Managers, clones and hiring

Have you ever experienced an interview where managers are looking at hiring candidates that are clones/replica of themselves? And then you get back from the discussion wondering if it was for a role that you didn’t fit into. Or, you got hired for a role that held much more promise than the one you eventually got.

It’s not an uncommon scenario. The easiest way for a manager to conquer the hiring heights is to look for candidates that match the job description 100% and yet would bring in a bit more competency to the table. It’s an ideal scenario that has, less ramp-up time, good fit and most importantly easy to manage. They’re easy to manage (or at least so it seems) because they already know what needs to be done. Zero conflict situation. Perfect.

Except that they are far too many issues that will crop up in due course of time. That’s when the ‘safe’ managers will take a hit. Imagine a situation where the product needs a new roadmap to be defined and everyone at the table thinks alike! Breaking news: The product just got killed.

What should you do if you are a manager stuck in this hiring situation? First and most importantly, don’t benchmark candidates against the last person in that role. Treat each candidate’s competency differently. Assess your current team’s strength and hire to fix gaps. Be prepared to accept new perspectives. Give the candidate some room to learn things in the role. Finally, be ready to take risks (at least the calculated ones) as a manager. If you can’t, then ask yourself if you are in the right role.

What should you do if you are a candidate stuck in this situation? You were promised a meatier role, but ended up in a role that’s identical to your last job. It’s time to communicate with your manager. Understand the duration of your current responsibilities in the role. If it’s for a fixed duration, then ask for a timeline to start taking on more/newer things. I’m quite sure there’s no manager (in their right senses) that would say ‘No’ to a team member asking to take on work. If the answer is no, the responsibilities will continue for an indefinite time, it’s a call you need to take. Are you willing to continue or move on?

Can I tag along for an interview?

I got this question at a discussion forum with friends.

Can I tag along for an interview?

Adding a little more context to the question; the person asking the question comes with a background of approx 5-6 years of work experience and has been on the look out for a another job for the last few months. He hasn’t yet received a call from any prospective employer. Another person in the forum got an interview call with a company for a job that matches the original poster’s profile. This wasn’t a walk-in interview. It was a scheduled one. Should he just tag along with his friend?

The short & quick answer is – No. Please don’t tag along with your friend for an interview.

Now, here’s a bit more explanation. There are at least three different sets of people involved in this situation. In order of priority: Your friend. Company/Firm. Yourself.

First, let’s take your friend’s situation. He’s might have known you long enough and doesn’t want to end up saying ‘No’ (which he ideally should say). Yet, you are putting him on the spot by asking to tag along. It’s his interview call and let him go for it. The best you can get from your friend would be the mail ID of either the recruiter or hiring manager to send your resume. Tagging along would put him and yourself in an awkward situation at the interview.

Second, let’s see the company perspective. Yes, they would love to talk to another candidate, but it’ll have to be on another day too. This just happened to be a ‘scheduled’ interview. It means that time and effort of the interview panel was planned. They definitely can’t accommodate another unplanned candidate into their schedule. They’ll ask you to send your updated resume to them for consideration. Save yourself and them the trouble and wait for your friend to get back from the interview.

Finally, from your perspective, this is a great opportunity. Agreed. But you’ll end up messing the opportunity it if you tag along. Typically, companies would like to review a candidate’s resume before they initiate a discussion. And possibly even have a telephonic discussion before meeting you in-person. That hasn’t happened in your case, they’ll have to say ‘No’ to you.

Interviews: Panel v/s One-to-one

Well, you’re ready for that all important interviews to begin and walk into the room…and you’ve walked into one of the two scenarios (or versions of it).

• You come face-to-face with an interview panel of 2-4 (or at time even more) people waiting to start the interview.
or,

• You have one person waiting to start the interview.

Either way, it isn’t a choice that you were given. Instead, you’ll have to deal with it as it unfolds. Well, here’s the take on both sides of the story. Which would you prefer?

Typically, panel interviews are practiced (or should be practiced) by companies with trained interviewers. It requires a set of people asking questions that aren’t redundant and focuses on evaluating different skills/topics. Since it involves more than one person asking varied questions, it’s perceived to be a lot tougher to focus. Yes, it’s difficult to gauge the pulse of everyone on the panel, but you can be assured that the final hiring call rests (or should rest) with the manager. We can argue that the panel interview saves time, cost, more focused and gives you an accurate decision/assessment. It also acts as a platform to train new interviewers. At the same time, it can be intimidating to the candidate, more stressful or might even confuse the candidate with different questions at the same time. More importantly, one can’t rule out the possibility of a dominant interviewer’s opinion affecting the hiring decision.

The only way to ace a panel interview, like in other formats, is to go prepared and stay relaxed.

On other hand, we have one-to-one interviews. It gives candidates enough time to answer each question systematically and in detail. It also gives the interviewer an opportunity to speak more openly and ask open-ended questions. More importantly, each discussion can be customized based on the candidate. It gives an opportunity for the hiring manager to evaluate the interviewer’s independent assessment of candidates. This takes away the bias of the ‘influencer’ in a panel interview. On the cons, it’s time consuming, costs are higher and the process is tedious.

So, if you had the option to choose a type of interview, what would it be?

Candidate Tip - Part 9

Few months back, I started the ‘Candidate Tip Series’ on this blog with an intention to answer recruitment related questions from readers. The series was introduced in an attempt to avoid redundancy in replies. I tweet these tips on my twitter account too, and use #candidatetip for the tips.

