I’m seeking an ME to become a Quality Engineer for one of the top OEMs’ of natural gas and hydrogen fuel storage systems and vehicle integration.
This market is growing rapidly as more and more fleets and vehicles are converting to Alternative Fuels; CNG, Hydrogen and wrestling with the challenge of fuel storage.
You will focus on the quality of high pressure gaseous fuel components and systems for use in CNG and Hydrogen automotive, truck, and virtual pipeline applications.
If you are interested in confidentially exploring this opportunity…. Let’s talk.
If my timing is off, would you happen to know an industry engineering pro that many be open to an exciting, growing situation that I might be able to reach out to?
Core Competencies:
What you will Do:
What We Need from You:
Email qualified resume/CV to vip(at)permantech.com
The nuances of the video calls are not to be ignored. Here are some video call tips to help you avoid the awkward, embarrassing mishaps so common in video calls.
This year has seen a lot of change. Most companies today are using video calls much more for communicating; meetings, training, collaborating and interviewing. As with any new communication tool, there are always new ways to embarrass yourself. Video calls are becoming as common as phone calls were just a few years ago and just as easy to use.
Yet all this convenience is not without its drawbacks. If you’ve ever participated in a video call, the first word that comes to mind is probably “awkward.” Delays, lost signals, weird uncomfortable eye contact and talking over one another are common. Despite this, the cost savings and convenience will ensure that video calls are here to stay. Here are some video call tips to help you avoid the awkwardness, embarrassment while making yourself stand out as the professional you are.
Some of the many video call providers include Zoom, Microsoft Meetings, WebEx, Google Hangouts, Google Meet, GoToMeeting, Skype for Business, Slack and others.
Setting
The last thing you want during your video call is for the people on the other end to be distracted by a pile of dirty laundry, glamour portraits of you or your spouse on the wall (as lovely as it probably is) or anything else blatantly non-professional. Practice proper etiquette by setting up your computer in a clean, well-lit area and do a trial run to see what is showing up around you on the screen. You can adjust your position and the angle of the camera to make sure only what you want portrayed is visible. A local coffee house will not afford you a quiet and professional environment. Nor will your kitchen table, if you have a house full of folks bustling around getting ready for their day. Position your camera; people do not want to look up your nose or down your shirt. If you must, set your laptop on a pile of books to achieve a level angle with your eyes. Turn off any distractions (other screens, TV, radio, cell phone, remove PETS, etc.).
Practice
Conducting a dry run is one of the most important things you can do to ensure you come across as polished and professional. Coordinate with a friend to do a practice interview to make sure you are comfortable connecting to the call and that your equipment works. Do everything you can to ensure your internet connection is as strong as possible and practice with your conferencing equipment so that you are aware of tendencies to delay or lag in the transmission. Always talk to the camera.
Dress appropriately
If you are interviewing, a video interview is every bit as much an interview as an in-person one, so make sure you are properly attired. Proper job interview etiquette is to always dress appropriately for the job in which you are applying, not necessarily a day on the job. Even if you know the company has a casual dress code, most interviewers will be taken aback if you show up in jeans and a t-shirt. The same holds true for the video call meeting or training. Put your pants on before the call too. You can change back into your pajamas and robe as soon as it’s done.
Master eye contact
It’s likely that if you adhere to the previous four tips, you will already be a step ahead of most people. However, there is one more big hurdle to cross and that’s the ‘eye contact’ phenomena of video call. I can’t repeat enough – Always talk to the camera.
We are innately conditioned to show attention to people by looking them in the eye when they speak, and to nod and smile. When we are video calling it is almost impossible not to do these things. Remember, that when you make eye contact during a video call, it should be with your web camera – NOT the person’s face on your computer! This feels very awkward and is also distracting because you will continuously catch glimpses of your ‘paying attention’ face, and it will look strange to you. Resist the urge to fix your hair, wipe away a spot (unless it’s huge) or otherwise act like you are alone in front of a mirror. Focus on the fact that the camera is the interviewer’s eyes and make appropriate, non-staring eye contact, as naturally as possible.
Other embarrassing habits to avoid
I have double computer screens, and it is common for me to multi-task. Don’t do this. When you are on a phone call you can get away with it. Not on a video call. Be in the moment with your camera, as not to offend the other people. If you are taking notes, take notes as if you were face to face – look up and acknowledge the other people talking.
