One of the first critical tasks I completed when the Coronavirus first hit and we were all asked to stay at home, was to binge-watch the entire first season of Love is Blind on Netflix. This *serious* research project led me to the following conclusions: we always want the one who doesn't want us and we are not necessarily well-equipped to make our own best choices.
And this is just as true in recruiting as it is in our love lives.
I am currently in the middle of a search for a senior leader. We’ve spoken to several good people, but there is one amazing candidate, and of course, she's just not that into us. We've thrown every incentive we can think of at her and she's consistently responded with some version of, "That's nice, but no thanks." The entire process has brought back bad memories of swiping right on men who never returned the favor.
The Marriage Problem
The similarities between dating and recruiting are myriad right now. The Coronavirus has made it impossible to meet new dating prospects offline. Similarly, we're currently conducting 100% of our hiring virtually at work. This means that we have to determine if a candidate is “marriage material” before we’ve ever even met them in person.
On the plus side, the transition to virtual recruiting and a distributed workforce has leveled the playing field, allowing us to consider a more diverse pool of applicants than ever before. We are far more agnostic about where people live and are far more interested in who brings the best skills rather than who went to the "best" schools.
Just like dating, interviewing can be a strange thing under the best of circumstances. When it’s completely virtual the process can be super awkward; there's the inevitable speaking over each other so no one is heard; you have to contend with unreliable connections, bad lighting, and the fact that no one (on either side of the equation) is comfortable with how they look on camera.
Adding to the challenge is the simple fact that even after a couple of positive interviews, candidates are still on their best behavior and it's hard to know if you're seeing the "real" person. When dating, you can't know a person until you see them in a situation that tests their character. While it’s relatively simple to break up with someone you’ve been out with a few times, severing ties with a new hire once you’ve discovered they’re “rude to the waitstaff” is more complicated.
Due Diligence is Key
To avoid the potential pitfalls of online recruiting, it’s critical to do your research. Here are a few practices you can use to ensure that you're "marrying" the right person:
- Be thorough: Use reliable resources to build a complete and accurate picture of your candidate. Take care in your research as there are some pitfalls to be aware of.
- Give them an opportunity to shine: Instead of asking "traditional" interview questions, present a problem/situation/scenario ahead of time and ask your candidate to prepare a short presentation. After their presentation, take time to probe into their thought process and understand how they arrived at their conclusions.
- Diversify Your Hiring Committee: When I’m considering dating prospects, I rely on a group of girlfriends for advice. I make sure to check in with the cynical ones and the optimistic; married, single, and dating. The same applies to recruiting: create a hiring team composed of people from different backgrounds and areas of expertise to help make the best decision.
- Know what you really REALLY want. Your company values should be an important part of your hiring process. By being clear about what is most important, you have the best chance of making a good match.
- Keep your standards high: There is some amazing talent available right now. Don’t be like our friends on Love is Blind: design an approach that fits your company culture and take your time to find the right person.
- Date Your Candidate Before You Marry Them: Even the contestants on the show went on vacation and spent time together before walking down the aisle. If the candidate hasn't sold you after multiple interviews, hire them to consult on a specific project and see how they perform (keep in mind the IRS has something to say about who is an employee and who is a consultant).
Pace Yourself and Consider Fit
The worst hiring experiences I've had are the ones in which I didn’t listen to my instincts and fast-tracked a candidate because I was feeling pressured to move quickly. I think we've all had similar experiences in our dating lives. You meet someone you know is "the one" and jump right in. A month or two later, you're jumping right back out.
The majority of the population gets up in the morning and wants to do good work, but that doesn't mean everyone is right for every job. Likewise, there are a lot of great guys out there that I am not dating because, for whatever reason, it's not a match. Recruiters have to consider where a candidate's skills, experience, and desires overlap with their organization’s. Fit is the special sauce that makes for a great "marriage."
Are you in the hunt for a great new job? There’s some good advice here and here to help you.
How has your recruiting (or job seeking, or what the hell, dating!) approach changed since the start of the pandemic? I’d love to hear from you.
