5 Signs You’ve Found The Right Candidate For The Job

Whether you are looking to fill a role internally or for a client, the ability to know the makings of a great candidate goes beyond a strong work history. Finding success in recruiting requires thorough investigation and great instincts. In addition to aligning company and candidate values, personality and culture fit play a significant role in finding a perfect match and ensuring employee retention. Often portrayed through the attributes of the former athlete, here are five clear-cut signs you’ve come across the right candidate for the job:

Well-Prepared & Naturally Inquisitive

A strong introduction is critical as it shows the candidate’s enthusiasm for the role, passion for the industry, and high interest in the organization. A great candidate will have thoroughly researched the organization and position before conversation. When they’ve taken the time to truly understand a company, it shows their motivation is pure.

Is the candidate posing unique, in-depth questions or generalized questions concerning their own selfish ambitions? The more qualified professionals will have the ability to demonstrate their skills and experience through the thought-provoking questions surrounding long-term goals, business strategy, and issue resolution.

While a high energy level should be conveyed in their cover letter, the candidate must remain consistent in phone conversations and interviews. There is a reasonable cause to be excited when a candidate appears confident and has checked off the early boxes. However, a senior-level background and leadership potential is not the end-all-be-all to the makings of a prime candidate. To become a leader backed by followers, employees must first master the art of listening and understand what it means to be a good follower.

“Nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day, you bet on people, not on strategies.” – Lawrence Bossidy, Former COO of GE.

Visible Knowledge & Proven Results

Insightful and well-informed candidates are hard to come by, but finding such professionals is an excellent prerequisite to the makings of an all-star employee. With a track record of success, you will find the candidate’s forward-thinking will shine through, and they will be able to bring ideas to the table quickly. If they find ways to contribute to the company during an interview, they set a strong precedent for what a future relationship holds. 

Beyond any bullet points from a resume, a great candidate will be able to provide specific examples or statistics showing they are a goal-setter and goal-achiever. Tying into the job description and organization’s values, the candidate will have data or documented progress to showcase their potential and relevance to the position at hand.

While you want your phone conversations and interviews to run smoothly, you can expect to receive some ‘pushback’ and hard questions when speaking with a quality candidate. If you are the only one driving conversation, it’s easy to assume the candidate has not given the position a lot of thought or is naturally reluctant in discussion.

Clear Communication & A Winning Personality

In coordinating various interviews, screenings, and monitoring job postings, hiring managers and recruiters are not keen to wasting time on incompetent job-seekers. When candidates respond quickly and professionally regarding a job opening, they provide a strong first impression to employers aiming to promptly work through the interview process. From job application to a final interview, receiving active and polite communication from a candidate reveals a strong level of interest and forecasts a responsive and alert employee.

When you can see energy in their body language and hear the passion in their voice, you know you’ve found a candidate worth pursuing. If you do not see positivity radiate off a candidate in conversation, it could be a red flag for what the future would hold. Aside from appearing disinterested in the role, employers should be wary of a lackluster personality, especially when rapidly approaching deadlines and internal/external business relationships are on the table. An optimistic employee is more likely to reenergize your team and take on new challenges.

You Weren’t Scared Away By Any ‘Red Flags’

In trusting your instincts, there is tremendous weight in evaluating a results-packed resume and a ‘culture fit,’ but don’t fall victim to placing all your eggs in one of these baskets. Every applicant will have their share of flaws, but only the best will acknowledge them in testimony. Finding the ‘right’ candidate does not always mean they will be the ‘perfect’ candidate. A suitable candidate will impress their interviewer with the openness and willingness to call out their weaknesses and share how they’ve corrected their mistakes. Being self-aware reveals the making of an honest and emotionally intelligent employee.

“I [trust] people who are so confident in their skills that they are openly and instantly humble about things they are not good at.” -Paul English, CEO at Lola.com

Their References Came Through

Aside from providing tangible evidence to their job performance, the best candidates will be able to have their skills and character endorsed through written and verbal testimonies. There is a strong level of comfortability that ensues with an applicant that is confident in the words their previous employers and colleagues have to say. In addition, evaluating an applicant’s social media platforms and what they choose to put out into the world will speak volumes to their character, morals, and professionalism.

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4 Keys To Constructing A Winning Cover Letter

Why is a well-written cover letter important? A good cover letter has the power to generate interest from the hiring manager or recruiter and make up for the areas where your resume may fall short. Whether or not it is required, it is a great tool to increase your shot a receiving an interview, especially if you do not meet all the qualifications. Conversely, however, a poorly constructed cover letter can derail any good traction your resume may have built.