Do not eat anything while on a video call. No one wants to watch you eat. Keep your hands away from your face; don’t pick your nose, scratch yourself or pick your teeth.
Lighting is essential and a lack of lighting is a very common mistake. Make sure the area is well lite, even add an extra light if you appear shadowed or too dark. Test during both day and evening.
Don’t be late. Some people think of video calls as being less official than in-office meeting, but there’s no reason for that distinction. You’re taking up precious time that your colleagues and clients could be using for other tasks, so treat a video call as seriously as you would an in-office meeting and show up on time.
Don’t interrupt when someone else is talking. This should go without saying as it’s just as important in the real world as it is on video calls, but don’t interrupt other people while they’re talking. Beyond the usual disrespect and confusion, it can trigger, on a video call it can create static or cause the audio to become otherwise distorted. You may accidentally talk over someone if you both start talking at the same time but correct this as quickly as possible and give one person the floor. Otherwise, no one can hear you anyway, so it’s in your best interest to hold off on interruptions and let one person speak at a time. Interrupt a couple of times and others will think badly of you.
As a valued member of my network, I hope this info is helpful. If you have any questions? Feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected] or 360.835.2205
-Gary
Gary Perman
President
PermanTech | 360.835.2205 | permantech.com
1. Tell me about a time where you felt defeated; e.g., your project was falling apart, you were unable to meet your boss’s timeline goals, your idea was dismissed, etc. How did you respond to the adversity?
Value of This Question: Unearths how self-motivated the candidate is when the job gets tough, and/or when they do not feel in control. How do they step up and unravel challenges of a failing project? Or, what actions do they take to ensure timelines are met on the next project? When ideas are passed over, do they internalize the situation and, over time, get so frustrated that they decide to conduct a job search (and thus, this is why you are interviewing them today?), or, do they brainstorm with a coach or colleague
2. Describe a time when you were asked to perform a task or spearhead an initiative that went against your values. What did you do? What was the outcome?
Value of This Question: Speaks to integrity and values and how the job seeker communicates their needs amid uncomfortable and uncertain situations. It also helps the hiring company to determine if there is a values-fit with this candidate.
3. Think about the most exciting and energizing aspect of your current or most recent position. What did you specifically enjoy about it? Why?
Value of This Question: Helps determine culture fit. For example, if the most energizing aspect of their job has been interacting with clients on a daily basis but there is no similar type of interaction in the prospective role, then further discovery may be in order to ensure fit.
4. Think back to one of the most energy-depleting periods in your current or most recent position. What was going on? How did you respond to it? What was the outcome?
Value of This Question: Again, this question helps determine culture fit. If the most depleting period of time was when the candidate regularly corresponded with clients, but they prefer working solitarily, then this job (especially if it continual customer correspondence) may not be a fit.
5. Tell me about a time when you had too much to do, but not enough resources (this could include staffing, time, money). How did you handle the pressure, overcome the deficit and/or achieve goals?
Value of This Question: Uncovers how the candidate responds to pressure and also their problem-solving skills. For example, if the employee shows how they bartered with a colleague for additional resources, then they prove out-of-the-box initiative (versus asking their boss for additional budgeting or resources that may not have been available).
6. Describe a situation where you had to make a tough decision that normally would have been escalated to your boss. How did you handle the decision-making process? What was the result?
Value of This Question: Provides insights about the job seeker’s decisiveness as well as confidence. Moreover, asking what the result was helps to determine the quality of the candidate’s decision.
7. Tell me about a time when you went the extra mile when it would have been just as acceptable to perform the bare minimum? Why did you exert the effort? What was the outcome?
Value of This Question: Delivers insights into the candidate’s drive, and the ‘why’ behind the initiative. Is the candidate internally driven to always push that extra mile, or was this a one-and-done? If a one-and-done, then what was their motivator? Was it team-driven, was it for a greater company good, or, perhaps they wanted to prove being ready for the next promotion, for example.
8. Describe a situation where you and a colleague whom you relied upon for support (e.g., to complete a project) were in conflict? How did you address the situation?
Value of This Question: Unearths the candidate’s conflict resolution abilities. It also may illustrate how flexible the candidate is in adapting their expectations and/or behaving with humility to achieve a greater organizational good.
9. Provide an example of a difficult situation with a major client that you had to resolve. What steps did you take? What was the outcome?
