20LESSONSIN 20YEARS
Michael Butler Chief Growth Officer Kester Search Group®
INTRODUCTION
Coming up on my 20th year in the recruiting industry I am excited to present my “20 Lessons in 20 Years.”
The following lessons are my observations from partnering with hundreds of companies, thousands of hiring managers and tens of thousands of candidates.
LEADING IS CARING
For this first lesson, I am sharing the one leadership trait that stands out to me as the most impactful: Caring.
There are another dozen-plus traits that we can list for what makes a great leader Emotional Intelligence, Communication, Integrity, Positivity, Accountability, etc , and all are integral in the makeup of a great leader
But if your team members think you are emotionally invested in their success and truly care for them on a personal and professional level, they will run through walls for you.
We have experienced this first-hand on countless occasions when candidates know of a leader from a prior role and say “If he/she is the manager, I am interested in the opportunity regardless of the details.” It’s not because these managers have a reputation for delivering results, it's because these leaders are known for caring for their people while delivering results.
Granted, a strong leader can’t just be caring without many of the other necessary traits of a great leader An emotionally intelligent leader, for example, will be caring by default
If you are leading a team currently, I would highly recommend routinely taking time with your people to show that you care for them and the returns will be immense.
And if your current manager would not be happy for you when that careeraltering opportunity comes along, it may be time to find a new leader.
©Kester Search Group® 2024
MINDSET OF ABUNDANCE
Do you interview candidates trying to find all the reasons why they are not fit for the position? Do you view your competition with animosity? Do you focus on winning or obsess over the prospect of losing?
There is a distinct frame of mind I have observed over the last 20 years that plays a significant role in one’s happiness in their career and in the culture of organizations and individual teams.
IT IS THE MINDSET OF ABUNDANCE
What does that mean?
Believing there is plenty of opportunity for everyone in your field.
Focusing on what you can control and detaching your self worth from the outcome.
Seeing the glass as half-full.
Having a healthy respect for your competitors.
Being grateful for what you have instead of what you don’t.
Focusing on your strengths while maintaining awareness of your weaknesses.
Viewing hardships as part of the journey and learning experiences.
MONEY MATTERS,
Would you accept a position with less pay?
OR DOES IT?
Have you ever changed jobs solely because of a pay increase?
After being in the recruiting industry for two decades I have two philosophies when it comes to compensation-
MONEY IS THE FOUNDTION OF EVERY POTENTIAL JOB CHANGE
When one of my colleagues presents a candidate to me for one of our clients, the very first question I ask is about compensation
Roughly 90% of the time, without very significant extenuating circumstances, candidates will not accept a position that pays less than their current position.
Extenuating circumstances do matter If you truly hate your job or there is enough pain in your current situation, you may be willing to take a 15% pay cut for a different opportunity. But we find most candidates that say they are interested in a lower paying position will not actually take the job if offered.
I always recommend to my clients and our internal team to talk about money early and often If the money doesn’t make sense, you are setting yourself up to waste a lot of time and energy.
CANDIDATES ARE NOT AS GREEDY AS EVERYONE BELIEVES
There is a misconception that candidates are often for sale to the highest bidder and that the only thing matters is money.
We have not found that to be the case.
We find most candidates want:
To be compensated fairly
To be part of a great team and culture
To feel challenged in their position
To be treated well and valued
To have opportunities to grow their career (growth, not necessarily promotions)
We often hear from candidates who want to make a change for more money but are otherwise happy in their careers HOWEVER, that is often because they are underpaid for their skill set relative to their peer group Not because they are greedy.
Money is a very complicated, difficult and nuanced topic in recruiting. Save yourself and your team a lot of time by digging in on the topic early and often.
MANAGERS HIRE IN THEIR OWN IMAGE
What is the biggest trap we see hiring managers fall into? Selecting a candidate based on common experiences, backgrounds, etc. It’s human nature and you can’t really fault them for doing so.
