Would you ever hire someone blindly? Probably not. Yet, I have witnessed too many people and leaders who do not truly know one another.
This flaw begins in the hiring and onboarding process. We should be striving to know a person beyond their resume, to see if they would be a top draft pick for our winning team, to see if they sound like and act like one of us. But let’s be honest, it is hard to truly know a person from a single interview (though I can help get you closer) or a brief onboarding process.
That said, knowing a person beyond what degree they possess or from previous job experience(s) is vital in today’s workplace. Moreover, I’ve seen too many people get qualifications and degrees they think they need overlooking their true passions and purpose. They might not be truly passionate about sales or finance, causing misalignment down the road. We’ve got a mess on our hands but something can and should be done.
Hiring for More Than Just a Job Description
A resume might check all the boxes, but does the person?
When hiring, we often focus on qualifications and experience, but what about personality?
- Are they dominant or more easygoing?
- Do they lean introverted or extroverted?
- Are they naturally patient or more fast-paced?
- Conformist or non-conformist?
The list can go on and it is important to know this as we place people together in teams and ask them to climb steep mountains. Keep in mind these are all strengths we need in our companies.
These aren’t just minor details, but a key part of building strong, effective teams. Every organization needs a mix of extroverts and introverts, conformists and nonconformists. But if we don’t take the time to understand who we’re hiring, we risk placing people in environments where they can’t thrive…
