Sure, the company you apply with wants to know if you fit them. But do they fit you?

 

Oftentimes, candidates are in a position where they JUST NEED A JOB. You’re in career free fall. This can be because of any number of reasons. Whatever the motives, they usually aren’t from a careful consideration of why you want to work for said company in said role. Desperation and need are never good reasons to apply for any job, but it is so common that it’s really the norm and not the exception. You may find yourself in this situation in your career at some time or another. Is there anything you can do apart from the knee-jerk reaction of taking whatever is available?

One thing you can do is start to treat job searching as a two-way street. Sure, every company you apply with has criteria for the job. But what is your criteria for working for that employer? Do you ever have any? Many candidates boil their criteria down to the ultimate size of the company (bigger is better) and the compensation (bigger is better). Those are hardly criteria at all, and almost certainly won’t set you up for success.

What you really need to ask yourself is, in what ways does this company fit my needs, my sense of self, my career path, and will my hard work be seen, appreciated, and rewarded?

It’s not a rule of thumb, but it could be said that the larger the organization is, the more anonymous you will be among a sea of others vying to get seen and promoted. But you also might make more money. According to the latest stats from The Cato Institute, a federal government employee can make as much as 80% more than their private company counterpart. The question you should probably ask yourself here is what are you giving up in the process? With that larger salary (and a pension) you might be giving up on your dreams entirely. It also might be true that all that makes you happy (or so it seems) is more money and more security. If you feel this way, that’s perfectly normal, though I can tell you that almost every coaching client I have tells me they gave up on their dreams to pursue money and financial security, only realizing years later that they feel unfulfilled by that choice, and want to start in a fresh direction again. This is the most common thing I hear in coaching sessions. Oh, and the fear of trying something new. But you know that this fear has been with you all along, and was instrumental in making you choose safely in the first place.

If you’re going to have any chance at being happy in your career, or with the companies you choose to work for, you cannot keep treating your career like a one-way street, with all of the power at the employer end. You are so much more than your skill-set. They are also buying your ‘x factor’, whatever that ‘x factor’ is. It’s what makes you special and more than one in a 100 other applicants. Because you are a special resource, you absolutely need to make sure the company you apply with is the right fit for you. Or you will be settling for a function than wilts your inner reserves and heart for the work.

How do you do that?

The first way is to research the company in every way possible. This will include talking to employees and former employees. There are many ways to research the reality within, which can be done by asking questions on that company’s social platforms. If you want to be more discreet, you can search out other postings by employees and former employees, see what people say on Glassdoor, see if there are any negative or positive reviews on sites such as Better Business Bureau.

Compare the company’s values, what you see of how they communicate about themselves, against the competition. Do you get the feeling they are a company who walks the talk? There are a lot of organizations out there who merely sell the function. Is the company you want to apply for selling an experience? Are they speaking to you?

How are you treated in the process? In an interview? There’s a misconception that candidates have to take whatever comes to them from an employer. This is particularly true if you’re in a tough economy when you have a great deal of competition and little opportunity. Fact is, if you don’t like how you’re being handled or talked to, not only do you not need to participate, you shouldn’t. You might think that you’ll lose if you don’t just take whatever comes on the chin, but that’s ultimately not true. You might lose this opportunity, but if you feel like the process or the interviewing was in any way insulting or demeaning or belittling, you can walk. Be prepared to walk from things that don’t sit right with your morals, ethics, or basic behaviours of decency.

When your job hunting, often you’re in free fall and need that parachute to open and save you from crashing out. Most of us don’t have savings enough to glide our way to the next thing. I get that. But don’t compromise who you are in the process of finding that next job. Be aware of what’s important to you, be aware of who you are and what you stand for and against. And make the best choices for you. Attracting the right talent isn’t a one-way street. You are the other part of that equation, and what’s important to you should be just as important, if not more important, than what’s important to the company looking to benefit from your skills and personality.

Keep up with interesting videos and articles every week. Become a magazine subscriber.

There are some bizarre tactics used in interviews you should avoid. Here are some recent experiences.