If you are a candidate, hope this helps. If not, you can help send this post to people searching for answers. I’ll continue to take questions and should you have one, you can send it to thehrstore@gmail.com

Looking for the earlier posts on candidate tips? You can read them here

1. It's not a good idea to get your spouse to answer the phone, when an interviewer calls at a scheduled time. It's awkward!


2. If you're sharing your LinkedIn profile as a resume, don't include your personal Twitter/Blog Link. http://bit.ly/aTLGfm


3. Think twice before you take a role that requires you to report to a friend.


4. Why on earth would you want to put your sun-sign on your resume?! Beats me. Unless off course you're asked. That would be weird!


5. There's no real benefit in adding a redundant/not-in-use LinkedIn link in your resume. Avoid it.


6. Coming from a competitor definitely gives you an edge, but you still need to ace the interviews. Take nothing for granted!


7. It's not a great idea to take another interview on phone, while you wait in the lobby for the present one to start!


8. Try to not change your contact number(s) in the middle of an interview process. If you have to, keep the recruiter informed.


9. Yes, your spouse might be a financial analyst/genius., but the job offer and its components will only be discussed with you!


10. It's ok to ask the hiring manager a few questions on his/her style of management. You'll know if it works for you or not.


11. Your colleague(s) might be leaving the team, but it isn't a reason for you to look for a job change! Unless the entire project/program is canned.


12. It's not a good sign when you want re-negotiate after having already accepted the job offer. Think, ask questions and then say yes.

Prospective employer taking time to roll out job offer

From a reader:

I was interviewed for a middle management role with an MNC. Two rounds of management interviews went relatively fast, but the HR response came a bit slow. After couple of weeks, a junior HR rep called me with some queries and later asked me to fill up my details in an Employment Form. It’s been two weeks now and I have no confirmation/rejection reply from the company. I have been following up with the company and the responses are:

"It’s in the process of approval and is going positively"
"Our Head of Staffing will set up a call with you and then roll out the offer etc"

From your experience with HR, does it take so much of time (3 weeks) after I fill up the employment form before I get an offer or is something wrong here? I have couple of other offers but this is the most tempting one. So I was just wondering what to do as I am not getting any solid information from this company.

Thanks.

Well, I would relate back to my previous post for a couple of things.

First, there really isn’t a fixed time frame for a company to revert with an offer. Or even for that matter, to finish the interview process. It depends on the system that works best for them. I’ve known people who have got offers after four months of attending interviews! Really. It’s worked for them, since they weren’t really interested in a job change and had time on their hands. But, it doesn’t seem to be the same in your case, since you mention about a couple of other offers in your hands. About the time frame, yes, typically three weeks is considered a lot of time to make a decision. More so, if the role is of high criticality to their projects.

Another possibility could be that they are meeting other candidates before taking a final decision. Maybe the hiring manager wants to meet a few more candidates, before deciding on your candidature. Most hiring managers depend on data that indicates comparative degrees of competencies among candidates, to make a final decision.

About the responses, they could even be telling you the truth. Really. Most companies do have an approval process that involves people across various departments (business, HR, finance, etc.,) and geographies. This could be causing an unnecessary delay. But, their second response doesn’t seem right. If they indeed have the approvals and want to roll out the offer, they have a head of staffing who is really lazy and hasn’t sensed the urgency of the situation. It’s possible.

Here are a couple of things you could try now, to get more information:

1: You could check with the hiring manager directly. Most often, communication takes time to flow in the organization. The best way to get info is to go to the source of the information. Write him a mail asking for an update and also keep him informed about the discussion you’ve had with HR.

2: Did you get the other offers while you were interviewing with this MNC? If yes, have you told them that you already hold an offer? Not for anything, but to tell them you are really keen to work for them. In my experience, most companies expedite the offer process the moment they figure out the selected candidate has another offer. On the contrary, they’ll at least let you know that they need time. You can then make your decision.

Finally, I like to believe that you took up the other interviews since something about both those companies (role/compensation/benefits/perks/culture, etc.) interested you. Now, you need to answer for yourself, what is it about the MNC that makes the offer tempting? If there’s not much of a difference between them and the others, I would suggest you take up an offer in hand, rather than wait for an offer that might or might not happen.

Good luck!

Interviewed. Rejected. Called Again.

From a reader:

I had interviewed with a company a month back. According to my assessment, the interviews went fine and I was really keen to take up the role. After the interview, I was informed by the hiring manager that either he or the recruiter would schedule the final discussion. I didn't get any mail from either of them for a couple of weeks. However, at the beginning of the third week, I got a rejection mail from HR! It stated that they were keen to hire someone who fit the role better. I was really disappointed. I did not pursue the opportunity and planned to start interviewing with other companies. It’s been a month now and I got a call from the same recruiter asking if I was still keen to take up further discussions. I asked about the rejection mail and he did not have an explanation for it. I’m still keen with the role, but a bit apprehensive.

What should I do? Do I go ahead with the discussion?

Thanks.

Well, it’s not common. Yet, it does happen. There could be a few things that might have happened after they met you.

First, maybe the hiring manager met a more qualified candidate after he had met with you. He then decided to go with that candidate and asked the recruiter to send a rejection mail to you. They might have extended an offer to the candidate and he took time to decide, but eventually declined. If this happened, it’s left the hiring manager in a quandary. He’ll have to start the hunt for a new candidate, all over again. You were the next best candidate that came closest to meeting their requirements. It might explain why you were called again for the same role. The recruiter might not have much to say in this situation, it’s the hiring manager’s call.

