Referrals vs. The “RIGHT” Person for the Job

Nov 2011 Joe Plocharczyk, Pine Lake Solutions

Since moving to Milford, Connecticut (from NYC and Brooklyn, basically to the suburbs) I’ve been looking for a good tailor (summer / fall weddings and all), but instead of Googling, I decide to first ask my co-workers and friends to see if they know a good tailor; when that turned up empty I went to Yelp and read the reviews of various tailors which only perpetuated my confusion because I didn’t know who’s opinion I could trust. So, instead of getting my suits tailored I still bring it up in conversations occasionally and I found myself asking people I just met to see what they thought. Then it came to me, I will never find a tailor unless I try a few out and made an opinion for myself. This got me thinking about the hiring world and how referrals are generally considered as the “in” candidates are looking for to get into a new position.

Referrals as a Filter

As a hiring manager, you often rely on referrals as a filter. An outside connection from someone on your team, someone you were introduced to by a friend, a referral from someone outside your team to a candidate or even a recruiter that a colleague of yours used in the past to find candidates.

In other words, you are using your own network as a filter to add similar connections into your network – thus, really not expanding your network in the first place. The stronger the connection that introduces you to the candidate, the higher the likelihood that you will hire the candidate and ignore red flags that could surface in the interview process. I trust “Joe” (no subliminal context intended), therefore I trust you.

As much as everyone talks about the value of referrals, you should also look at the possible damage you might be doing. How much better will you and your team get if they’re working with the same people that they’ve worked with in the past?

Group Cohesion

This is called group cohesion. Independent thinking and creativity are completely lost in group cohesiveness. The positive of group cohesion is that they are generally safe and/or balanced decisions. The negative is that you’re not forcing yourself outside your comfort zone. This just screams that you’re caught up in trying to not make the wrong hire as opposed to making the best hire.

And what happens when you get introduced to a candidate or a recruiter calls you without a prior introduction from a trusted source? You do some research on the person to see if there is anything out there that will help you make a decision on whether to move forward or to kill the relationship before it starts. The world of social networking makes it easy to find this information out. Again, the days of making a decision without consulting the masses are over. I always check Yelp before trying a new restaurant to see if I’m making the right reservation but reading the reviews just lists a few different, isolated opinions that end up causing confusion to the whole thing.

Be a Leader

If you’re a hiring manager, be a leader – trust your instincts before anyone else’s. I’m not saying to discount referrals, I’m simply stating that when evaluating how to fill your position, try to add something new to your network. You might be pleasantly surprised by the outcome and in turn, grow your skills as a leader.

In my case, I might just run across the best tailor in Milford CT or it may come to me if I keep my eyes, mind and ears open.

Mistakes in Interviewing

Nov 2011 Joe Plocharczyk, Pine Lake Solutions

So you have been looking for a new gig for a while and finally you find one that is worth checking out. You get on LinkedIn and see if you know anyone in your network working there now or even in the past. You find out the company is indeed a place you could see yourself in the future and continue to take the next steps. You ask your agency to make an introduction for you with the hiring manager.
All of this assumes of course you actually HAVE a LinkedIn profile which you have been building as well as the fact you are utilizing the relationships you have been cultivating and have stayed in close contact with your recruiter and agency.
Well your agency makes the introduction for you and your previous experiences lands you a telephone interview with the hiring manager. It’s only 30-45 minutes, but you are certain you will wow her and she will want you to come in and meet the rest of the team right away. As with most telephone interviews, this is just to screen you to see if you would be a fit with the team, your skills on your resume all match up and what type of personality you have. This is often done by an internal recruiter, HR, or someone else, but since you’re working with an agency with access to the hiring manager she decides to perform the phone screen herself.
Right away you know you are moving on to the next stage in the process. You did your research and aside from the agency making the initial introduction, you tell the manager about the multiple similarities the two of you share which you found out by following her on Twitter or LinkedIn. You tell her how your background is a perfect match for what they are looking for and how you would be able to come in right away and make a difference and how much value you bring and this and that and everything else. And on and on and on.
While all of this is ok in moderation, that is the magic word at this stage of the game. MODERATION. You may be very well suited to have an immediate impact. But how do you know exactly what this organization is looking for or even this particular group? More than likely you know what they do and what they are looking for by the job description, but all too often even the hiring manager doesn’t TRULY know what is needed so chances are slim you have any clue at all!
Again, I am not against selling yourself to some degree, but just make sure you don’t overdo it. In fact, I encourage you to sell yourself! Interviewing is about you selling yourself and your skills while the company sells themselves and the opportunity. IN THEORY. And while many have the misconception that a great salesperson is someone that talks a lot, that couldn’t be further from the truth. They DO talk a lot, but if they are doing it properly, they are asking questions or if they are answering questions, they are keeping it brief. When you are talking the entire interview of course you think it went well. As humans we love nothing more than to hear our own name and our own voice. So if YOU are doing all of the talking you think everything is going well and you are a shoe in for the job. Again, this is wrong.
Almost 100% of the time when someone calls me after their interview and tells me they aced it and they are certain it will go to the next level or they will get the job I know I need to find someone else to fill the position. There are times where that isn’t the case, but it’s rare. Confidence is great and all, but you spent the whole time talking and didn’t give the manager the chance to get to really know you and build rapport. In sales (and interviews which is nothing more than another type of sale in essence) building trust and rapport is so important that you can toss everything else out the window if you don’t have it. That is why I say it’s great in moderation, but just make sure you are having a conversation, not a monologue. Ask how she progressed to the current position. What drew her to the company when she first started? Something! ANYTHING! When you actually converse it allows you to uncover some of the needs possibly not mentioned on the job description which will allow you to speak of your unique attributes and how they relate to the position.
One of the main, if not THE main reason for speaking too much is being excited and/or nervous. Trust me, I am quite guilty of this. This is why the importance of practice interviews is a constant subject when performing searches on interview preparation. By knowing what you are going to say, you are able to listen more and when the time is right sell your skills which will in turn enhance your chances to beat out the competition.
So next time you finish up an interview, look back and ask yourself if you did all of the talking. If your answer is “yes,” it may not be the best idea to start writing your two weeks’ notice. If the answer is “no,” it’s still not the best idea to start writing your two weeks’ notice, but the odds will be stacked higher in your favor and you may be that much closer to your next great opportunity!