 

Part of our hiring process for new candidates is to have people do a short job fit and personality assessment to understand how they are and how they adjust to the job they might be hired for. Our job fit and personality assessments really help our clients see into candidates, for their unconscious, inherent and adjusted behaviours. We couple this with many in-person interviews to understand potential candidates. The one thing we never do is ask: “if you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?” Or, “what’s your spirit animal?” I’m not sure how these sorts of arbitrary questions made it into serious recruiting but here are some reasons why you should drop this practice immediately.

It’s arbitrary. In the movie Fight Club, the anti-hero goes into a meditation where he find himself in an ice cave, on his way to meet his spirit animal. When he finds it, it turns out to be a penguin. That’s funny, and it’s a movie, but in the serious world of hiring the best candidates, is it at all valuable to have someone think about what their spirit animal is, as a means of judging their value to you as a company? Seems unlikely.

It’s offensive and unserious. Q+ people who align themselves with the personalities of kin animals could very well be offended. Spirit or kin animal identification is important to some people who already know what animal they identify with. Asking them could well offend them. For others, the question might seem deeply unserious and unrelated to their ability on the job.

It’s demeaning. The candidate doesn’t know what you’re asking of them, unless they already believe in or identify with spirit animals. The candidate doesn’t know if the answer they give will be right or wrong or even how you’re interpreting their answer.

It makes you look unserious. If you ask what kind of tree or animal a person would be, the candidate might respond with a joke answer, or an answer based on how they’re feeling that day. Others will assume that maybe an oak tree is a better answer than a willow. So, you’re not finding anything out about the candidate. You’re just coming off as less than serious.

It doesn’t help you understand anything. If you’re asking these kinds of interview questions, you might as well ask, “if you were a soft drink what soft drink would you be?” Or, “if you were a running shoe brand, which shoe brand would you be?” With questions like these, you might as well stop interviewing and throw darts at a dartboard blindfolded.

We see candidates every week who report back having these kinds of questions asked of them through interviewers and companies prior to applying for positions we represent. They laugh and they wonder, and they feel a bit angry they’re asked questions like these instead of real-world questions about their past job successes, and the general conversation you should have with any candidate, where you ask the important questions that help you dig deeper into this person.

Asking them what kind of tree they are, or what spirit animal they identify with, probably aren’t the most important questions you can ask. And they might have negative consequences you’ve not considered. It most certainly won’t help you find out who this person is.

Keep up with interesting videos and articles every week. Become a magazine subscriber.

Is social shyness holding you back? Here are some low-anxiety ideas for increasing your job chances.

 

OK, so you feel awkward and self-conscious in social situations. So do lots of people. Social shyness is a very common phenomena. And everyone feels some level of social anxiety in every interaction. Most people can hide their social anxiety pretty well, but some can’t. If you are one of the ones who can’t, or you feel you can’t, I’m sure you might feel a lot like this reddit user whose social awkwardness, they feel, is getting in the way of getting a job. In the reddit sub r/interviews, u/I_have_questions01 asks:

I have absolutely no communication skills and have been unemployed for two years. Is there any hope for a 24-year-old like me?

This has been the feedback through the 30+ interviews I’ve had over the last two years. I’ve always had communication issues since I was a kid and I could never get any social intelligence, no matter how hard I tried. This is putting me into a serious depression and no matter how much I try it’s useless.

EDIT:- These interviews were for IT and sales jobs. Yes I’ve got a damn college degree and I can’t talk myself into a small, part-time job.

What should I do?

I had two interviews over the last two weeks. One was for a retail job at the Levis store and another was an IT role for a client at HSBC. I got rejected for both and the feedback was that my answers were good, however my conversational skills were lacking. One told me that I could’ve used hand gestures to be interactive with the customer, while the other flat out said my communication was lacking.

I’ve had mock interviews with my brother and a friend of mine, they both said the same thing. I say the right things, but I come off stiff and bland, where I come off sounding like a robot. So really the content is good, but the delivery is where I’m extremely lacking. Another thing is that I stutter a lot which is something that I can’t help.

