Monthly Archives: November 2004

Practice Your Introduction

How you introduce yourself in an interview matters. You can draw a candidate in, or make the candidate wish he or she was walking over hot coals barefoot.One hiring manager, Sam (not his real name) started his introduction this way: … Continue reading

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Interview Questions for Testers

My column on Stickyminds this week is Building Better Test Teams. (One of the people who commented realized he could use these questions to self-assess his work.) Feel free to comment on Stickyminds or here.

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Q&A Piece in Computerworld and Comments

Kathy Melymuka wrote up a Q&A with me in Hiring Nerds: Author lays out practical strategies for staffing up IT. And Beth Nobscot has a comment in Tips for Hiring Nerds. Beth has a number of articles on her site. … Continue reading

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Hiring Mistake #3: Ignoring Cultural Fit Issues

The third biggest hiring mistake I see is when hiring managers don’t consider cultural fit issues with candidates. I don’t mean small/large company, although that’s a common question hiring managers ask. Here are more cultural fit issues: The personality diversity … Continue reading

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Hiring Mistake #2: Hiring for the Future, Not the Present

The second biggest hiring mistake I see is to hire for the eventual future — but not to create the future from the current reality. I see this mostly when hiring managers and senior staff. Here are some examples: A … Continue reading

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Making Your Jobs Part of Viral Marketing

Many companies think an employee referral program is a form of viral marketing. Most of the time, they’re not. Take a look at If your referral programs don’t spread from person to person, it isn’t viral for some great ideas … Continue reading

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Hiring Mistake #1: Hiring Tools, Not People

As part of an interview, a reporter asked me what the single biggest mistake managers make when hiring. Unfortunately, I see three common mistakes: Hiring based on a tools checklist (some number of years of Java or WinRunner or some … Continue reading

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