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It\u2019s really not about ageism. It is simply that a great attitude and passion to succeed trump years of experience and perfect qualifications nearly every time.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s really not about ageism. It is simply that a great attitude and passion to succeed trump years of experience and perfect qualifications nearly every time.<\/p>\n
Most recently with an economic recovery underway, I\u2019ve seen more expert candidates apply for jobs in the past year than ever before. And you\u2019d think that would be a good thing, right? A perfect match between a job seeker\u2019s past work history and the job requirements seems like a perfect hire. But I\u2019ve witnessed seemingly perfect job candidates become under-performing employees. I\u2019ve seen this enough times that a seasoned candidate is now a red flag. My best hires have almost exclusively been individuals who viewed their new job as a growth opportunity and worked very hard to be successful. And my more memorable worst hires have been those who seemed heavily qualified but yet fell short of expectations after being hired.<\/p>\n
So why do these seemingly seasoned hires fail to thrive?<\/p>\n
#1 reason \u2013 hiring managers are so focused on the technical match between the candidate\u2019s past experience and the job requirements that they shortcut or deemphasize the rest of the recruitment evaluation process<\/strong>. It is huge rookie mistake, and I\u2019ve made it myself. We become so enthralled by the possibilities of hiring the hit-the-ground-running, take-me-to-the-promise-land job prospect that we overlook the candidate\u2019s shortcomings in terms of organizational cultural match, willingness to learn, and overall attitude.<\/p>\n #2 reason \u2013 our expectations are too high for the seasoned veteran\u2019s performance.<\/strong> The seasoned veteran is short-changed on job training and knowledge transfer. The idea is that they really don\u2019t need it, right? They already know what they are doing. Just look at their r\u00e9sum\u00e9. That is just wrong because different companies have different ways of doing things, and you can\u2019t assume that a seasoned pro will be able to translate 100% of his\/her skills from one company to another.<\/p>\n #3 reason \u2013 we undermine peer support.<\/strong> We position our seasoned new hires in a way that threatens peers and coworkers. They then gather no support and are left to die on the vine. Seasoned hires are often viewed as a threat to job security within a department or organization, so it is imperative that you ensure that each new hire is embraced and socialized adequately.<\/p>\n #4 reason \u2013 our seasoned new hire can carry some unwanted baggage and can be difficult to manage.<\/strong> I characterize these overconfident hires as overzealous in their contributions and opinions, unwilling to learn, and often lacking motivation or drive. I\u2019ve seen and heard it all from this group. From \u201cbeen there done that, so I\u2019m not going to try it again\u201d, \u201cit\u2019s worked my way just fine for 25 years\u201d (whether the new hire is 25 or has 25 years of experience), or my favorite is the \u201cI do not need to be told by some 20-something how I should be doing my job\u201d. Organizations only thrive when teamwork, knowledge transfer, and learning are part of the work environment.<\/p>\n So how to avoid this? One can\u2019t just disqualify a seasoned pro. That wouldn\u2019t be fair or even legal.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what I\u2019ve decided.<\/p>\n Balance the technical match of skills to job requirements more evenly with assessments of your job candidates regarding organizational cultural match, ability to learn and adapt to change, leadership qualities, etc. Don\u2019t always hire the smartest guy in the room, especially if that person is convinced he or she is the smartest. A better candidate is the one that demonstrates the ability and willingness to learn. These skills will serve your organization better longer term than any accumulated knowledge that a candidate may seemingly have. It\u2019s really not about ageism. It is simply that a great attitude and passion to succeed trump years of experience and perfect qualifications nearly every time. Most recently with an economic recovery underway, I\u2019ve seen more expert candidates apply for jobs in … Continue reading
\nCarefully evaluate every candidate\u2019s individual motivational factors. The best hire will often have something to prove. He or she is motivated to do a good job and be noticed. Access what will drive each of your candidates to perform, and this should help you more wisely choose who to hire.<\/p>\n
\nThe next time you are considering hiring a seasoned candidate, I recommend sticking to a balanced evaluation process that does not over-emphasize the technical needs of the job and being mindful of the need to support your seasoned new hire with the same training and internal support as your other employees.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"