November 20, 2014: Weighing Other Factors

This is part 6 of a 7-part series on the hiring process.

So far, we have discussed education, experience, attitude, and fit as they relate to the hiring process.  These are all essential aspects of any hiring decision.  There are some other aspects that are not relevant in every decision.  This post is by no means exhaustive, it only seeks to bring up some things that may be relevant so that when you are faced with a hiring decision you can ask yourself the right questions.

Reasonable accommodation.  The law requires that employers make reasonable accommodations for employees that meet certain criteria.  If the job you have is a desk job and the applicant is in a wheelchair, it is easy to make a few changes in the cubicle furniture to make that work.  If the employee is a Muslim, it is usually easy to provide an opportunity for the employee to pray at certain times during the day.  If the employee is a Christian whose religious beliefs preclude working on Sundays and you run a 24 x 7 operation and the opening you have requires work on Sundays, you are in a gray area.  You may have a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ in court rulings) the means you don't have to make that accommodation.

It is important, then, to discuss work schedule and work environment and ask the candidate if she is willing and able to do the job as described.

Pay.  No employee wants to take a pay cut.  And those who are savvy at all know that there is wiggle room in your initial offer.  Get a sense of where the employee was at his last position, and what he's expecting you to offer.  If the 2 sides simply can't meet, don't waste your time.  If he's asking for $45/hr and your approved pay range tops out at $30/hr, put the number on the table before he leaves.  Don't waste your time negotiating if the 2 sides won't be able to agree.  Generally, the company will have a fixed COGS for all employees' labor of a certain grade or a certain employment type.  In budgetary terms, it does not matter to the company if you're paying someone $31/hr or $33/hr as long as those pay levels are both in the approved pay grade.  When a candidate comes back and wants a higher pay rate, it's usually a small amount ($1-$2/hr), and the company doesn't really care.  Your decision is that if you pay someone a certain amount, it is likely that someone experienced on your team is making less.  Word will get out, and certain members of the team will feel slighted.  That's why the decision is important - it comes back to fit, essentially.

Ability to work OT.  Almost every candidate will tell you she will work whatever hours are required to get the job done.  A very good candidate will tell you that she has to leave on time to pick her children up from day care but can come back after she gets them home to her husband.  Some people are really attached only to work.  There really isn't a good or bad answer to this question, unless you know that you'll require a lot of OT or the schedule doesn't have a lot of flex in it.

Long-term career plans.  A common question is, "Where do you want to be in 5 years?"  You can assess a candidate's career path by his actions to date and his trajectory at the moment.  If you are hiring for a technical writer who wants to be in management, but the individual hasn't done any management training, it tells you something about the candidate.  Each person's story is unique, and it's worth a couple minutes in an interview to get a sense of where the candidate would like to end up.

Personal appearance.  Jewelry choice, clothing choice and condition, hair style, fingernail length, etc: these each tell a story.  While going Sherlock Holmes on a candidate is living on the edge, you can tell a person's eye for detail by how they look.  You can get a subtle sense of if the person is there to work or is there to be noticed by how he looks as well.  Is the candidate comfortable in the interview clothing?  If not, maybe this is a one-time act.  I don't read too much into this as an interviewer, but when I interview for a new position, I always dress carefully.  The shirt should be dry-cleaned so it's pressed nicely.  Pants have creases, belt matches the shoes, shoes are shined, etc.

First impressions are hard to overcome.  If you are not a tattoo-oriented person (I am not inked, and don't understand the attraction), be aware that competence can be hidden.  Recognize your first impression for what it is, and except for the obvious and objective things it tells you ("this person has ear gauges" is objective) do your best to understand the person beneath the first impression.  It is true that taller people make more money and are more likely to be promoted.  Attractive people (women and men) are also more likely to get paid more.  Don't be the manager that hires someone because he is attractive.  Be the manager that finds competence and desire inside the person across the table from you.

And there are a million more things you can watch for and ask about.  Be holistic in your approach.  As you gain experience with hiring, you will notice which decisions were good ones, and which were bad.  If you are careful, you'll learn from your hiring mistakes and not repeat them.