It’s important to note that your cover letter should never be a copy, or even a reiteration, of your resume’s content. Many job seekers fall victim to going more in-depth on their work history because they are unsure what to include. Your cover letter does not need to be an extensive essay that appears as a sort of ‘last gasp’ at the job. If you choose that route, you will again find yourself repeating conversation points from your cover letter during a first-round interview. Instead, piece together a few brief paragraphs to highlight specific, relevant experience and showcase your knowledge of their industry’s latest trends and current standing. 

Get To The Point

Clearly state your interest in the position and organization in your first sentence. Share relevant achievements to grab the reader’s attention, whether it is through statistics backing success in a previous role or by pinpointing your education. Stay curious and humble as you quickly elaborate on your application. While a two-page resume is often justified, there is no such theory for your cover letter. You should be able to effectively convey your qualifications and passion for the role in a few brief paragraphs. Most hiring managers will not be keen to see you ramble on paper with an overly contextualized message. The more irrelevant details you provide, the more chaotic you will appear. Stay focused and close strong with a call to action for your reader.

Personalize It

Atop your cover letter, you can quickly separate yourself from the traditional job seeker by specifically addressing the hiring manager or recruiter by name. More often than not, the job poster’s name will either be attached to the job posting or easily accessible online. Search the organization’s LinkedIn company page and filter through their employees to find the listed hiring manager (HR Manager, Talent Acquisition Manager, etc.). Don’t be afraid to let LinkedIn notify them that you reviewed their profile. Not only will this research show your interest in the role, but it will prepare key conversation points as you learn more about your interviewer’s work history. If you are unsure of the right individual to address, proceed with the generic salutation.

Tie in your work history to the job description and your passions and core values to the organization. Pay close attention to the top requirements for the role and address them in the body of your letter. Reveal how your skill-set and prior experience make you suitable for the position and an integral part of their team. However, you need to be cautious that you are not simply making edits to a universal cover letter. Most hiring managers will quickly notice that your letter was not initially depicted for their company and job listing. 

*Bonus* If you know someone within the organization who would speak kindly of you, now is the time to name-drop. 

Showcase Your Excitement For The Role

You can quickly build rapport with the reader when you appear enthusiastic about the role, but conveying this enthusiasm through words on a page is not always easy. Reveal a long-term commitment to excellence by revealing goals you have for your position with the company and how you plan to contribute to the company’s growth. If you can show that you prioritize the company’s success over individual success, you will confirm that seamless integration with their team is plausible.

Throughout your compelling message, don’t forget to communicate high levels of confidence, trustworthiness, and integrity. Show why you are different than the traditional job seeker and let your personality shine through. If you cannot garner a genuine enthusiasm for the role, more likely than not, this position is not right for you.

Proofreading

The last thing you want is the strong impression you’ve developed through your work history, education, company research, and passion for the industry to be thwarted by a lack of attention to detail. Don’t overlook the importance of double and triple-checking your letter for grammatical and spelling errors. Enlist the help of your friends, family, Grammarly, and conclude with your final readthrough. 

After the long, strenuous process of constructing your cover letter, it can be difficult to muster the energy and patience to do one last proofread. You are excited to be finished with your masterpiece and eager to get your passion-filled application into the eyes of the employer. Still, even one misworded or confusing sentence could prove costly. Don’t give them any reason to toss your application aside, especially when it is one easily under your control.

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Recruitment Marketing: Get Top Talent To Your Active Listings

Nearly one year ago, Americans saw the unemployment rate hit a high of 15%. Today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we sit at 6.2% (~ 10 million Americans). While the unemployment rate continues to creep back towards its original 3.8%-3.9% baseline, there is still some progress left to be made. According to Monster’s Future of Work Report, bright times are ahead as 82% of U.S. employers reveal plans to hire in 2021.

However, with the influx of job seekers eager for a new opportunity, it is an arduous process filtering out the underqualified candidates and luring in the elite ones. From employer branding and paid advertising to candidate engagement, your recruitment marketing strategy plays an essential role in building your candidate pipeline with top talent. With the help of the team at Pragna Solutions, we reveal their four stages to a well-rounded recruitment marketing model:

1. Entice

The virtual aspect of the hiring process brings difficulties through candidate assessments and pre-interview screenings. Not to mention, the most qualified candidates may be carrying a different job while passively looking for the ‘right opportunity.’ When you do find that all-star candidate, chances are that other employers found them too, and they are weighing multiple offers. However, the right features can turn any passive candidate into an active one. 

In a recent survey from Monster, they uncovered the five job features candidates want out of their employers:

 – Flexible Work Schedules (38%)

 – Salary Protection (35%)

 – Health Policies & Protocols (30%)

 – Training staff to the new ways of working (29%)

 – Shifting to a more remote work environment (25%)

Showcase your company as a great company to work for by spotlighting your recent successes, awards/recognition and offering a taste of the company’s culture.