Second, there’s a possibility that the hiring manager had a re-think on your candidature. The interview feedback might not have looked good initially, but later the manager decided to give it another shot. He might want to re-evaluate specific skill-sets, that they couldn't assess in the earlier rounds. Again, if this is the case, the recruiter is really just following instructions.

Third, the recruiter might have screwed-up. Really. It’s possible. He could have got a negative feedback from one of the interviewers you had met and he acted real quick. Later, the hiring manager asked him to schedule you for further rounds of discussion. Now, he has to salvage the situation, by getting you back for the next round of interview.

None of these are examples of a robust hiring process. Yet, these do happen and also brings out the flaws or gaps in communication between the hiring managers and the recruiters. Noticeably, the hiring manager has informed you that he/recruiter will schedule the final discussion! I really doubt if the hiring manager is the one making the final decision on hiring you. Clearly, someone higher-up in the chain is the key decision-maker.

I would suggest that you take up the discussion with the hiring manager. Ask him candidly about the rejection mail. You may also want to ask them one more thing; what made them reconsider your candidature? Your only chance to find that out is to have a discussion. Get the answers and you can then decide whether you want to pursue the opportunity or not. I would also suggest that you keep your options open, getting recalled for an interview doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to offer you the role.

Good luck!

Candidate Tip - Part 8

Few months back, I started the ‘Candidate Tip Series’ on this blog with an intention to answer recruitment related questions from readers. The series was introduced in an attempt to avoid redundancy in replies. I tweet these tips on my twitter account too, and use #candidatetip for the tips.

If you are a candidate, hope this helps. If not, you can help send this post to people searching for answers. I’ll continue to take questions and should you have one, you can send it to thehrstore@gmail.com

Looking for the earlier posts on candidate tips? You can read them here.

1. Find a way to explain the difference between your 'needs' v/s 'wants'. Leaving it ambiguous, could result in interpretations.


2. When you're invited for lunch in between interviews, eat just enough to keep you going. Please don't binge! Burping isn't likeable.


3. If you're scheduled for an interview but decide against a job change, let the recruiter/manager know in advance. Saves everyone's time & effort.


4. Collecting job offers from many firms = burning bridges with ones you'll reject. Think & apply. Do you need that 2nd offer?


5. Speaking fast when you don't know the answer doesn't help your cause. Say, "I don't know" & ask for the answer.


6. Coming from a direct competitor doesn't guarantee you a job. You'll still need to ace the interview.


7. Interview slots are well planned (atleast at most firms), so if you choose to take a phone-call in between, make it quick.


8. An 'open' offer is a great thing. Yet, I would suggest you have detailed discussions before saying 'yes' to the offer.


9. Don't use your official email ID to communicate with a prospective employer!


10. At interviews, use the white board (when available). Helps interviewers visualize your explanation. It works in your favor.

Candidate Tip - Part 7

Few months back, I started the ‘Candidate Tip Series’ on this blog with an intention to answer recruitment related questions from readers. The series was introduced in an attempt to avoid redundancy in replies. I tweet these tips on my twitter account too, and #candidatetip for the tips.

If you are a candidate, hope this helps. If not, you can help send this post to people searching for answers. I’ll continue to take questions and should you have one, you can send it to thehrstore@gmail.com

Looking for the earlier posts on candidate tips? You can read them here.

1. Don't act surprised when you get a 'scheduled' call from an interviewer. You were asked for a good time to be reached. No?
2. If you're sending your LinkedIn profile for a role, then take out your wedding picture on your profile! Doesn’t look professional.
3. Please wait for the interviewer to finish the question. Else, u might miss out on answering the actual question in its entirety.
4. It's critical for your new employer to know your start date. Don’t commit to a start date without thinking. Keep some buffer.
5. Interview questions are NOT always about 'Yes/No'. Some are asked to understand your approach in getting to the solution.
6. Use interviews to ask as many questions. Really. You don't get rejected for asking questions. If you do get rejected for that, you don’t want to work there.
7. Show discretion when you want to disagree with an interviewer.
8. It's ok to have an exploratory talk before you dive into interviews. But once you decide, stick to it. Reneges aren't liked!
9. Ask for a 'job description' before you take up an interview. It'll give you some context to the role & future discussions.
10. Keep in touch with your references. Sending them a mail one fine day doesn't work at all times. Result: Job offer's on hold!
11. Don't be the one to end an interview. Let the interviewer end it. You can end it you aren't keen on the role. Saves time.
12. Use the word 'expert' in your resume, with utmost discretion. Any 'expert' claim will get validated with more rigor.
13. If you're talking to the hiring manager, ask for an email ID. Might be of help later (interview feedback, thank you note, etc)

I don't know.

I don’t know, are the three words that I would like to hear from interviewees, when then don’t have an answer to an interview question. It's much better than rambling on with answers that absolutely make no sense. Really.

Beware! Show some discretion (Read: common sense) in using them for questions for which you really don’t have an answer. Those questions don’t include, “Why are you looking for a change?”, “Why do you want to work here?” or something along the same lines.

Fear of getting rejected at interviews or even getting judged, puts undue pressure on some candidates to come up with answers that absolutely make no sense. While on the contrary, the very reason to reject that person would have been the answers. A good interviewer isn’t expecting you to know answers to every question. They only try and check your approach towards a solution for a certain problem (or question). The way you approach a problem will tell a lot more than the actual solution itself.