My reply to u/I_have_questions01,

My guess is you actually have communication skills, based on how well you write and how you express your thoughts on this issue. Social anxiety and social awkwardness are common with the majority of people. If it makes you feel better, I know people who feel socially gregarious who have applied for 50+ jobs and also haven’t been hired. The whole hiring process creates anxiety and not winning a job over two years can really work on your esteem. Have you ever thought of working with a career coach? Someone with experience you can trust who can help you overcome some things that might be keeping you from getting that job? It might be that this has hit your esteem hard and you just need a boost to see that what’s happening to you happens to million of people? Many people are socially shy or awkward; it’s so common that I feel like an experienced recruiter or career coach could help you with skills to land that job, despite your feelings about yourself? I totally understand how being out of work and denied jobs can work on your self esteem. I would encourage you not to see yourself negatively.  You’ll only make yourself feel worse. Work on the few small things that might be getting in your way, and don’t give up. I know applying for job after job without success makes you feel like the problem is you. But it really might not be you at all. And if it is, there are likely some things a good coach could help with, without it being costly for you. But choose wisely. And good luck! Don’t get down on yourself. Something will click. Just stay with it.

u/I_have_questions01, and anyone else who can identify with these issues, if you struggle with stuttering, simply announce this to your next interviewer at the top of the interview. This isn’t something any interviewer with integrity would ever hold against you. This allows you to get it out of the way in a confident manner so you won’t feel as anxious about if and when it happens. It’s not a big deal. Anxiety is likely making you feel so self-aware by over-rehearsing everything in your mind, and afraid of saying even the wrong thing. So, you stiffen up, and you, as you say, come across as a robot or bland. Two things: don’t re-play what might happen and rehearse yourself into a panic. Just know how it is you can help the company with whom you’re interviewing, and have stories of how you did that in your past roles elsewhere. Telling a story is not only the easiest way to loosen up and liven up your ‘delivery’ but it also keeps you in control of the interview, because the interviewer, being a human being, will lend an easy ear to your story. It doesn’t have to be long, it doesn’t even have to be that interesting. It just has to be important to the new role you’re trying to land. Human interaction, no matter who it is, creates some level of anxiety, it’s just the way it is. Instead of thinking you’re the abnormal one, remember that most people, if not all people, experience some level of social anxiety. Because you have more trouble hiding yours, this might just make you a very sensitive person, which is a highly desirable trait in people, especially for certain positions and careers. You can even explain to your interviewer that interviews make you nervous but you’re so excited you’re there and have an opportunity to join the company. Every recruiter knows that every interview is stressful for the potential candidate, no matter who you are. Your confidence will come through in your honesty, and you will merit some points for integrity.

That’s a powerful place to start from. Now tell your story and get that dream job.

Keep up with interesting videos and articles every week. Become a magazine subscriber.

Proof that there’s a more profound way to hire and keep great talent.

 

People are attracted to value, and they like what they value. From handbags to hamburgers, brands that achieve position in the minds of their customers and maintain that position, outperform their competition and win the market. Brand positionality is important. With reach, well positioned brands can be hugely influential on buying decisions. This is no different, or shouldn’t be, when you look to recruit and retain the best executive and professional candidates for your organization.

This isn’t just a guess or theoretical, I know. Because this is how we have changed the game in recruiting over the last two years of applying modern marketing and brand strategy techniques to the recruiting process. Our clients get the positionality and reach they need to attract more and better candidates in ways they had never done before. In the process, we also position our clients for new business opportunities, done through the hiring and retention lens. The value we add to the process also includes helping clients monetize their intellectual property and content. This holistic view of hiring and retention adds exponential value to the recruiting function of your business; instead of looking at it as a silo among other department silos, we see the true value of recruiting as adding to your brand, your strength in the market, and adding huge momentum to your business or product marketing. By involving your brand in the story of your people, you’ll be able to see quickly that how you advertise for people is your culture. It is your opportunity to advertise to the world who exactly you are, why you are better and different, and what your mission is beyond the functional.

Many companies sell functional things, from oil and gas to transporting goods. So, you might believe, if you’ve been successful without paying attention to your brand, that all you need to do is go out and find some good functioning people. We say, based on evidence, imagine how much value and opportunity you are missing out on by not leveraging your brand in pursuit of finding the best fits for your organization? Not leveraging your brand in market across your recruiting efforts, means you are missing out on identifying those you really want to reach, the great mass of those not in the job market actively looking for a job. However, using your brand and modern marketing and distribution tactics will both help you reach the out-of-market candidates with something that engages them, while also giving you the analytics behind your recruiting campaigns to inform your own brand.

