There are two kinds of domain expertise: solution-space and problem-space. When a candidate understands the technical issues behind how your product solves the customers’ problems, that’s solution-space domain expertise. When a candidate intimately understands the problems your product is trying to solve, that’s problem-space domain expertise. One kind of domain expertise does not imply the […]
I write a “management fix” column (alternating with Esther and Elisabeth) for Better Software and February’s column was Two Candidates, One Position. Enjoy! Labels: hiring decision
Smart hiring managers know to use a phone screen to screen in appropriate candidates and screen out unsuitable candidates. And they know that before you start the phone screen, you verify this is still a good time to call. But what if you call the candidate and he or she answers the phone? Can you
My teenage daughter is attempting to find a job this summer. She dutifully filled out an application for a camp counselor position at a not-so-close-to-our-house camp. The idea is that she and my nephew would both work at the camp, staying at my sister’s house. We discovered last week that the person reviewing the applications
If you’re like one of my readers, you only have two reqs and a perceived need for three people. It’s hard to know what to do, when you only have enough money for two people and want three (or any other case where you have N reqs and N=1 (or more!)) people. Here’s one technique
I don’t normally think much about how teams recruit pro athletes. But this quote from John Powers’ article “Mistake-Free Football” from the Boston Globe 1/27/04 says volumes: If the Patriots have relatively few disciplinary cases, it may be that they’re screened out before draft day. […]”Three things we look for in the people we hire
David, a reader, recently asked for tips about reviewing resumes. Here they are: Read the resume from the top to the bottom. Don’t start somewhere else. Candidates try to grab you with the cover letter or resume. Let them. If there’s an objective, read it. But don’t believe it. Seriously, how many objectives say, “challenging
So you’ve developed a phone screen of 10-12 questions, with your elimination factor questions at the top. You’ve hit a snag with a candidate and you’re sure the candidate will not fit your position. What do you do? Stop the phone screen. Right now. Say, “You’re not a good fit for this position. Thank you
If you need a chuckle, read John Kador’s parody of a rejection letter. I laughed out loud. John is writing a book about the brainteaser interview, available in 2004. Since I’m sure not all hiring managers will heed my advice about not using puzzles in an interview, you candidates may want to read John’s book.
In a comment on my last post, Roy asked if I could elaborate on what I mean when a candidate runs the interview. Here’s what happened to me at one interview years ago: I arrive on time for the interview, wearing a suit (hey, it was the early 80’s, that’s what we wore). The interviewer