Now that you have told, “I don’t know”, what’s next? There is a couple of ways that might help you gain the interviewer’s confidence.

First, ask for the answer. In my experience, I’ve noticed that candidates tend to go on the back-foot or get defensive or go into a shell, when they don’t know an answer. It’s that awkward minute between an unanswered question to the next question that you should grab with both hands. Ask for the answer. Yes, it’s that simple. You could say, “I don’t know, but I’d like to know the answer to the question. It will help me understand the topic.” You’ll be surprised that a trained interviewer actually looks for such traits in candidates.
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Second, don’t use the clichéd, “I don’t know the answer, but I’m a quick learner.” It means zilch to a person trying to determine your approach. In case you are uncomfortable asking for the answer during the interview, it’s ok. Make a note of that question. Get back home. Dig for answers, either through books, blogs, online, whatever it takes to get the answer. Mail it to the interviewer with mention of the sources you used to get to the answer. This is an approach that very few candidates take and it could help you stand out in a crowd. Your efforts will definitely be recognized by good interviewers.

Saying “I don’t know” is one of the easiest answers for a question that one doesn’t know the answer to. It’s what you do about the don’t-know-part that counts.

Good luck!

What will get you rehired? Or not.

Your chances of getting rehired are blown away, if:

You’d sent your resignation via voicemail / text / fax.
As silly as it sounds, I’ve come across people who chose to send their resignation over phone! The only way to do it is in-person, unless you are working remotely.

You didn’t serve out the required notice period.
Yes, we know you got a better job offer elsewhere. That doesn’t give you the right to walk away without serving your notice period. Your unfinished work landed on your colleague’s plates, not that they don’t already have enough to do!

You left your team members high & dry in the middle of a critical project.
Again, we know you got yourself a great job, but your team members haven’t forgotten your act.

Performance was the primary reason for your exit.
The job still requires the same skills. Not many companies take it well even if you’ve been away from over a year.

You were fired for disciplinary action.
Remember that sexist comment you passed on your colleague…during work hours? Yep, people haven’t forgotten that. Nor have they forgotten that drunken incident on that fateful Friday. Drinks were on-the-house, so was your behavior!

On the contrary, you’re chances of getting rehired increases, when:

You left on a positive note. (Captain Obvious? Yes!)
Searching for a job can get one to do crazy things, like asking to get rehired after burning bridges with the previous employer. No, they aren’t interested.

Ready to start afresh.
That would mean salary, benefits, perks and insurance. Everything. Your ego too. Period.

Good rapport with the team members.
You might the manager’s pet, but nobody wants to work with a team member who doesn’t gel well.

Your team members want to refer you back.
Managers are employees too. Chances are that your previous manager has quit as well. That would leave your team members to refer you back. Would they?

What have you gained since the time you left?
Very important question that deserves a well thought out answer. Be honest.

You’re ready to undergo the interview grind, one more time.
Being in the role earlier doesn’t guarantee you a place in the team. Get yourself prepared for the interview grind.

Your previous Company wants you back!
This has to be the best case scenario for getting rehired.

In the end, opting to get rehired starts with answering a very basic question: Is this your ONLY option?

What would you do? Take a quick poll.

Job offer negotiation

From a reader:

I came across your blog while searching for some info. Really must appreciate your efforts in answering our queries.

I’m writing to you to seek your advice on a job offer.

I’ve been working for 4 years with an IT company that’s in another city. I‘ve been in search of a job opportunity in my hometown for over six months. Currently, I’ve got an offer from a company in my hometown. But I’m not that excited with the offer. Though I’m getting a very good role, responsibility and position (designation), the salary which they are offering is not that good. When I’d mentioned to them that I’m expecting a better hike, they countered that by saying I’m relocating to my hometown and as per my experience their offer is the best in the market. I’m not concerned about the fact that I am relocating to my hometown (it can wait a little longer if needed), my concern is that I’m pretty sure that I’ve not been given a fair offer considering both my experience and skills.

At times I feel like compromising on the salary front, thinking that I’ll prove my skills & experience while performing on the job. But when asked about appraisals, I was informed that I would be eligible for the next appraisal cycle (next year). That would mean that I would have to remain on the same salary for another year and I would be underpaid. This is another factor which is not attracting me to accept the offer.

I’m due for an appraisal in a month’s time with my current organization. Assuming, I get a decent hike post-appraisal, my salary would be way beyond what they are offering me. Is there a room to negotiate for a better salary? Please suggest.

Thanks.

Congratulations on the offer!

Well, there are many things that come to mind. First, are you moving from a tier-1 to a tier-2 city? The reason I’m asking is because offers vary depending on the geographic location/city. Many factors such as cost of living, talent pool, tax liabilities, legal compliance, etc, are taken into consideration while deciding the salary range. So effectively, an offer of $x in a tier-1 city might be seen as high in a tier-2 city. Now, this might or might not be true in your case. Especially since you mention that they cited your experience as being a major deciding factor in the offer. On the contrary, they are also referring to you relocating to your hometown and that their offer is the best in that market. So, it comes down to you answering my question.

Second, you’ve been trying since six months to move back to your hometown. I assume then that this must be your first job offer there. Does that tell you something about the job market in your hometown? Either way, the current situation has more candidates (and good ones at that) than the number of jobs available. Is the job movement from a generalist role to a specialization? That could complicate things too. If four years of your work exp is spread across various skills and you were interviewed for a specific skill, then your technical competency gets rated on that particular skill.

