Tag Archives: hiring

Personality, Talent, Intellect, Experience, Spirit, Passion, and the Ability to Inspire. Good Qualities for You but Intimidating as Hell to Insecure Leaders

By Alan H. Harrison on | Leave a comment

I have a friend (not me) who is a sensational grant writer. She’s brilliant (Ivy League educated), inspirational (magnetic personality), talented (great references), and people genuinely like her.

She’s also ethical, sensible, positive, quite attractive, and a snappy dresser.

And without a job.

Lately, when she meets with prospective employers, they are impressed by her prowess, references, and samples. Sadly, they don’t hire her.  It’s plausible that insecure bosses-to-be fear she is more impressive than they are and look elsewhere.

Look, if you’re in greater Seattle and need a hell of a grant writer for a full-time gig, contact me and I’ll forward your info to her. But if you’re unstable enough just to want someone inferior to you (even if your grants are being denied) because “anyone can write a grant,” then you deserve your results.

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Hiring 101: Post. Respond. Inform. Interview. Inform. Interview. Inform. Hire. Inform. (PS: No Taleo necessary)

By Alan H. Harrison on | 1 Comment

From O’Reilly/Pfeffer’s “Hidden Value:”

Hiring based solely on job skills can be short-sighted and expensive.
If someone doesn’t fit the culture, either the culture will change or the person will leave.

If your company’s hiring practices are “industry standard” (by definition, middling), then its values are equally unimportant, no matter what greatness your company ostensibly performs.  “One chance at a first impression” and all that.

  • Post job.
  • IMMEDIATELY upon receipt, respond to email applicants with receipt; (mail or in-person applicants with postcard).
  • Managers: Compile three categories (Yes/No/Maybe).
    Move “Maybe” into “No.”
    Inform “Nos” of status.
  • Interview “Yeses.”
    Inform “Nos” of status.
  • Final interviews.
    Hire.
    Inform “Nos” of status.
  • Hire qualified (better: overqualified) and creative, not skillful and capable.
    Look for values, not education.
    Hire to fit, not proficiency.

And whenever possible:  hire someone better than you.

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