to some of you who read this blog often, you’re going to get through the first three or four sentences and probably move on. Can’t say as I blame you. If you have learned this lesson and you practice the right “‘s scripts” you will realize when you are doing this and, above all, you will do it correctly.
We send all of our candidates through the job search solution and coach them especially on how to in the interview. And yet, I’ll be willing to bet you at less than 50% of the candidates ever practice the solutions. This is such an obvious technique, it is so simple and yet people are just plain afraid to do it
It happened today. Great candidate… A little young only 10 years of experience, but his bid a successful salesperson supposedly his whole career. He tells me the interview lasts about an hour, which is about right. He says it went well. I asked him, “how do you know?” And he says, “well, I just know!” So I ask, “did you ask how you stacked up with the other candidates? How do you compare to them?”There’s a real long pause…
He says, “while I asked him what the next step was?” I say, “is that what I instructed you to do?” There’s a long pause. He says, “well… I…” I ask, I taught you to ask, “is my experience clear? Are there any questions about my background you might have? How to why stack up with the other candidates you have interviewed? And, what do I need to do to get the job?”
Long pause again! “Ted, I really like you and you are a good candidate, but why do you not have the courage to ask for the job? It’s so simple to do.” “Well,” he says, “I guess I just didn’t think of it.”
Cut it out! He knew to ask for the job. He just didn’t have the courage to do it. I don’t know what people are afraid of. Well, maybe I do. They are afraid of being rejected! They’re afraid of being told “you suck…. We are just aren’t going to hire you!”
Well, if they’re not going to hire you, isn’t it better to know right now?
By coach every candidate that I work with to ask these questions. I guess is that only one out of 8 do it. And people want to know why they don’t get hired.
