A big mistake that many contractors make when hiring people is that they forget about the people they did not hire. If the company is growing and that person is qualified, while you may not need that person now, it is very possible you will need them in the future.
However, there could be an even more important reason. Sometimes a person is not hired because the interviewers did not think they would fit into the company business culture. A “culture fit” is hard to define and decipher. For some interviewers, a good culture fit refers to someone they would like to go out and have a beer with after work. Not wanting to go out and have a beer with someone, though, may be dismissing a potentially good employee far too quickly. If that person is now long forgotten, it could be a missed opportunity.
Here’s a perfect example:
A young man named Anthony applied for a job at Netflix as a software developer. After his day of interviews, the human resources department decided to write him off. “He’s too quiet,” said two of the interviewers. The software developers at Netflix are known to be loud and boisterous.
Netflix decided to hire one of the other candidates who they believed would fit in better. Yes, he did, but a few months after he was hired, he moved on to another position with a different company.
One of the interviewers remembered Anthony, held on to his contact information, and believed he would prove to be an excellent employee. Because they needed someone quick and he was available, the interviewers all agreed to hire him.
A few months later, the interviewer sat in on a meeting of the software development team. As usual, according to the interviewer, everyone was loud, and this time, there was considerable arguing as well. Suddenly Anthony said, “Can I speak?” According to the interviewer, “the room went silent. Anthony did not say much, but when he did, everyone knew it was something they should all hear.” Today, Anthony, who at one time had been rejected by Netflix, is now one of the company’s vice presidents.
Here are the key takeaways from this discussion:
- If a qualified person is interviewed, but not hired, hold on to their name. It’s much easier to find this person again than to go to some website and start all over, getting barraged with resumes from people you don’t know.
- If you find someone who is qualified but decide not to hire them, part from him or her on very good terms. You want them to walk away feeling that they would like to work for your company.
- Realize that deciphering if someone will be a right “fit” in a company is not always the best way to determine who should and should not be hired. Some people, like Anthony, may be quieter and more independent. However, those people just like him, may ultimately prove to be very valuable employees.
- Finally, always remember that really good people
are hard to find. Someone may not be the
right person for the currently available position, but they may be perfect for
another job at a different time.
Ron Segura is president of Segura Associates. His company works with large and small contractors helping them build their businesses and streamline business operations so that they can reduce costs and operate more profitably. He can be reached through his company website at seguraassociates@msn.com