There is actually a term for this, it’s called Affinity Bias. Affinity bias is the tendency to favor people who share similar interests, backgrounds, and experiences with us
FOR EXAMPLE, THE HIRING MANAGER WAS A COLLEGE ATHLETE. THEREFORE THEY WANT TO HIRE A CANDIDATE THAT WAS ALSO A COLLEGE ATHLETE.
THE SAME CAN BE SAID FOR ALL KINDS OF SCENARIOS:
Industries they’ve worked in Types of jobs held
Early life experiences
What part of the country their from What they majored in Military experience Paid their way through college
I would add one additional item to this definition above specific to hiring: Personality Traits.
If you are a high energy, assertive and charismatic person, you are likely going to gravitate towards candidates of the same make.
I can’t overstate how often we see the affinity bias play out
If you are a hiring manager, the only shoes you’ve walked in are your own. Those experiences are what led to your success and who can blame you for looking for someone who has walked a similar path? I would challenge you to have more awareness of the natural tendency of affinity bias. Stop yourself from falling in love with that candidate that you have a lot in common with and ask yourself if they are truly the best person for the job.
If you are a candidate interviewing for a position, the cheat code is to figure out how to take advantage of this natural bias.
CONVERSATIONAL INTERVIEWS ARE THE BEST
WE SEE TWO MAIN AND CRITICAL CRITERIA WHEN EVALUATING INTERVIEW STRUCTURE:
Will my interview style help me identify the best candidate for the position?
Will my interview style attract the best candidate for the position?
It sounds so simple but I think the vast majority of companies and hiring managers fail to take #2 into account.
A very structured interview is great for a hiring manager to identify the best interviewee, and an unstructured interview is great for making a new friend. However, you are not trying to make friends or identify who can best answer your questions.
What we have seen as most effective in identifying and attracting talent is a hybrid approach
Have your list of questions/topics you want to cover but do so in a freeflowing style where you allow candidates to ask questions throughout the interview. Your candidates will be much more comfortable, open and authentic, and you will naturally present as more likable and genuine.
Make sure you are consistent with all candidates, covering your predetermined list of questions/topics so you can fairly compare and contrast. Candidates will leave the interview much more interested in the opportunity.
The candidates’ openness and authenticity will help you evaluate who is truly the best fit for the position, not the candidate that has practiced or interviewed enough that they can nail every question
THE BEER TEST
Do you like beer or a cocktail? I certainly do.
Do you utilize the “Beer Test” when hiring?
In case you have not heard of the Beer Test it traditionally goes like thisDon’t hire anyone you wouldn’t enjoy having a beer with.
Some attribute this principle to Steve Jobs at Apple. His philosophy was to have a beer or go for a walk with a candidate to see if this was an enjoyable person to be around and get a read on their authentic selves in a more relaxed environment.
No one wants to work with an unpleasant person or someone who just doesn’t align well with the culture, even if they are a great candidate And it’s really hard to get a read on someone’s true self in the buttoned up environment of a traditional interview
But don’t let the Beer Test guide your hiring. This is where we see a lot of Hiring Managers trip up, especially early in their careers.
Make it a box that has to be checked but make sure you are not hiring the candidate you align with the most socially… You are not looking for a new friend.
So keep doing the Beer Test, but keep it in the appropriate context and look for great people that are pleasant to work with and will not just align with but will add to your culture.
HIRING IS JUST LIKE THE REAL ESTATE MARKET
Who is interested in a 5 bedroom, 3,000 sq. ft. home in San Diego, in a great neighborhood near the beach, for the very affordable price of $500k? We all are right?!
When we are evaluating a new client or a new search assignment, there is one basic question that helps us determine if it is a partnership we want to step into: What is your candidate profile and what is your compensation package to land this person?
It sounds very simple It is It’s the pure economics of supply & demand
Just like in real estate, if you don’t have a compensation package to land the type of candidate you are seeking, you have to find flexibility in some of your requirements.
SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF AS YOU BUILD OUT YOUR CANDIDATE PROFILE
Am I working with a comp package that is average, below, or above the market rate for that type of experience?