Value of This Question: Exposes the candidate’s advanced customer relationship management skills, as well as tenacity in problem-solving. It also reveals how well they connect the dots between a problem and a meaningful outcome. Even better if they can measure the results or articulate how their resolution contributed to longer-term gains.
10. Tell me about a time when you had to convince another staff member or leader, whom you had no direct authority over, to buy into a new idea or project? How did you accomplish this?
Value of This Question: Brings light to the interviewee’s influence skills. How well can they gain idea buy-in from someone who does not report to them? How well do they function in a matrix environment? Moreover, it sheds light on communication abilities.
11. Tell me about a time you made a blunder on the job that cost your company time or money. How did you handle the aftermath?
Value of This Question: Uncovers the candidate’s ability to own their mistakes and also demonstrates their ability to rectify the situation immediately or if that’s not possible, to prove they’ve learned from their mistakes and have put measures in place to avoid them happening again.
By tapping into these top 11 questions as well as adapting behavioral questions to your own unique hiring situation, you will glean an abundance of candidate intel, extending the conversation beyond the resume. After the interview, you will better understand motivators and values, you will get a sense of how the candidate solves problems and initiates new ideas, you will know whether they play well with others or work better solitarily, and you will understand how they influence and communicate with others.
by Gary Perman
Published: Todays Engineer 11/14
“Hello, I’m Gary Perman. I’m a headhunter; an industry insider in the fields of electric vehicles, alternative energy, and electronics. Technology companies hire me to find their next executive, manager, or engineer.”
Sometimes it seems like I hit two or three networking events a week. One might think that since I do so much networking such events would come natural to me. Some might even think I have the “people gift.” Not so. There are times I dread going. At times I even search for ways of getting out of attending them. So even a guy who makes his living networking and matching people with people can have the networking “jitters.”
Personally I am much more comfortable behind a phone and a computer than meeting new people face-to-face. Perhaps you are more comfortable innovating new products and solving problems? Yet face-to-face networking is essential today. Networking provides opportunity for collaborations, improving relationships, building trust, growing your business, and yes, even future employment. The market has proven time and again that you can never know when you will become unemployed. The more people you know the sooner you can rebound from a layoff. Nothing can replace face-to-face interaction.
Most engineers I know share a common dislike for networking. Really though, it is not so much “dislike” as it is fear. Remember high school? Getting up the nerve to ask someone to a dance? Or standing in line during P.E. waiting to see who picks you for their team? That is the same kind of fear that many of us carry with us as we approach a networking event. Well this isn’t high school; it is real life and your career depends on networking.
I’ve read the networking books, attended workshops, and asked a lot of people who are good at networking to share their secrets. I have collected traits and practices that have made me better at networking. I still face those initial jitters during the first moments at the registration table, but now they dissipate with the first handshake. I am here to tell you that you don’t have to be a master at networking or have a “Type A” personality to succeed. All it takes is a little planning and some strategy, and after all, isn’t that what engineers do best anyway?
Have A Plan
When I attend an event, I typically plan to meet one to three people whom I have picked out in advance. If they are not there or not available, I have a backup plan. I pick a number of new people I want to meet, usually five to ten. My goal is to ask them two questions, and swap cards with them. Once I have reached my goal, I am off the hook. I can go home, see a movie, or catch the end of the game at the bar. I have set a goal and reached it. Networking events are not a prison sentence if you don’t make them one.
Kathy Condon, author of, “It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask,” has some great networking and advice on the subject. She is a consummate networker and lives by what she teaches. One of the best tips I ever learned was from her many years ago: When you first enter a room, step to the side and assess the room and the people in it. Look for the person who is standing alone. That is target number one. Most likely, that person would love to talk with someone. Personally I have met some of my best contacts that way; people who have turned out to be executives and engineering leaders. Some of them are just not very good at schmoozing, but get them one-on-one and they will talk your ears off!
It’s Not All About You
Keith Ferrazzi made this important point in his book, “Never Eat Alone.” When it comes to networking, it’s not about you. When you spend time meeting people, try and see if there is a way that you can be of help to them. Putting this priority first in your mind makes networking easier. Why? You might not be a great networker, but you are a great problem solver. If you can help someone else with an issue, solve a problem, generate an idea, or make a contact, you are working in the sweet spot of your skill set. Not only will you help someone else, but along the way good things will happen to you, too.