Third, have you made a list of things that are important to have for your relocation? Yes, there’s role, responsibilities, salary, etc. However, in this case since the salary is lower (than your expectations) there might be benefits that might be part of the job offer. Like, relocation benefits, flexi hours, telecommuting, vacations, insurance coverage, bonuses, stock options, etc, that add to the whole offer package. Did you explore those as well? I assume you did.

Next, you mention that you are pretty sure that the offer isn’t a fair one. Well, what’s the benchmark you are considering? If it’s based on objective data then it makes sense. If not, you may want to re-evaluate the offer.

Finally, let’s move to the upcoming appraisal. There isn’t any concrete data on the possible percentage of hike that you might expect, especially given the current market conditions. Expecting the next employer to compensate you with a hike for work that you’d done in your previous company, isn’t really the way to bargain for a hike. No? If that’s the case, then you might as well wait for the appraisal and then start interviewing. Given that your move to your hometown can wait a little longer, I suggest you don’t take up an offer that you are not satisfied with. Period. Cause it will catch up with you sooner than later.

Is there room to negotiate for a better salary? Yes, there is if you have decided on things that you are ok to let go and others which you must have. Off course, you can still go ahead and ask for a hike. The max that they’ll say is a ‘No’. But that discussion will have more weight if you went in with researched data. Negotiations are really about giving as much as getting. I see there’s a lot you can take away from this interviewing experience.

Hope you get the offer you are expecting. Good luck!

Candidate Tip - Part 4

Few months back, I had started the ‘Candidate Tip Series’ with the intention to answer hiring related questions from readers. The series was introduced in an attempt to avoid redundancy in replies.

Further, I tweet these tips on my twitter account too using #candidatetip. If you are a candidate, hope this helps. If not, you can help send this post to anyone searching for answers. I’ll continue to take questions and should you have one, you can send it to thehrstore@gmail.com

Looking for the earlier posts on candidate tips? Here’s part – 1, 2 and 3.

Here’s Part – 4:

Don't pick up the phone & start texting during an interview! If it's that important, keep the interviewer informed that you are expecting a text message that needs your reply. It’s obvious, you need to inform the interviewer before the start of the interview.

No, you can’t invite your wife for a luncheon that's specifically organized for you to get to know the team. Family day will come later.

Flying you down for an interview is an expensive deal. So missing a flight doesn’t show you in good light. It’s always better to be early at the airport. Plan well.

Nervousness while interviewing is ok. But don't ramble on when you don’t know the answer. It's ok to not know a few things.

When asked, "Do you have any questions?" in an interview. Ask. Don't wait for the offer letter to get to know the company. Might be late. You would have wasted everyone’s time. Especially your time.

You might have submitted your resume earlier, but it's ok to carry an updated one (if any) for the interview. However, keep the interviewer informed before the start of the interview.

No, you can't involve your spouse in the offer discussion! Red flag! Where did that come from? You were interviewed for the role. Did the interviewer miss catching something during the interview?

Cracking too many smarta$$ jokes / just laughing for no reason during an interview doesn't go in your favor. It question’s your very interest in the role. That might not even be true!

It's advisable to plan well & take the telephonic interview in a calm/silent place. That background noise might drown out our answer.

Increase in your personal expense isn't a 'valid' reason to ask for a hike! You don't need a hike, u need better money management. Think before you talk.

Should I hire external interviewers?

From a reader, based on a previous post here.

I have a question that’s in context to an earlier post on getting interviewed by a younger person. I’m the only HR person at a startup that has fourteen employees. We currently don’t have interviewers within the startup for specific skills. We are planning to hire external interviewers from agencies to take interviews for these skills. I’ve been assigned to find out the feasibility of going with this model. There is a possibility that we would have younger external interviewers taking interviews for senior roles. Would it impact the way candidates perceive the startup? If we choose to go with this model, what should we look out for?

Thanks.

Well, it’s an interesting thought. At the startups that I worked, we had used the services of external interviewers and must say that we had a so-so hit. But I did get to learn a lot from that experience and here’s my take on the model.

First, since your question is based on my previous post, I’ll repeat that as long as you have competent interviewers, the interview process should go on just fine. Don’t get confused with years of work experience and competency. Especially in a startup that most often relies heavily on the latter.

Well, coming back to your question. What deliverables are you expecting from the external interviewers? If you are hiring them to identify the best fit candidate from start to end, then you may want to rethink that strategy. Yes, it’s critical for the external interviewers to understand the job requirements before starting the interview process. However, the key to make this is work is to ensure that the external interviewers are to only assess specific skills. Their selection process should be very objective. That should be the very reason you would want to hire external interviewers. After they have done identifying the right fit candidate, you then continue with your normal interview process. The final decision or call on hiring a candidate should rest with the people running the startup. Period.

Would this impact the candidate’s perception? I don’t think so. Really. Every startup needs to be sold like an idea and that applies even to candidates. If that’s true, then candidates would have got enough information about the startup from you, before coming down for an interview. So, sparing the odd candidate, most of them wouldn’t really change their perception of the startup. Should you tell them about hiring external interviewers? Maybe, just maybe, you may not want to emphasize on that. As long as you have chosen a fair selection process and one that lets you make the final decision, it should work fine.

