Alex Malley: “You’re hired! The six characteristics…”
By Kurt Schmidt In Blog, News On April 8, 2014
Alex Malley’s LinkedIn “Influencer” article “You’re hired! The six characteristics I look for in a job applicant” has some great insights about how he likes to get beyond the standard interview interrogation. In the book I write a lot about how to make the most of interviews by doing your best to ask questions and engage hiring managers about their needs. Alex’s article speaks to some of the same issues I point out but from the interviewer’s point of view.
His first point – “Are they interesting?” Curiosity is the hallmark of an active mind. Curiosity about life, experience, etc. – and, in a job interview, how the position works and can be done better. Candidates who demonstrate curiosity about how things work are engaging and leave a better impression than candidates who accept things the way they are. How do you demonstrate curiosity? Easy, ask questions.
A “holistic perspective,” yes, indeed. If you want to be successful you need to think about the big picture and how the position you’re interviewing for affects the whole. In this order – learn about: the mission, the job, the team, the division or business unit, the company, the customers, the industry and where it all sits in the economic universe. How can you possibly do your job without knowing its impact?
“Passion,” ownership, taking responsibility, call it what you want. Candidates who show that they care about the mission or the goals of the team (beyond the actual position itself) create more interest in hiring managers than candidates who merely demonstrate that they can do the job.
“Open about their mistakes,” or honestly, modesty, humility – people are put off by someone who can’t admit that they are wrong or don’t know everything. Especially in hiring situations. It pays to not be assumptive, to admit errors and immediately try to learn and improve.
“Opinionated” – Be careful. Alex may like people who are not afraid to show their opinions but perhaps his environment is less polarized than ours (USA) seems to be right now. Having an opinion is a good thing, it shows thoughtfulness, individuality (maybe), and the courage to express yourself. Having too much opinion at the wrong time shows a lack of “situational” awareness and will definitely hurt in an interview situation. That’s not to say that candidates need to mirror the opinions of their potential hiring managers or an organization itself to get hired, rather that it’s simply better to think before speaking.
“Leadership” and vision – yes, demonstrate that you have imagination, personal goals, and have given thought to your future. However be mindful that whatever questions are asked about long term visions and career goals can lead to falling into traps of self interest. In interviews, it’s okay and even good to talk about long term goals. Better still is inquiring about the manager’s goals and trading visions.
Successful interviews are conversations not interrogations. Engage and ask as many questions as you answer and everyone will get more from the process. Alex is absolutely right about one thing – “You are going to spend a lot of time under the same roof as this person.” That goes both ways so it pays to make limited interview time count.
