For those who bared with us over the last 7 months know that we have been discussing one career personality every month:
Introduction to theory
Tireless Kangaroo
Wandering Butterfly
Constant Chameleon
Loyal Dog
Royal Lion
Busy Beaver
Lazy Sloth
And by “we”, I mean a fruitful synergy of two teams at Career Angels and Devonshire. Thank you!
Today, we’ll summarize the series with an interview with Daniel Łupiński, Country Manager of Devonshire Poland.
Sandra: Although we are in the career advisory business, I must sincerely admit that preparing those blog posts was enriching. It was like discovering something you already know (sometimes admittedly intuitively) for a second time… with fresh eyes. How often do Recruiters and Hiring Managers consciously remember these career types?
Daniel: First of all, I want to say that preparing this series of posts alongside with Career Angels was a fantastic experience. On the one hand because it was very swift, on the other hand, because we could go through the candidates’ profiles and share different impressions about them.
As we said in one of the posts, the CV is only the key to get the invitation for the interview. Nothing more. It should open only one door. Not three at once.
Recruiters and Hiring Managers very often do not have enough time to focus on all the details of each of the CVs and very often asses them wrongly as their assessment is based on the CV only. Everyone needs to remember then that every candidate is an individual and has its own history, experience and personality.
Based on my observations, I’d say it happens regularly that both Recruiters and Hiring Managers either mix up the career types or remember details of their characteristics vaguely, although they are aware of them.
Sandra: How often are recruitment processes created that take into consideration underlying career patterns of candidates?
Daniel: I think that all recruitment processes include career patterns of candidates to some extent. They are just called or labeled differently by the employer. Instead of saying, “I want a royal lion.”, they say, “I want someone ambitious, focused on goals with 10+ years of experience.” Which is OK.
The only worry is when the employer mixes up the types and that complicates the whole recruitment process: did they want a chameleon who has slipped into the role of a busy beaver… or do they actually want a loyal dog?
Sandra: Let me interrupt you there as this brings me to the next question. It is very tempting to pigeon-hole candidates based on their CVs only and therefore not even speak to them. Some of the candidates might be wrongly rejected because they seem to be “loyal dogs” when the company is looking for “constant chameleons” – as you’ve just pointed out. What solutions would you suggest?
Daniel: Yes, candidates always run the risk of being put into a (wrong) box based on the CV screening.
Here are some tips on how to avoid it in the future:
If you’re a Candidate:
– Communicate clearly what you are looking for. “I can work anywhere” is not a good reply
– If you’ve been changing jobs rather often, include reasons for leave (e.g. change of management board, bankruptcy, etc.)
– If you rarely change job, but you are not a “loyal dog”, highlight the changes within the same company
If you’re a Recruiter:
– Manage your “first impressions”: despite your time constraints, try to read every CV carefully; try to read “between the lines”
– Always read the attached Cover Letter (which, lets face it, almost nobody does) as it can help you to find the answers you need
– If you’re not 100% sure, ask another recruiter or your manager: a fresh perspective might help
– Add additional screening calls to the process: a short conversation will give you a lot more than even an extremely well prepared CV. You will get a feeling for their personality, professionalism, etc.
If you’re a Hiring Manager (with or without an intermediary):
– Review the career patterns and make sure to know what is more important: e.g. loyalty and expertise or somebody who tends to get very busy and therefore stays. Somebody versatile? Or maybe even somebody who changes relatively often and therefore will be perfect for shorter projects?
– Ask about the candidate’s motivation during reference checks. It will give you additional information on who they “truly” are.
– I’d also add “have a healthy portion of skepticism”, especially with managers who have been promoted and are good in auto-promotion. It’s very easy to “fall in love with them at first sight”. They are easy-going, open, friendly, etc. And by skepticism I don’t mean creating an unnatural atmosphere during the interview process, but adding 2-3 people to be checked for references or an extra-deep competency-based interview. The additional half hour can save you from a potential failure.
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Daniel, thank you very much for this summary and for preparing this series together with Career Angels.