2. Engage

Outside of simply posting your job to your website or sharing it on Facebook or LinkedIn, there are other means to finding great candidates. Be sure to utilize the networking tools across social media to begin a direct conversation. Don’t wait on job-seekers to make the first move on an opportunity that may have never crossed their screen. Utilize features such as LinkedIn’s ‘Open to work’ tab or LinkedIn Groups to make personal connections. 

As conversations with qualified candidates progress, you will learn the specifics they are looking for in their next job and let them know they are attainable. The more candidates you converse with, the more you will uncover the employer persona you need to match. Through these intentional recruitment marketing efforts, the highly qualified candidates will start coming to you rather than the other way around.

3. Convert

When the candidate has expressed interest in your company, now it is time to make the final push. Stay gently persistent as you keep them engaged. If you start overselling the job, you will create an uncomfortable situation that may cause them to back out. Provide specific details to the job opening, the growth they can achieve (and be a part of), and how the opportunity matches up with other jobs in the market. When you are just moments away from that signed contract, you can reveal all the compensation, bonus, perks, and benefits that come along with the role. 

4. Hire

Maintain the mindset of a marketer for your recruitment success. The employees you want as a part of your team will be resourceful and selective in their research, so you must do the same. Don’t continue to view candidates as just another resume, but rather as consumers wanting to be impressed and won over. To receive the best-of-the-best, you must place yourself in their shoes and cater to their desires. 

Job Description Insight

Conduct research into the jobs available in your shared location, industry, or job title. From the position title, opening hook, and company insight to the role’s ins and outs, bringing in the best candidates demands relevant keywords and compelling language. In the end, ask the difficult question, “Would I apply for this job after reading this?” If you answer ‘No’ and can point to a reason, you know where to begin. If you are struggling to construct the perfect job description, here is a brief guide for you.

Want more tips? Check out these 15 ways Forbes Coaches Council recommends you ‘switch up’ your hiring strategy to attract the ideal candidate.

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The Ultimate Guide To Nailing Your Job Interview

Do you have a firm grasp of what hiring managers and recruiters are looking for during your interview? What does it take to reveal yourself as the ‘ideal candidate’ through your comments and responses? From the interview classics to addressing your work history, future goals, job specifications, and more, our friends at The Muse recently constructed a supremely extensive guide to answering any question that may come your way. Join us as we break down a few of our favorite examples and offer our reaction and comments:

“Why Do You Want To Work Here?”

Clearly, the job listing and description caught your attention if it brought you to an interview, but hitting the bullet points from the job listing is too generic of an approach. If you want to stand out as a candidate, you must point to what makes the company unique and why it appeals to you. Take a deep dive into the history and foundation of the company. Provide specifics as to how and why you want to be a part of their success long-term, and allow your passion to take over. For example, you can reveal how you took a keen interest in a company’s new product line, marketing initiative, or management change. If you can’t come up with specific reasons or you are struggling to convince yourself of your own words, the position is likely not the right fit for you. 

“Tell Me About a Challenge or Conflict You’ve Faced at Work, and How You Addressed It.”

When your interviewer opens the floor to discuss your work history, keep in mind that they already reviewed your resume, and merely reiterating your content will be seen as a waste of time. Although no one prefers to discuss their conflicts and work-related stress, employers will want to hear how you’ve overcome obstacles in your career. Be open and honest, but remember to remain calm and professional, especially if it is not a fond memory. To showcase you are open to learning from difficult experiences, emphasize what you would choose to do differently. Lastly, keep the focus on the resolution more than the conflict.

“Why Are You Leaving Your Current Job?”

Here’s a question you can certainly expect to be asked by your interviewer. Whether you were let go due to the pandemic or choosing to leave on your terms, any organization considering hiring you will want to know the details surrounding your exit and the relationships you carried. Do you want a salary/promotion your prior employer wasn’t willing to give you? Did you not get along with previous management? There is nothing you can gain from trashing a former employer or manager. Keep things light and straightforward while maintaining an eagerness for the job at hand.

Questions Concerning Your Goals & Preferences

In getting to know the candidates, employers will want to discover what makes you tick. What are your long-term and short-term career goals? If you are asked about your preferences in a work environment and what you want out of a job, the obvious route is to hit the specifics of the company and position to which you are applying (if it truly is the one you want).

As much as you need to prepare for your interview and position yourself as the best candidate, you cannot lose sight of the interview being a two-way street. Ask your interviewer questions such as:

 – Why is this position available? (Is it new, or did someone leave the role?) 

– What is keeping employees happy and long-tenured?

– Upon getting hired, what are the first steps?

– What makes someone successful in this role?

The most prominent leaders are tenacious and decisive, but also adaptable and introspective. If you see the makings of this leadership style within an organization, you may have found a great place to accelerate your career.

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