Ask Good Questions
Get to know people by asking good questions. Boring questions get boring answers. “What do you do?,” “Tell me about your company,” and “How long have you been with … ?” are all examples of typical openers that get typical results. They are boring and the answer usually involves the other person looking over your shoulder in hopes of finding a more interesting person to talk to. Instead, try these questions (it is okay to write them down and carry them in your pocket):
[ ] “What business problem does your company solve?” Follow up with, “How are you doing that?”
[ ] “What has been the biggest win for you (or your company) in the last six months?” Follow up with, “What do you think it will be in the next six months?”
[ ] “What is the most interesting initiative you have planned at your company this year?” Follow up with, “How will that change your company?”
[ ] “Do you know anyone who might be able to help me…?” Ask for names of people who might be able to help you find the person you are looking for, or solve a problem you are dealing with.
“My favorite approach,” says Kathy Condon, is to, “walk up to someone with your hand extended and smile and say, ‘So tell me what great thing happened to you recently?’ The key here is to really listen to the answer – then you’ll be given the information you can use to ask the next question. People love to talk about themselves — get to know the person standing before you on a personal level. Then set up a coffee date and you can talk about your work at that meeting. People hire people, collaborate with people, referral people that they know and like.” You want to ask questions that initiate a conversation out of the norm, and these questions will do that. Once they have answered your questions, there is just one more to ask; “Is there some way I can help you?”
I have a good friend who always ends every conversation with, “What can I do for you?” He is seriously asking if I might need a referral, a new contact, or a solution to a new problem. At first my response was, “Oh nothing. I’m fine,” until I wised up. Since his business takes him into contact with many companies, I started asking questions like, “Well, yes. Do you know anyone who works at XYZ company?” When I ask, I often receive a positive reply, something I appreciate and remember him for.
It’s The Little Things
It is so true in networking, business, and in life: it is the little things that people remember. After I network with someone I jot down a note on the back of their contact card. It might be something special about them, how I might help them, or what I thought of them. I use that information when I write them a follow-up email the next day. Want to make an even bigger, more positive impression? Send them a handwritten note the next day. It’s the little things that make a great impression.
Maybe they gave you a great idea or helped solve an engineering problem you were stuck on. Perhaps they provided a referral to a potential client. Thanking them goes a long way towards creating a long lasting relationship. I often meet people at networking events who are unemployed. If I can’t help them professionally, I can offer to send them a copy of, “Doug’s List,” an extensive list of networking events, groups, and job boards in the metro area. Though it costs me only a few seconds of my time, it might mean a lot to them. Those are the kind of “little things” that people will remember about you.
Exit Gracefully
Recently, I watched a real networking pro work a room. She would introduce herself, ask a question or two, and ask if she could help them. Then she would exchange contact cards with them, put out her hand to shake, and say, “It has been so nice to spend a few minutes getting to know you. I hope you have great success with your new product launch.” Then she would smile graciously and just move on. She took the initiative to introduce herself, she controlled the conversation with a few questions, and then she exited gracefully. Not monopolizing a person’s time is a very real courtesy in a networking situation.
The rhythm that she set was exactly the right tempo to accomplish what a networking event should accomplish. Finding that rhythm can be a challenge for many of us. When we find someone willing to engage in a conversation we are in our comfort zone. Being comfortable with someone feels safer than making an exit and risking finding another person to talk with, yet by using these methods, you can move from one person to another, meet a variety of people, and plant the seeds for future business relationships.
Strategy for Networking
Plan to come away from your next networking event with these three things:
[ ] Contact cards. These cards provide the contact information you need to stay in touch. The notes you made on the back of the cards will be used when you follow up with an email or a note the following day.
[ ] Names of prospective contacts. Future collaboration or future employment; you never know where these contacts might lead you.
[ ] Knowledge. Plan to leave an event with more information about your industry, competitors, and clients than when you went in.
Checklist for Networking Success
[ ] Before the event, rehearse what you are going to say; who you are, what you do, and how you solve people’s problems.
[ ] Check that you have your contact cards with you. Always. No exceptions, no excuses! Want to appear unprofessional? Show up at an event without cards.
[ ] Smile. It sounds trite, but people who are nervous or concerned often project a message that says, “Stay away.” Be conscious about your smile. It is your invitation to others to step up and say, “Hi.”
[ ] Unplug the earphone. Engage with people in the room. If you must have a phone, put it on “vibrate” and carry it out of sight. If you receive a call, excuse yourself from the conversation and step out of the room before taking it.
