How Hiring Managers Think

I happened to overhear a very interesting and loud conversation between three people who work at a software company. They were trying to decide whether to hire a candidate they already interviewed and how to fill another entry-level sales position. I thought I’d share this to demonstrate one example of how the hiring managers think and what this may mean for job seekers

Let’s start with the person they already interviewed. Let’s call her Susan.

• They all expressed similar opinions about her qualifications – Susan is very good and has experience in the industry already but they were a bit concerned that she may be set in her ways with regards to how she works and it may not be a good fit for their small company filled with young people.

Key point: If you have quite a bit of experience and are applying for a job at a small company, show how you can still be flexible and adaptable to their ever-changing environment.

• After some discussion, the person that seems the most senior said, “She does seem qualified. Let’s give her a try since Rick highly recommended her.”

Key point: Good reputation matters. So spend as much time on networking and building a good reputation for your work as you do on your resume and interview skills.

Then they moved on to the entry-level position that they wanted to fill with a recent college grad.

• They agonized for a good 15 minutes on the job description. What characteristics do they want and why? How did they phrase it in the job description? They wondered if it was too generic to say “Strong communicator, detail-oriented, etc.”

Key point: Read the job description carefully. More likely than not, the hiring managers spend time on spelling out exactly what they want. Tailor your resume for each application to easily show how you have what they want.

• The most senior person then said, “we probably want a woman for this entry-level position. Women tend to be better communicators. I don’t want to profile candidates, but just look out for it.” Later on he said, “Whether their resume and cover letter are articulate will be a good signal of if they’re a good communicator. My wife is articulate and her resume is much better than mine.”

Key points: 1) Hiring is a subjective process. Hiring managers are human and will undoubtedly use their life experience to judge who is a good candidate or not. 2) Women can have advantages in certain types of jobs if the hiring manager thinks gender makes a difference in qualifying the candidate, even though they cannot officially state that anywhere. 3) If you didn’t get an interview or a job, it may have nothing to do with your qualifications.

• “Let’s get 45 to 50 resumes this week and narrow it down to three or five based on their resume and cover letter and do the interview from there.”

Key point: It’s a numbers game for hiring managers and job seekers. So you should spread your net wide and apply to as many positions that interest you.

• “When I interview a candidate, I like to ask questions like what is your greatest strength? And see how they answer the question. I want to see if you listen and really answer my question or spend 10 minutes listing out all kinds of things all over the place“

Key point: Listen to questions carefully in interviews and answer exactly the question that is asked. Be organized and concise. Having a lot to say may not be a good thing if it’s not to the point.

As you can see, there’s no set process on how hiring works. This is just one example I happened to hear. It’s a bit of trial and error on both sides and it’s going to be somewhat subjective. Just like dating, you just have to get yourself out there, learn from each experience, and in time you’ll find a good match.