical aspects of the position; if they consistently make bad decisions, that side of the scale will come crashing down, throwing all of their skills in disarray.  However, if they consistently make good decisions, the scale will be perfectly balanced, and so will the candidate in terms of how they’ll contribute to the company’s success.

The good news is that candidates give clues as to their ability to make such decisions.  They can be found in the “hidden resume” and also during the face-to-face interview.  The key is to be able to identify the patterns and weed out those whose future decisions might prove harmful.  While it’s true that a leopard can’t change his spots, that doesn’t mean you have to hire him.

If you have any questions about this topic, I would be happy to answer them for you.  You can contact me at dan@consearch.com.