Where does my company fit in the hierarchy of companies within our niche? Does your company have the prestige/reputation to attract someone that is plug & play from a direct competitor?
©Kester Search Group® 2024
What type of candidate would view my opportunity as a great step in their career? If I insist on a plug & play candidate, will I only be able to attract average or below candidates?
Am I better off hiring a plug & play average candidate that won’t take much effort to lead OR do I want a more talented candidate that will need to learn a lot but I am willing and have the time to help make them successful?
When companies come to us for help with positions that have been open too long it is most often due to the disconnect between the desired candidate profile and the compensation package. Everyone is interested in that 5 bedroom home in San Diego but only the folks with a $2M+ budget can actually buy one
THE BEST PREDICTOR OF COMPANY CULTURE
Company Culture is one of those really difficult things to define. Ask 8 people to define what company culture means and you will get 15 different answers.
One of my favorite definitions of company culture is - How we do things. Put another way- Wh i ’ lik k h d d
It is really difficult to get a read on a company’s culture while going through the interview process. You can often get a read on your future manager and others involved in the interview lineup, but it’s really hard to decipher what it will be like to work at this company.
I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to view hundreds of companies’ interview processes and there is a definite correlation between how the company conducts their interviews and what its like to actually work at that company
There are no right or wrong answers to the questions below You need to ask yourself what type of environment you prefer to work in One person’s love of a collaborative & communicative environment is another person’s frustration at the lack of independence, autonomy and agility.
Do they move quickly or are they more methodical? Are they too extreme in either direction?
Do they over/under-communicate throughout the process?
Is the interview process structured, organized, process oriented OR sporadic, last minute, etc.?
Are the interviewers collaborating through the process or does every interview start at zero?
Does the interview process feel very transactional or do the interviewers give you the “warm & fuzzies”?
Does the hiring manager keep you at arms length through the process does it feel like they are shepherding you throughout?
Do the interviewers have genuine belief in what they are doing or do they all feel like they are cogs in the machine?
Does it feel like decisions are made democratically or does the hiring manager have a reasonable level of autonomy to make decisions?
MAKE SURE YOUR INTERVIEW PROCESSES ALIGN WITH THE CULTURE OF YOUR ORGANIZATION.
Candidates that do not align with your culture will often deselect themselves as they grow frustrated because “How your company does things” doesn’t align with “How they do things.” ©Kester Search Group® 2024
ASK THE BEST QUESTIONS
What is the I ng is such a nebulous top
There are a m ew. Most of which are generic & cookie-cutter.
Ask “Tell me about your company culture” and the interviewer will say “Fun, Collaborative, Work Hard/Play Hard, Do The Right Thing” and they will move on unimpressed with your surface layer question.
After 20 years in the executive search business, if there is only one piece of advice I could offer a candidate to nail an interview it would be:
Ask Great Questions.
An interview is really just a sales call How do you conduct a great sales call? Get your customer talking as much as possible by asking great questions
In order to do so, you need to come in well researched.
EXAMPLE OF GREAT QUESTIONS/TOPICS INCLUDE:
The hiring manager’s career story, background, etc.
The challenges the company and the hiring manager are facing.
Understanding the hiring manager’s expectations of you as a team member in terms of communication, collaboration, autonomy, etc.
How the manager would define a successful first 6 months, 2 years, etc
The hiring manager’s advice for how to thrive in the position
Things people struggle with the most when stepping into the position and/or company and the manager’s advice on how to navigate that.
The hiring manager’s opinion on the competitive landscape, where the company fits in, and routine challenges they face in the market.
Key team members and internal stakeholders you will be working with on a regular basis & how can you be most effective in that environment?
The biggest surprises the manager has encountered from the time the interviewer accepted a position at the company to where they are today
THE KEY THEMES HERE ARE:
A) Asking questions to better understand how to be successful in the position
B) Asking open ended questions where the manager is able to share their opinion and advice.
C) Get the hiring manager talking about themselves.
