"It is all one to me if a man comes from Sing Sing Prison or Harvard. We hire a man, not his history." - Malcolm S. Forbes, American Businessman and founder of Forbes Magazine (1919 - 1990)
Whether you are seeking a new team member or looking to change roles, if you are the person hiring or the one looking to be hired, please keep the 4 Cs of Hiring and Transitioning in mind, and in action. For a change to work, remember to assess all of the aspects mentioned here, as we tend to cover one or two, maybe even three, but rarely all four, since we let time, the referral, emotions, or simple distraction get in our way. Those 4 Cs are: Co
mpetencies, Culture, Commitment, and Character.
Competencies are to be defined as a number (ideally 10 or fewer) attributes that are necessary for being able to complete the tasks and get the job done. Some may be customer-focused, detail-oriented, independent worker, creativity, etc. These are not just words, but definitions that can be assessed and interviewed to/for in a behavioral style. People can "sell" us a great line of always and never, when we really want specifics to prove the competencies have been demonstrated.
Culture is about attitude, flow, communication, and expectations. Someone can have the competencies to do the tasks, but not the feel, vibe, comfort of the environment in which s/he will work...and you want all of it! People who are casual, and the culture is business professional, or people who are low-tech when your firm is high-tech, are likely not a cultural fit. People who are new to the idea and open, may be a fit. Watch snap judging here!
Commitment is about focus, desire, and the ability to show a stick-to-it-ness. Flexibility in what happens plays into commitment in that someone does not run when things change, and yet commitment means that person will dig in and get things done when needed because it is the right thing to do. Commitment is less about words, and more about actions. Ensure there is talk about adversity, opportunity, change and choices here.
Character is a judgement. Right or wrong, nice to say or not, we are a society where character gets tested. This is the bringing together of your gut feeling with what was demonstrated. Be mindful of not getting caught up here with credentials over the core of the person. For some people and companies, the definition/concept of "character" becomes one of the competency, and for others, it is a sense of the person. Give scenarios where challenging decisions come/came into play. Character is not about charm and likeability, rather it is a mix of competencies and commitment working in the specific culture. In a way, this is both the foundation and the umbrella for the "fit", and yet reviewing someone or some team for character is often where things are missed.
Often, like in dating, we take hiring tremendously personally. We will...each of us is a person, therefore, we take things personally. Still, with the 4 Cs in mind, we can be a person who looked at each aspect, and decided if there was a fit or not on both sides instead of feeling like we either won or lost, were "it" or not, or that we "performed" well or not in an interview or during the vetting process. Remember, making a hire, or transitioning to a new position is not just an action, it is a decision, and it is not about a fix for a problem, rather it is about growing the business and growing personally/professionally. Ensure the
4 Cs are part of your next move, and see how you view the hiring or transitioning differently!