What to watch out for? Set the right expectations for their role in the hiring process. Never let them do the selling. Track deliverables regularly, but don’t micromanage their interviews. It’s quite obvious that they’ll charge you a fee for taking interviews, that shouldn’t force you to ask them to select candidate(s) in a hurry. Your $x dollars spent now will multiply 2x/3x times, which way would you want it to go? Spend it on firing a wrong fit candidate in 3 months or making money from a right fit candidate that can deliver the best for your startup’s product/service. The choice is simple. Isn’t it?

Good luck!

Should I tell employers about the lay-off?

From a reader:

I read your blog regularly. I have a question for you, would be very thankful if you can answer it.

I lost my job 20 days back, was working for a reputed MNC. Now I want to start looking for a job in Jan. What do I mention in the future interviews? Since I didn’t lose my job because of performance reasons, our whole team was fired due to economical reasons. Is it fair to tell the truth in coming up interviews?

One more concern, is the job market better than what it was in past few months? I am very stressed out with the whole situation, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

There are a couple of things that you may want to do in this situation.

First, since you mention the lay-off was due to economical reasons rather than performance, it’s always best to stick to the facts in future interviews. I’m quite sure that prospective employers (recruiters and hiring managers) are aware of the current job market condition and should be able to understand your situation better. It’s a whole lot easier when you tell the truth in interviews. There are two instances I can think when this question might come up. One, when they ask, “Why are you looking for a job change?” Second, at the time of extending a job offer, they’ll first want to call your previous employer(s) as part of the reference check. Any mismatch in information provided by you in either of these instances, will end up hurting your chances even more. In fact, if you stick to the truth, you are in a better position to explain the reason for your job change.

Further, you can highlight that you were part of a larger team that was laid off. That should help the prospective employer understand that you weren’t singled out for the lay off. Don’t get defensive in your interview, that’s a common mistake that I’ve noticed in such interviews. You would do best if you treated this as another interview and highlight your strengths. If there’s a gap in finding the next job, then use that time to refresh your skills and speak about how you utilized that time to the best effect.

Second, you may want to make sure that your ex-employer (manager in particular) will give you a positive reference. Especially now since your performance wasn’t the reason for the lay-off. This post on asking for a balanced feedback from your references might be helpful.

As for the job market, I do see it improving. There are definitely jobs out. It’s time to contact folks on your social network and let them know you are looking for a job change. Mail me at thehrstore@gmail.com if you need any more help.

Good luck with your job search!

Candidate Rant: Flawed Salary Negotiation

A candidate writes:

“Dear HR Store,

Been reading your blog for sometime now and wanted your advice on a current situation I’m in, regarding a job offer. I’ve been looking for a job change for quite sometime and have interviewed with a few prospective employers.

I’ve now received a job offer from a Company that I’m keen to work with, based on the role and responsibility explained to me by both hiring manage and HR. However, the compensation offered doesn’t excite me. I know I deserve better. How do I go about asking for a better deal?

Recently, a friend (ex-colleague from same team) as mine has joined them and he was offered a better deal than me for almost the same role. I did bring it up in my discussions with the hiring manager and HR, after I received the job offer. They have however stuck to their offer and aren’t willing to make any changes. What could I do to convince them?

I’m running out of time and need to let them know of my decision.. I’m keen on the position. But don’t want to go into the job thinking that I’ve been undervalued in terms of compensation.

Any advice?

Regards,
T

Since you wrote to me, I’ll give you my take on it. Not sure if you’ll like what I have to say next. So brace yourself. You just touched upon my candidate pet peeve.

If you have been reading my blog, then you may (I wish you already have) read this post on salary negotiation. If you still haven’t read it, I’ll explain again.

First, it’s good you like the role & responsibility that comes with the position you have been offered. That’s a great start. So you already have a valid reason to take up the job. Since the excitement of getting highly paid for a job you don’t like, will eventually not sound exciting a year down the line. Really.

Second, the Company you’ve interviewed with have their own parameters to select candidates. If they’ve offered you, it means you’ve made the cut. But chances are at you may have only met a majority of their hiring criteria. That leaves certain areas of the job profile that you don’t bring to the table, but have shown potential to pick it up.

That brings us to the point. How do you go about asking for a better deal after receiving a job offer?

- Start with having a candid discussion with the hiring manager regarding your take on the job offer. Start with asking their way/rationale of arriving at a job offer. It will help understand the criteria they’ve considered in your case.
- Based on their response, you build our case with reasons for why you feel that the compensation offered is on the lower end.
- Your reasons could be based on:
o Reinforcing the value that you would add to their team / work.
o You could project your value primarily based on having studied their product/service.
o Take prevailing market conditions into account.
o Your understanding on skill-set availability.
o Your ability to manage more responsibility efficiently and effectively (not another role, but more on the current role over a period of time).

Now, all of this must have been done during the interview process itself. If for whatever reason you haven’t highlighted your strengths, this is your last chance. The hiring manager is usually the decision-maker too. So use your last chance wisely.

However, I would ask you to be ready to hear a ‘No’. That’s a possibility too. If they believe they’ve been fair in their selection process, they’ll stick to their offer. Then the call rests with you. That’s when you ask yourself, “What are the things in a job offer that are you willing to give-up?” Make a checklist of things that you cannot give up, while maybe others you can give up. Which bucket does salary/compensation fall under?

Ok, that was the nice me answering your first part of the question. I’ll move on to my candidate pet-peeve.