D) If you frame the questions correctly by inserting tidbits from your preinterview research, you will come across as knowledgeable, highly interested and willing to go the extra mile
©Kester Search Group® 2024
A LITTLE PREPARATION GOES A LONG WAY
I’ve never had a Hiring Manager complain that a candidate was over prepared. Not once, and that’s covering thousands and thousands of interviews over 20 years.
The standard interview prep tends to go like this: “I looked over their website and read their Glassdoor reviews ” Which is a remarkably average way to prep for an interview - and it shows
Look at an interview process as an opportunity to showcase how you work. A hiring manager can absolutely tell which candidates put in the work before an interview. And it’s only natural for him/her to conclude that is how you would behave if you actually get the job!
There are caveats of course If you are a highly recruited candidate that is just feeling out the opportunity, it may not be worth your time to do a ton of prep work. If you are unemployed and interviewing with a dozen companies at once, there is only so much time in the day to prepare.
Regardless, as you progress through the interview process, there will come a time where you need to show you are doing your homework.
SOME IDEAS TO CONSIDER
Research the hiring manager's background along with your potential peers and senior leadership at the company
Read all the company press releases from the last 12-24 months.
If publicly traded, read the transcripts of the past several Quarterly Earnings Calls. These are a goldmine of information! *Use ChatGPT to summarize the calls for faster reading*.
Run an internet search for any articles discussing the company (click on “News” on Google for better results), and do the same on YouTube, this is often a hidden gem for information.
If you want to go deeper, do the four things above for their top competitors
Reach out to current & former employees over LinkedIn and ask if they would be willing to speak with you
Read the LinkedIn posts of the hiring manager along with the company’s posts. Pay attention to themes in their posts which may reflect their interests and values.
Talk to (potential) customers of the company.
You can do most of the above in an hour's time. I know this because I do this every time I pick up a new client. It’s amazing what you can learn about a company with just a little bit of effort.
ALWAYS DILIGENT. ALWAYS PREPARED. ALWAYS GOING THE EXTRA MILE.
Search Group® 2024
18
INTERVIEW: STEPS & DURATION
Too short of an interview process?! Is there such a thing?!
The most common complaint we hear is that companies have too lengthy of an interview process. Candidates lose interest, get picked up by other companies, highly recruited passive candidates pull out, etc.
A protracted interview process is definitely a problem. But so is too short of a process! Many companies respond to the lengthy interview process by moving at a lightning-fast pace. Three interviews in one week and an offer is made This sounds great in theory But we see it backfire all the time
Candidates need time to process what they are learning about a company and we find a 1-week process is often too fast It’s like asking to get married after the third date. The majority of our placements come from passive candidates who are not actively looking for a new position. In this scenario, it is extremely important you give a candidate time to process and go through the emotional journey of making a career change.
We’ve also found a 1-week process is often filled with shorter interviews and less of an opportunity for candidates to connect emotionally with the hiring manager and others. It feels more transactional and candidates end up less emotionally invested in the opportunity
So what is the right timing? Two weeks Maybe three, especially as you move up the org chart Not one Not four Certainly not six!!!
There are always exceptions. If you find a rock star candidate who is really active and/or unemployed, you may need to move quickly. Just make sure the process doesn’t feel transactional- put in some extra time to develop that emotional connection that will help get the candidate across the finish line.
©Kester Search Group® 2024
PUSH & PULL MOTIVATORS
Have you ever made a job change for all the wrong reasons? I think we all have. I’ve made a handful of job changes in my career and they have fallen into three categories: .
Running away from something. Running to something And a combination of both
IN OUR LINE OF WORK WE CALL THESE PUSH & PULL MOTIVATORS
What is pushing you to leave your current employer? What is pulling you towards this new employer?
The biggest mistakes we see are when candidates make a decision primarily based on getting out of a bad situation. I’ve made the mistake myself and a short-term band-aid does not lead to long-term happiness.
The majority of candidates we place are passive, i.e. they are not actively looking for a new opportunity. They are generally happy in their position but we always make sure they have legitimate reasons why they would leave. If they don’t, they will often bail at the finish line or make unrealistic compensation demands.