[ ] Be the first to introduce yourself every time. Put your hand out, smile, and follow your plan.
[ ] The next day, send a quick email to every person you have a card from. Thank them for their time and the opportunity to meet them. This pays huge dividends.
[ ] Don’t complain. Just because networking isn’t your thing, no one wants to hear about what you don’t like. You are there. Do what you came to do with a smile on your face.
Kathy Condon says, “Social media networking (Facebook, Linked-In) has to be a part of your personal and professional marketing wheel, but face-to-face networking will never be replaced.”
For some people networking comes naturally, and I envy them. For others like myself, we have to work at it. Following the plan outlined above takes almost all of the stress out of networking, and I’ve even learned to enjoy it! I hope to see you at a networking event soon.
Gary Perman
Having worked with engineers for the past seventeen years, I can confidently attest that not all engineers are shy, on the contrary, some are so talkative,you can’t get them to stop talking. Engineers can be extroverts, introverts and everything in between. Whether born that way or developed during childhood – that question is better left to psychologists. Neither personality type makes someone inherently good nor bad at their job, but shy engineers may have trouble expressing their ideas in a group setting. Younger people may be particularly reserved.
A good manager knows how to draw these engineers out, making them feel comfortable enough to contribute. Here are 5 tips if you suspect someone on your team has something to say, but is hesitant to say it:
Ask for their input. If an engineer knows that they’re expected to participate, they’ll be more likely to contribute. “Ask them in advance of a meeting that you would like them to contribute on a specific topic or sub-topic so they come prepared,” says Ron Smith, an engineering leader in Seattle. As an engineering team leader in a meeting, open-ended questions are key. Ask by name specifically for their opinion or more assertive engineers will dominate the conversation. The key is to pave the way for them to easily speak up, Ron adds: “You need to create time for a shy engineer to contribute to the conversation.”
Thank them for contributing. If someone who is shy does share publicly – even in just a team setting, a simple “thank you” will reinforce their behavior. “Saying things like, ‘Thank you for sharing, great thought,’ will have a positive effect and encourage them to continue to contribute to the conversation and future conversations“
Point out the risk of not speaking up. According to Karmae Cipriotti Fahr, CEO of the Fahr Group in Moorestown, New Jersey “As a manager, you often times have team members who aren’t adding to the conversation. When one or two team members dominate the conversation, creative ideas or even solutions to challenges can be limited or go unrealized. It is important that all team members have input and that quiet engineers understand the importance of adding their wisdom, insight and experience to the team”
Encourage them to learn public speaking. I’m not the most extroverted person in engineering circles. One of the best things I have ever done for myself and I recommend for introverted engineers is to enroll in a program like Toastmasters training. Toastmasters teaches the art of impromptu speaking – when you’re put on the spot. It also taught me to speak in front of speakers, to project my voice and overcome my fears of expressing an opinion that everyone may not agree with. Programs like Toastmasters provide practical training and experience to help engineers become more comfortable speaking in front of others.
Accept both written and verbal input. While encouraging verbal input is important, you may also want to encourage written input from engineers. Written input allows the engineer to collect their thoughts and lay out their presentation in a logical, presentable order. A shy engineer “reading” their ideas at a team meeting may be easier and help overcome some of their fears, allowing them to get more comfortable speaking in front of others.
Gary Perman is a certified recruiting professional and owns PermanTech, a national search firm which specializes in recruiting EV, NGV, Alternative Energy and Electronics executives, managers and engineers. He is also the Chair for the IEEE Oregon Section. He can be reached at [email protected] www.permantech.com
In spite of large companies offering higher salaries, more benefits, more resources.
Are you feeling the pain? Is the lack of skilled talent for your open positions bleeding you dry? Even the amount of responses to your job postings is minuscule and most resumes don’t even come close to the skills and experience you need to get the job done. In the meantime your team is over-worked, your product development is suffering and your market penetration is behind.
Then to add salt to the wounds, if you finally find someone that you like you risk losing them to accepting a job offer at a larger company.
“ The shortage of engineers and the increased competition among corporations for top engineering talent have made filling of both entry level and experienced positions at the “Blue Oval” a year round effort” echoed Laura Kurtz, Manager of US Recruiting at Ford Motor Co.