You can't compare YOUR job offer with your friend's, even if both are from the same company. You just raised a big Red Flag!

Worse, you brought it up in your discussions with the hiring manager. It screams that you don’t understand the hiring process. If you don’t know how it works, ASK. Understand the process and it will help you handle future interviews a lot better. If you brought up your friend’s salary /comp details, it tells the employer:

- That their employee (your friend) is revealing salary details to candidates (you). That’s reason enough to land him in trouble. And hurt your chances of getting hired too.
- By comparing yourself to your friend, you are creating a pseudo-benchmark for yourself.
- Even if you do accept the offer and go on-board; the hiring manager is going to be on his guard for a long time. You wouldn’t like that. Really.

So there you go. You know what you could do next and most importantly what you should not be doing in future. Make your checklist of things you are ok to let go and those that you aren’t ok with. Quick. Revert to the hiring manager with your reply.

Good luck!

PS: Another post about cost that might interest you here

Cost is just a negotiation tool!

Yes, it is. Especially when hiring highly skilled talent and its true in a good market or otherwise. Agree? No? Read on.

The reason I bring this up is because as much as we deny, cost is a major driving factor in hiring. And needless to say, managers want the best bang for the buck. That’s understandable. But don’t we know that you always get what you pay for? Yet for some reason hiring managers aren’t willing to buy that reason. If you believe that’s right. It’s easy to understand why a candidate will not take a sub-standard offer even in a bad job market. If you still persist with a sub-standard compensation, the candidate might eventually relent, but only until such time that the market improves. And when that happens, you can be sure that he’ll be in the first one out.

Think about any product you recently purchased that you felt was overpriced. Then you started using it only to realize that the benefits were so awesome, you even recommended it to your friends. That’s the ROI on cost. It works the same way with hiring too. The initial high price is long forgotten once performance kicks in. The tough and laborious part is in identifying who makes that cut, a.k.a, the selection process.

The flipside is obvious. Things don’t work out and you’re forced to move on. Now, far too many hiring managers take that path since it’s a safer option to assume. Have you ever known a manager who’ll pass a chance to tell, “I told you so!”? Never. It’s also the very reason that many hiring managers generalize the selection process and avoid taking that extra effort in hiring right. The ones that take it get the rewards. They hire high caliber candidates who go on to build better products/services.

So how do we resolve this issue?

As a candidate:

Understandably you are looking for a job real bad. But wouldn’t hurt to take a step back and evaluate your career too.

- Don’t accept that offer just because you want that job. Really. When you realize its not what you want to do (maybe a few months into the job) you’ll end up hurting your career in more ways than one.
- Your ex-colleague got paid more. That’s not reason enough to ask for the same amount. Build your own case.
- Taking up a job offer to let go later has its own consequences. It could range anywhere from burning bridges to hurting future references. Absolute no-no.
- Prepare yourself with enough information which will help you decide better. Make a checklist of things that you cannot give up, while others maybe you can. Which bucket does cost/salary fall under?
- When you go prepared with enough information on how much you are willing to negotiate, it helps to stay away from low-balling yourself!
- Also, it’s critical that you sell your value. If you can’t communicate your worth to them, they’ll do that assessment for you! Really.

As an employer :

Answer this.

- Does the role really need very high caliber candidates?
- Or are you hiring high caliber candidates just because they are now easily available at lower cost?

Your real answer will determine whether you have a problem on your hands or not. If you ignore it now, it will catch up sooner than later. Maybe a few months down the line. The only person getting fooled otherwise is still you.

Here’s the final take: Cost is just a negotiation tool. The one who knows to use it well, ends up getting the better end of the deal.

It’s now obvious. right?

I like such candidates! Really.

Recently, I tweeted (you could follow more updates here) about recruitment and how 'Amazing Does Happen' in recruitment too. Here’s a case in point:

As a hiring manager, you’ve been interviewing a lot of candidates for a position in your team. There were many questions asked to each of them. Some they could answer, some they couldn’t. The interview was done. You moved on to the next candidate. The candidate moved on too, to other companies for more interviews. Then along comes a candidate who completely takes you off guard! He either writes/calls you to let you know that post-interview, he went back to books/internet/even met experts in a bid to find out the answers to interview questions he wasn’t able to the answer then. That’s the kind of candidate I would love to hire. Absolutely.

It talks about a lot of positive things about the candidate:

- Interest in the role he has interviewed for. It’s more than a need or want.
- He accepted feedback. He was told his answer was wrong. He took it. Worked on it. Came back with an answer.
- Showed he could take the initiative to learn and research for answers. Easier to say, “I don’t know”. Tougher to act on it.
- Tells us that he was motivated enough to get the job, by doing some self-learning.
- Going beyond his line of duty. He could have thought, “Well, I didn’t make it here. Let me try my luck elsewhere”. Right? But that didn’t happen. Off course, it’s in his best interest. But how many candidates have come across who came back with answers?

Maybe, just maybe, you might argue that the above reasons aren’t enough to hire a person. But these skills are more like personality traits. There could be many more good traits that I might have missed out while coming up with the list. The bottom line is that, here is a candidate who took the efforts to go back and learn. That’s attitude not a skill-set.

So if you are a candidate who has recently interviewed, here’s a question for you, “What are you doing about the interview feedback you receive?”