As you are interviewing candidates or considering opportunities for yourself, take the time to really evaluate what is motivating the potential job change Ideally there is balance between your push & pull motivators
TALENT SCARCITY IS REAL
LinkedIn is a blessing! LinkedIn is a curse?
LinkedIn has truly transformed the recruiting and talent acquisition landscape.
In my view, it has practically created an entirely new profession, corporate Talent Acquisition, while also reducing the barriers to entry for people entering the recruiting industry
When I started in this business in 2004, it was rare to come across a “Talent Acquisition” professional. We would see an occasional internal Recruiter, but for the most part, talent acquisition was lumped into an HR professional’s other responsibilities.
Now, there are tens of thousands of highly talented professionals scattered across this new profession. Similarly, there were fewer external recruiters two decades ago. “Back in the day” one of the primary values of a recruiting firm was their proprietary database. Today, anyone with an internet connection can instantly tap into the world’s largest database.
WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?
There are significantly more highly-trained professionals who spend their entire working day FIGHTING for the same talent.
Candidates that may have received a few calls a month from recruiters are now being blown up with InMails, calls and emails on a daily basis. Couple that with a roughly 3%-4% drop in the labor force participation rate over that same period (equivalent to 5 million missing workers) and you are looking at a major talent war.
Also of note, all the demographic projections show we are in store for a couple of decades of a labor shortage.
What should hiring managers do about it?
Be cognizant of the realities of the marketplace
Be a little more open-minded about your hiring profile
Put a lot of thought into the candidate's experience Move at a reasonable pace, spend a lot of time courting candidates rather than just drilling them with questions, and be highly communicative. In other words, treat candidates how you would like to be treated as a candidate.
Twenty years ago, companies and hiring managers had all the leverage. Today, that is no longer the case.
BE AUTHENTIC
We all know the type that has the perfect answer to every question, but it never quite feels genuine. Don't be that person.
It's natural for candidates to feel like they need to be straight-laced, buttoned up and ready to spit out their rehearsed answers. It's also natural for hiring managers to step into this "authoritative" role during an interview and not let their true personality show.
But after 20 years of debriefing hiring managers and candidates, it turns out both parties are looking for the same thing in an interview
AUTHENTICITY
An authentic person is someone who is comfortable in their skin and doesn’t feel the need to put on a front to fit in and be accepted by others. They know who they are, and they don’t hide it.
HOW TO BE AUTHENTIC
Not bluffing your way through an interview question. A simple "I am having a hard time coming up with an example of that, do you mind if we come back to that question later?"
Share your mistakes and real weaknesses (we all have them), and what you have learned from them and are doing to overcome them However, do not overshare here, keep the skeletons in the closet if that is where they belong.
Give real answers, not just what you think the other party wants to hear.
Be fully present and attentive. This is especially hard for hiring managers, as interview fatigue is a real thing.
Grab a meal with your finalist. You can't do this with every candidate but it's the best way to get everyone to open up a bit and show their true colors, yourself included.
Being authentic is truly the best way to find cultural alignment between all parties It's also the best way to attract the right candidate to your team and vice versa!
MADE, SAVED, ACHIEVED
I have viewed a lot of resumes Throw in LinkedIn profiles, and my best guess is I have looked at over a half a million resumes and profiles
I’m sure you have heard the statistic that the initial look at your resume will only garner a few seconds of attention from the viewer I can tell you that is absolutely true.
What advice would I give to make sure your resume gets more consideration?
Follow the Made, Saved, Achieved model. And provide the right Context.
MADE
Name projects or initiatives you developed or led, made process improvements to, etc The goal of this is to show your ability to initiate and drive change.
SAVED
Detail instances where you saved time, resources or money Improvement in efficiencies, and/or operational costs show you can make practical contributions to the organization
ACHIEVED
Quantify your achievements such as surpassing sales targets, completing projects ahead of schedule, or earning recognition for your contributions
The goal here is for your MSAs to jump off the page Share them in bullet format under the respective positions and bold the most impressive ones.