Remember the “good ol days” pre-recession, pre- bubble bursts? When all you had to do was post a job on your favorite job board and your inbox filled with resumes. I mean good qualified resumes. Those days are here and gone, yet many technology executives still think that’s what happens. It doesn’t help matters that the media pounds us daily with high unemployment numbers perpetuating the myth that skilled experienced talent is a mouse click away. I hear several executives that still say ….”surely there is qualified technology talent out there; unemployed, looking for a company like mine.” Yet, in reality, you post a job and you receive hundreds of resumes, but they are NOT qualified. If you are lucky, one or two are worth talking too. “the talent market is getting very competitive, so you can’t just rely on business-as-usual practices. We have to go out and we have to seek out passive candidates” says Ms. Kurtz.
So if talent is hard to find and big companies are beating us out of the great talent, what will it take to attract and retain great talent?
Here are five important ways to attract technical talent this year to your company
Gary Perman in a nationally recognized, nineteen year veteran technical recruiter specializing in engineering and business development professionals within the alternative energy, transportation and electronics industries. He is President of PermanTech as well as Chair of the IEEE Oregon Section and a member of SAE among other trade organizations.
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They don’t think other people are important.
Technical expertise is not enough. In fact, at some point in every career, it becomes a given, said Lois Frankel, author of “Jump Start Your Career: How the Strengths That Got You Where You Are Can Hold You Back Tomorrow.” Competent People often derail because they haven’t built one-on-one relationships with people. They’re good at their job, but no one wants to work with thor for them.
They try to be buddy-buddy with everyone in the office.
Don’t confuse building working relationships with making everyone your close friend. When you want everybody to like you, it keeps you from making hard decisions. Said Charlotte, N.C. leadership coach Sherman Burns: “You can’t go out and have a beer with your employees three times a week and then try to discipline them. They’re not going to take you seriously.”
They don’t know how to work on a team.
Team-based projects are more popular than ever, and people are expected to work together. If someone says, “you’re a good individual contributor”, don’t take that as a compliment, Frankel said. He might be trying to say you’re not a good team player.
They have bad images.
The old business adage still holds true: Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.
They can’t communicate well.
Fast-trackers should be able to get their point across. Rambling is bad. Short answers are best, experts say.
They have major personality quirks.
Career superstars-no matter how gifted-are destined to derail if they’re arrogant, eccentric or standoffish. People at the top of the career ladder are usually known for their charming personalities. What’s most fatal? Condescension, abrasiveness, belligerence, blaming, and insensitivity, said Frankel.
They can’t work with authority.
Bosses can make or break your career, and derailment is almost certain if you and your supervisor are constantly arguing, or if you’re too submissive.
They have trouble seeing the big picture-or the detailed one.
Workers who get bogged down in detail may never finish a project. People with great ideas may never turn them into reality because they don’t think through the details. People who avoid derailment have struck a balance. Career experts say that’s difficult, but achievable.
They think too much of their titles.
“Leaders and managers don’t understand the workplace is different, and command and control is dead,” Frankel said. “If you expect people to respect you because you have a title and authority, that is not going to happen anymore.”
Gary Perman is President of Perman Technical Search Group, a national search firm that specializes in recruiting Executives to Engineers in the technology industry since 1996. If you have questions about this article, feel free to contact him at [email protected]
See our Blog for Technology discussions, Interviewing advice, comments relating to IT, Software, Technology issues.
www.technicalrecruitingblog.com
Are you derailing your career? Take this quiz adapted from Lois P. Frankel’s “Jump Start Your Career: How the Strengths That Got You Where You Are Today Can Hold You Back Tomorrow.”
Your total score for each section shows how well you’re doing in that area. Answer each question with a number from 1 to 4:
People Skills
People total:
Image-Communication
Image total:
Working With Authority
Boss relations total:
Personality
Personality total:
On the fast track?
Your total score for each section tells you how well you’re doing in that particular area.
Total your score for each section, then rate yourself:
5-8:You’re still moving on up.
9-13:You need to do some fine-tuning
14-17:The brass ring is getting out of your reach. Do a self-assessment and try to expand your skills.
18-20:You’re seriously derailed. Get help with getting back in career mode.
Gary Perman is President of Perman Technical Search Group, a national search firm that specializes in recruiting Executives to Engineers in the technology industry since 1996.
If you have questions about this article, feel free to contact him at [email protected]
See our Blog for Technology discussions,
Interviewing advice, comments relating to
IT, Software, Technology issues.
www.technicalrecruitingblog.com
How To Avoid Hiring the Prima Donnas
Who Hate Teamwork
One of those rare resumes passed my desk not long ago. It came from the right person at the right time. The candidate had broad knowledge about an issue I wanted to focus on and had won prestigious prizes for two outstanding pieces. His work was exemplary, showing thoughtfulness, diligence and daring.