I see a high-value potential if you can act on that feedback and then go back to the hiring manager with answers. Yes, the chances maybe slim since managers are usually skeptical about reconsidering candidates they had earlier rejected. But there’s nothing to lose in giving it a shot. If you acted with the right intention and willingness, it will show in the way you present your answers. There’s a very high possibility that the hiring manager will come back to you, if he doesn’t find a suitable person from the candidate pipeline. By doing this, you are only improving your chances of getting hired – either now or in future. You just left a positive impression on the manager! My experience tells me, such candidates should be sure shot hires!

However, you’ll need to ensure, you do not stalk the manager in your quest to send him your answers. Write him one mail which maybe the best option. Or leave one voicemail (if you don’t get him on the phone the first time you try), asking for a good time to call back to explain your case. Please do not overdo this. Like sending your answers to everyone you know in that company (it does happen!). It will just kill your reputation.

Any thoughts from hiring managers? Or even candidates? Do you agree with me? You don’t need to. But then, let me know your take.

When an interview turns into a debate!

An interviewee writes:

“The last interview that I attended turned into a debate. The hiring manager took my interview and asked for my point of view on a particular issue. He wanted to know my approach in resolving it. After I was done with my explanation, he countered it with an alternate way to resolve that particular issue. Discussion around the issue lasted for sometime with both of us sticking to our solution. The interview tone sounded like that of a heated argument. However, he went on with other interview questions. It been a week now and I haven’t heard from this hiring manager or anyone else from the Company. Did that particular discussion have a negative impact on my candidature? I liked the role that I interviewed for and hence was planning to mail the hiring manager asking for feedback. Would that be ok? Or should I mail the recruiter who scheduled the interview?”

From the look of it, yes, I think that particular discussion might have had a significant impact on deciding your candidature. Your description of the interview seemed to fit that of a stress-interview mode. I personally don’t like it, but many managers choose to take that route for interviews. That’s an indicator of their respective working styles as well. Typically he was trying to check on your stress absorption levels and receptiveness to suggestions from others. You may have had a great solution and hence stuck your neck out with it. But that doesn’t mean you don’t acknowledge the other person’s reasoning. I’ll assume you didn’t acknowledge his ideas and hence he was using questions that really provoked you to retort. Maybe, I’m wrong. But when an interview gets out of hand, you need to take control of yourself and not try controlling the interview.

As a hiring manager he is the one calling the shots. So as a candidate you have a couple of choices: (a) you agree with him although you have a better solution. (That sucks!) because you are saying things that will get you a job, which you might end up not liking; or (b) acknowledge his ideas/solutions and then present your idea with pros & cons. This will give you a chance to gauge the hiring manager’s receptiveness too. Right?

You mention the word ‘debate’ in your question and that’s exactly what an interview shouldn’t be. If it reaches a heated argument, then you are out of the door before you know it. Yes, it’s ok to disagree with an interviewer. But your stand depends on how you choose to communicate your disagreement. If you happen to choose the argumentative approach. Bad! Interview’s done and you are not 'in'.

Can you mail the hiring manager for asking for a feedback? Off course, you can. He should have closed loop with you by now! I’m not sure if you’ll get to hear anything positive from him now. If you do, good luck with the next rounds. The recruiter may not have a say in this matter and so he wouldn’t be able to help you out.

Everything’s not lost. You have a lot to take-away from this interview.

Good luck with your job search!

How many times do I repeat myself?

An interviewee writes:

“I’m in the process of a job change and have been interviewing with a few select companies that match my profile. During the interview process I’ve noticed a particular trend: different interviewers at various phases of the interview process are asking the same questions. Is there a reason for the interviewers to do this or is it just lack of questions to ask?”

It might look like I’m sitting on the fence with this one. But the answer has a bit of both yes and no. Yes, there is a reason for different interviewers to ask the same question. No, they don’t need to do it. Yes, one possible reason could be lack of questions to ask. No, the repeat question could be one that interviewers use to kick-off an interview or build onto an interview.

Why would different interviewers ask you the same question(s)? First thing that comes to mind, (if the interviewers are well coordinated among themselves) it’s primarily to ensure that you are consistent with your answers and authentic too. There are far too many candidates who jump the gun and answer questions without realizing that it’s the same question that was asked earlier. The interviewers are making a note of your answers. Later, they’ll convene in a small conference room to discuss your answers and if you’ve answered inconsistently; they’ll tell you something on the lines of, “Someone from HR will get in touch with you later.” 8 out of 10 times that means you didn’t make it. Move on to the next company. Take this as learning. That’s a best case scenario.

Second, we move to an adhoc interviewing process. The interviewers have no clue what their colleague asked you earlier. So they feel its ok to ask you again, “Tell me more about yourself”. Arrgghh…. you start your answer like a broken record. This type of process is noticed more during marathon interviews where you have 4-5 hours and have to meet 7 different people! Phew! That means both interviewers and you are racing against time. The interviewers don’t have the time to meet and discuss feedback. So they’ll ask away. Even if it’s the same question the other 5 of them had asked you.

So there you go. Also, I wouldn’t recommend you to tell them you have already answered the same questions earlier. They’ll read into as “candidate not flexible”! Really.

I understand it’s really dumb to waste time & efforts answering the same questions repeatedly. In case you are interviewing for a senior position which will require you to interview candidates later. You’ll know what to do. Till then, hang on, drink some coffee or chug on that Red Bull or just bite into that candy bar, whatever it takes, to recharge your energy. The next interviewer will meet you in 5 minutes.

Good luck with your interviews!