No one would question the importance of picking the right person to give your heart to. But do you realize that it’s equally important – well, OK, nearly as important – to choose the right person to give a job to? This is someone who you are trusting with presumably important tasks and with whom you are going to spend quite a bit of time – a potential “work wife” or “work hubby”. You’ve got to take it seriously!

Fortunately, there are some pretty clear guidelines about how to vet a candidate. Even more fortunate? I’m going to tell you what they are!

  • Do your homework. Research, research, research! Ask for a reference not on the reference list; you might be more likely to get unrehearsed, candid info. Google! It sounds too easy, but Google is a great way to get some background information that a candidate might not want revealed.
  • Don’t hang ’em out to dry. Candidates are in a delicate position if they are exploring an opportunity with you while still employed at another job. Reaching out to someone with his or her current firm shouldn’t be necessary unless you have specific concerns with no other way to address them.
  • Do see the individual behind the resume. Facts – experience, education, honors – are important, but they don’t tell the whole story. Pay attention to intangibles such as sense of humor and sociability so that you can evaluate a candidate’s likelihood of fitting into your corporate culture. Again, it is like finding someone through internet dating – on paper, Mr. or Ms. Right is perfect, but in person the spark just might not be there.
  • Do dig a little deeper. Sure, references listed by a candidate will be likely to say positive things about him or her. Does that mean that you shouldn’t bother contacting them? Of course not! Just ask the right questions. “What is this candidate passionate about?” can reveal great insight about someone. “Is this person a superstar?” may sound kind of silly but can garner some great answers or – even more revealing – hemming and hawing.
  • Don’t ignore red flags. Not everything that gives you pause will turn out to be a negative, but you’ve got to be sure. For instance, if a candidate doesn’t provide a current or former supervisor as a reference, it shows, at the very least, odd judgment. If a reference can’t cite any examples that illustrate a candidate’s strengths, you’re likely looking at someone who didn’t make much of an impression.

Now, while I’m talking to the managers out there about hiring practices, I also want to say something to the candidates themselves: Be honest. Be upfront. Be candid. I have had candidates lie to my face about why they left a position – saying the hours were oppressively long when the truth was that an affair with the CEO had turned sour, maybe, or embellishing on a job title or responsibilities. If you were fired, you have to tell me. For one thing, I WILL find out – to think otherwise is to assume I’m not very good at my job. Less than perfect, I can deal with. Less than honest? No way.

Life coach Brian Tracy has a quote that is very much in line with what I do. “Life,” – or, in my case, building a team – “is like a combination lock; your job is to find the right numbers, in the right order, so that you can have anything you want.” Bringing aboard the best person for a particular job may be a delicate and challenging craft, but it is not magic!

Make sure you come back and see Peckman Search Partners next time, when I’ll have some special advice for a group facing a unique kind of job-search struggle!