Sunday, January 8, 2012

Sometimes it's just a gut feel


This is an excerpt from an interview with Christine Fruechte, president and chief executive of Colle + McVoy, an ad agency in Minneapolis. The interview was conducted by Adam Bryant and appeared in January 8, 2012 New York Times.

When asked about hiring, Ms. Fruechte confirmed the More Than A Resumé philosophy - that most often it is a gut feel about a person that tells the employer right away if there's a cultural fit.
Although fit can seem subjective, it’s linked to an organization's culture--the values, beliefs and behaviors of its individuals and groups.  Simply put:  It's how things get done in the organization. Being able to demonstrate that you are a good fit is the key to a successful job search and getting hired.
So what questions help to determine fit?

Interviewers who understand the corporate culture will ask questions that require the job candidate to describe/provide examples from their experience that supports the different aspects of the corporate culture.  

Ms. Fruechte describes this very well.  One of the Colle + McVoy core values is entrepreneurial passion.  So a question that Ms. Fruechte asks is tell me about something you've built. From the answer she can get that gut feel if the candidate is someone who's willing to take risks.  It's not about taking or not taking a risk. It's about whether they like to build and to create.

Your job search plan needs to include doing your homework. Researching the companies you are interested in, understanding the culture and anticipating in advance the types of questions you will be asked and the experiences you have to share that demonstrate your fit.

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