Research has shown for years that the most valued asset you own is the idea of your brand in the mind of the market. If candidates are largely unaware of you, they might not care if you are company A or B and will be looking themselves at more functional criteria, like salary, vacation days, and benefits. But, put your brand into the mix in a powerful, evocative, and meaningful way, and you have more power in the conversation with the candidate, who will now have a way to differentiate you from the mass of others like you in your market. They might be more inclined to come for the culture and not just for the money. And right there you have a candidate more likely to stay with you through thick and thin because you’ve made them believe.

Think about that the next time you choose your gas station, buy that purse, or order a Big Mac. Ask yourself where your brand preferences come from, because we all have them. And apply the same strategies to your branded recruiting efforts. You will be more successful than if you don’t.

Keep up with interesting videos and articles every week. Become a magazine subscriber.

Getting up and at ‘em is an important part of dreaming.

 

An old friend of mine once said he gets up in the morning and ‘attacks’ his day. That made a big impression on me at the time. What he meant wasn’t running into the fray willy-nilly in a frenzy of chaotic energy. He meant that he prepares his next day the day before, knows what the day looks like, and goes for it. He’s a very organized and sought-after photographer in North America, with an agent and everything. And after over 30 years as a professional photographer he still attacks every day with fresh energy, optimism, and good will. He is a driven, award-winning professional with the portfolio to match. And the way that he’s succeeded over so long at such a high level in such a competitive industry is because of the energy and drive he has to tackle every day with enthusiasm.

I know what it’s like to not feel like one has the energy to do this every day. This week, as an example, I have met with some of my leader and career coaching clients who don’t feel like attacking their day. They might feel burnt out. They might be full of self-doubt and low esteem. They might feel their life and career is going nowhere, or that they have under-achieved so far in life, but have lost that vital energy and self-belief that drives us to be our best. I totally understand that this is the norm with most people. But I encourage you to try to push past all of those mental barriers and realize again that you are as good as anyone else, you can achieve what you want, and you shouldn’t let your past keep your future in stasis. Attacking your day, even if you have to force yourself, is a good way to focus your energies for the day to come.

Many of us are prisoners in our own minds and lives. We are the ones keeping ourselves back. And only we can be the ones to help ourselves move ahead. Your mind can be a terrible prison and a formidable enemy. Releasing yourself from the prison of your own making can feel like a difficult thing to do, if you think you’re not worthy, not capable, and undeserving of more. I understand how this happens and I can empathize with those feelings. But those are negative feelings keeping you down. Your thoughts about yourself are keeping you down. And outwardly, others might even be able to see this in you, by the way that you dress, the way you speak, the way you hold yourself, and the look in your eyes. How you feel shows through to others. So instead of beating yourself up right now reading this and feeling bad about yourself all over again, start replacing those negative thoughts and words to positive ones. Even if it’s a strain, try to get your inner voice to start giving you encouragement instead of reinforcing your negativity about yourself. There is no doubt that there are many people who appreciate you, care about you, and love you, and who only want you to see everything in yourself that they see in you.

The power to change your future is entirely in your hands. Day by day it can be very hard to stay positive about ourselves. I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t have ants (those automatic negative thoughts) running around their heads, digging holes in their energy and esteem. Tell the ants to take a hike when they appear in the morning. And instead of regretting that you have to get up and do anything at all, get up and say to yourself, out loud and in your own head, ‘I’m going to attack my day’. Say it over and over again if you need to. Make a list of things you’re going to achieve tomorrow and conquer your daily goals. They say it takes three weeks to three months to develop any habit, good or bad. So, try this habit of cleaning the clutter from your mind, be positive with yourself and don’t put yourself down. Make you morning and your day matter, they are your opportunity to show the world what you’re made of. So, up and at ‘em and make it count!

Keep up with interesting videos and articles every week. Become a magazine subscriber.