For context, it’s all about bringing the right information to the surface throughout your resume.
Summary of the resume: This is a good place to provide a few sentences describing what value you bring to an organization based on the industries you’ve worked in, type of organization (Fortune 100, rapidly scaling startup, etc.), and the scope of positions (e.g. team size, geography), etc. It’s also a smart place to drop keywords into your sentences.
Company Description: I highly recommend a brief 1-2 sentence description of your company Describe what your company does/makes, what market served, size/scope, etc For example, “Kester Search Group is a privately held, national permanent placement recruiting firm specializing in commercial and executive positions within the healthcare industry KSG has 14 employees and was twice named to the Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America list.”
Responsibilities: Focus on your top 3-4 responsibilities and provide context so the reader can understand the scope of your position. Examples include P&L responsibility, budget, revenue, number of team members, reporting structure, markets, etc.
As you go further back in your work history, tighten up the information shared and focus on the most important items.
Search Group® 2024
TOO MUCH LOYALTY
POP QUIZ: WHICH CANDIDATE IS MORE ATTRACTIVE?
Candidate A has worked at the same company for 17 years and held three different positions.
Candidate B has worked at six companies in 17 years.
Unfortunately for Candidate A, the answer is most often Candidate B.
It seems counterintuitive We’ve all heard forever that job stability is really important but in reality there is definitely a point where a lot of tenure becomes detrimental to your career
The perception is a candidate with seventeen years at one company may:
Struggle to assimilate in a new culture
Be adverse to change
Spent the last number of years “coasting”
Not resourceful
Likely to not accept an offer
Candidate B likely has a couple of “mistakes” on their resume or situations completely out of their control that led to a short tenure But they also likely have a few 3-5 year impactful stops on their resume and have shown an ability to adapt, hit the ground running, work in different size organizations, different industries or segments, thrived in various cultures, etc. Candidate B is usually the more sought after candidate.
So how long is too long? It’s hard to say, but my opinion is 12 years at one company, assuming you have held at least a couple of positions, is an inflection point. It’s the time to ask yourself, do I need to look externally before I start limiting future opportunities? If you have career advancement opportunities in front of you at your current employer, that may outweigh the potential downside of staying.
We see this same issue applied to being in the same job for too long More than 7-8 years in the exact same position at the same company is often met with some negative perceptions Too comfortable, on cruise control, not aspirational, etc That doesn’t mean it’s true, but it’s definitely a perception.
©Kester Search Group® 2024
IT’S WHAT THEY DO
Interviewing is incredibly difficult. As a hiring manager, you have short encounters with a candidate, maybe 2-3 times through the process. Many managers fall into the trap of hiring the candidate they have something in common with. Or they hire the candidate that was most engaging. When you are going off of limited information, often just work history and the time spent together during an interview(s), it’s hard not to fall into that trap.
What we’ve noticed over the years is the best hiring managers take stock of how the candidate approaches the process It is often the missing piece of information you need to understand what it will be like to have this person on your team. How much preparation did they put in? Did they show up with a thrown together resume or go the extra mile with a well-thought-out resume? Did they research your company, your competitors, your background? Have they talked to people in the industry to gain more insight, put together examples of their work product, put some real thought into the opportunity and come prepared with well thought out questions? What does the candidate do between interviews?
There is an old saying “How you do anything is how you do everything.”
We certainly see that play out in the interview process. There are always exceptions, especially when dealing with a highly recruited/passive candidate. For the most part, start paying attention to the actions of your candidates to better understand who is best fit for your organization.
THE STRESS OF NEGOTIATIONS
I’ve been lucky enough to be a party to over 1,000 negotiations. Some go smoothly and others do not. It brings out some of the most basic human characteristics as people enter survival mode. Candidates and Hiring Managers can get emotional, hard-headed, greedy and a host of other traits that make negotiating difficult. There are often a lot of moving parts… salary, bonus, sign-on bonus, LTI, equity, MBOs, benefits (and cost of), retirement, relocation package, etc.
