Here is an excerpt from an article by Beth Kuhel and featured by Business Insider. To read the complete article and check out other resources, please click here.
Photo Credit: Flickr/Heisenberg Media
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If you want to get hired and stay hired you need to know how hiring managers think. Since Google is setting the standard for attracting, hiring (and paying) top talent, examining and understanding their hiring standards and practices could help you even if you have no interest in working there.
Let’s start with GPAs and test scores since most of us have always worried about how we “stack up”. Laszlo Bock, The SVP of People Operations at Google said in a recent interview with New York Times’ Adam Bryant that GPAs and test scores don’t predict anything about who is going to be a successful employee. Bock said that a better predictor of success is seeing how a person can analyze and solve difficult problems. The number of awards you’ve won or the leadership roles you’ve assumed are only relevant to hiring managers if they showcase certain sought after attributes; Management is looking for your ability to solve difficult problems, work well under pressure, inspire others to take action and think on the fly.
“There are five hiring attributes we have across the company,” explained Bock. “If it’s a technical role, we assess your coding ability, and half the roles in the company are technical roles. For every job, though, the No. 1 thing we look for is general cognitive ability, and it’s not I.Q. It’s learning ability. It’s the ability to process on the fly. It’s the ability to pull together disparate bits of information. We assess that using structured behavioral interviews that we validate to make sure they’re predictive.”
The savvy candidate will recognize that all businesses are challenged by rapid changes both industry specific and in the general economy. The ideal employee can help their firm in adapting to market disruption. About 2500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus observed, “the only constant in life is change.”
“Top talent” tends to embrace change and enjoys the challenge of working in a dynamic environment where everything isn’t predictable. They tend to be more innovative and flexible in their approach to solving problems and have an entrepreneurial spirit.
Management across industries has a difficult task discerning whether a candidate has these traits. Why not make management’s job easy by finding examples of how you possess these traits. If these qualities are expected from the leaders of the company, it’s logical they would also be favorable for the firm’s employees. Once you know what hiring managers’ are looking for in perspective new hires, you can tailor your responses in an interview accordingly. Your answers should focus on sharing experiences and accomplishments that best demonstrate how you possess those particular attributes. I’ve summarized Bock’s insights and added some of my own to give more breadth and depth to answer what it takes to become “top talent.”
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Here’s a direct link to the complete article.
Beth Kuhel is founder and president of Get Hired, LLC, a career coaching firm specializing in Gen Y and individuals seeking a career change. Beth is a C.E.I.P. (Certified Employment Interview Professional), earned her M.B.A from George Washington University and co-authored From Diploma to Dream Job: Five Overlooked Steps to a Successful Career. She offers workshops for university career service departments, executive recruiters, outplacement services, college guidance counselors, college alumni associations and for businesses. George Washington University’s Career Services Dept. sponsored Beth’s webinar for their worldwide alumni association: Leverage Your College Diploma. You can follow Beth on twitter @BethKuheland learn more about her coaching services on her website.