He should have been perfect for the job, but when I met him for an interview, my enthusiasm waned. For one thing, he seemed to think he had already been hired by the time he walked into my office. He had brought his wife along to check out the city they would be relocating to. While he talked with me, his wife told my employees how lucky I was to have the chance to work with him.
During our nearly two-hour conversation, the candidate didn’t look me in the eye once. His gaze was fixed on a corner of the wall the right of my chair. I moved my face in an effort to catch his gaze. He moved his focus to the wall on my left.
I wondered whether he was simply shy or remote and inaccessible. My concerns heightened when he failed to say anything positive about anyone he had worked with or for in the past. Many of his ideas were unfocused. “I like to work things out on my own,” he said. “I don’t like to be second-guessed by supervisors.”
When I checked his references, they spoke highly of his intelligence but said he was a loner who not only disliked collaborating with colleagues but resented direction and feedback of any kind. One former boss described him as arrogant and stubborn.
I decided not to hire him, concluding that for all his talent he would have trouble working in a culture that expected considerable teamwork among staff members. A colleague of mine, convinced he could train him, scooped him up. He quit after just six months.
It’s not easy to pass these people up. Talent is hard to find. As a manager, you may need some specific skills on your staff and so focus mainly on the candidate’s resume, overlooking the kind of worker he is. That’s especially true these days as the rapidly expanding Internet economy creates more jobs that there are people to fill them. You may also face pressure from superiors, who want some superstars on their staff and don’t have to live with the consequences.
But looking only at credentials is a mistake. “Teamwork and getting along with others is critical,” says Pat Cook of Cook & Co., am executive recruiting firm in Bronxville, N.Y. “You can’t afford to have a me-only employee who wants to always be first in the boss’s eyes and who alienates the rest of your staff,” she says. Today, rapid decision-making and frenetic deadlines are forcing more collaboration among staff members than ever before.
So how do you spot the arrogant loners and prima donnas during the hiring process before they have a chance to create havoc on your staff?
First and foremost, trust your gut instincts on interviews. No matter how good someone looks on paper or how highly recommended he or she comes, nothing counts more than your own reaction when you are sitting across from a prospective employee.
Ask yourself: Does he engage easily in conversation, responding openly to your questions and asking some of his own? Is she eager to show her strengths but also receptive to suggestions you and your staff might have to offer? Does he ever mention a former boss or colleague who has helped him along the way, or praise someone else’s work?
If the answers are no, take note. Your job candidate may be someone who always has to grab all the credit, and who soon may have you defending your own capabilities as the boss.
Careful reference checking will also help you avoid mistakes. Talk with at least half a dozen people before making up your mind about a candidate. If you get the same feedback about someone over and over again from several people, listen and believe what you’re hearing.
Ms. Cook warns that you need to talk to peers as well as former bosses. Prima donnas, in particular, can be good at dealing with superiors because they feel they are their equals. But they don’t relate well to their colleagues.
Former bosses can tell you how an employee “manages up,” or works with those about him, she says, “but peers tell you how they do on teamwork.”
She asks both peers and former bosses to rate candidates on about 15 qualities, including getting along with others and teamwork. “If I get consistent 10s on those qualities, I figure someone must be a delight to work with, but if I get a lot of sevens I know I have a problem,” she says.
Also, involve others on your staff in the decision-making. Listen to the reactions of others, especially from those who will end up working with the person. Have some of your veteran and trusted staffers chat informally with the candidates. If time permits, they might invite the final candidates to lunch to get to know something of their personality. Or they may just grab a cup of coffee with the candidates.
Respect their observations. I wish I had trusted the impression some members of my staff had of one very intelligent but egotistical employee I hired. He told them outright that he thought he was more intelligent and accomplished than they were. They, of course, resented him and ultimately refused to work with him.
It turns out that he also began to resent me, because I didn’t treat him as special and more privileged than others. He quit about a year after signing on. No one was sorry to see him go.
By: Carol Hymowitz Wall Street Journal
Gary Perman is President of Perman Technical Search Group, a national search firm that specializes in recruiting Executives to Engineers in the technology industry since 1996.
If you have questions about this article, feel free to contact him at [email protected]
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