WE’VE FOUND THE FOLLOWING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT AS YOU ENTER NEGOTIATIONS:
Understanding- For Hiring Managers, understanding what is important to your candidate and why What may sound like a greedy or stubborn request is likely tied to a piece of information you don’t have And for candidates, understanding why the offer is structured as it is can help them see the broader picture.
Fairness- Most candidates ultimately want to be paid their worth in the marketplace. And most companies are willing to accommodate reasonable requests.
Flexibility- Employment offers include many levers. Some of the levers are stuck in place (e.g. the 401k plan is what it is) and others can be pushed or pulled to keep both parties happy. If both parties come to the table willing to be flexible and work together, it usually goes well.
Wanted- Finally, if both parties feel the other party really wants to make this work and both strongly desire to work together, it makes for a smoother process It’s human nature to be more flexible if you feel an emotional connection to the other party If it just feels like a transaction, either party is much more likely to be inflexible
Negotiating can be highly stressful. The next time you are part of one, slow down, try to understand what is important to the other party, be fair, be flexible and make the other party feel wanted.
©Kester Search Group® 2024
YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THREE CANDIDATES.
#1 Very gritty, average talent and intelligence
#2 Very talented, average grit and intelligence
#3 Very intelligent, average grit and talent
Which one are you hiring?
Grit is a personality trait that describes someone's passion and perseverance for long-term goals. It's about sticking with something you care about even when it gets tough.
Passion: A strong interest in a particular goal or area and find it meaningful. This isn't a fleeting interest, but something that motivates one over time.
Perseverance: Someone who doesn't give up easily. They keep working hard even when you face setbacks or challenges.
People with high grit are often described as determined, resilient, and hardworking. They tend to be successful in achieving their goals because they're willing to put in the effort and bounce back from difficulties
In our experience, grit beats talent and intelligence every time To identify grit, ask for examples of overcoming difficulties and try to understand what really drives them to be successful. Of course you need some balance in this equation, you can’t just hire gritty people with no talent. But all else being equal, we choose grit every time.
LEAN IN
With 20 years in the recruiting industry, one of the strongest pieces of advice I can share with Recruiters, Candidates and Hiring Managers is to:
LEAN INTO THE RELATIONSHIPS INVOLVED IN THE RECRUITING PROCESS.
For Hiring Managers, a Recruiter’s success is most often tied directly to the level of communication they are receiving from you. If you pass along a job description and say “Go find them”, you are likely to be very disappointed in the results. Hiring is very personal and every leader and organization has their quirks, preferences, unsaid requirements, etc. All that nuance is what your Recruiter needs to know in order to find the best Candidates on your behalf. They also need feedback on resumes and interviews so they can learn to become an extension of you!
For Candidates, I would recommend really leaning into your Recruiters as they can be a very valuable source of information and guidance. They should have a feel for the hiring manager’s personality, the company's culture, valuable industry knowledge, what you can do to set yourself apart from the others, etc I have often found that the way a Hiring Manager treats me (as a Recruiter) is often how she/he treats their own team members Ask your Recruiter what it’s like working with the Hiring Manager to get a sense for what it may be like to be on their team.
Recruiters- This goes without saying but you should be investing heavily in all the relationships in the recruiting triangle. If you treat your Candidates or your Clients in a transactional manner, expect to be treated the same way in return. You can’t be very successful helping a Hiring Manager if you haven’t taken the time to try and really understand them. Nor should you expect candidates to communicate with you if you have made them feel like they are just another resume.
Like everything in life, you get out what you put in. Start leaning into these relationships and you will be amazed at the difference.
Michael Butler is the Chief Growth Officer at Kester Search Group®, LLC: a consultative talent acquisition firm that specializes in executive search and commercial expansion projects for diagnostic, dental, medical device, oncology, and healthcare technology companies throughout the United States. Michael can be contacted via email at michael@kestersearch.com.
