We all meet with adversity in one way or another. Plans get shoved sideways or…
By John Borrowman, CPC
Borrowman Baker, LLC, BV Staffing + Consulting
Gallatin, TN
We all meet with adversity in one way or another. Plans get shoved sideways, or delayed in some way. The important thing is how you reacted, what you learned. But do you take that approach when interviewing candidates?
It’s a normal response to automatically downgrade a candidate whose resume includes some odd-looking job changes. You might even decide you don’t want to interview the person at all. But, if judgment is one of the qualities you need in a business valuation employee, why not test your candidate’s judgment about those job changes?
Investigate whether there were any lessons learned. For example:
- Did leaving – then returning to – BV represent being thrown off course temporarily? How did your candidate persevere in the face of whatever challenge was there? Or, did that change reflect an actual decision to leave, followed by a decision to return. Was there growth in self-awareness as a result?
- Was a particular job change an example of your candidate taking the long view, maybe? Did it represent a recognition that an alternate path might lead to the same goal?
Invite your candidate not only to explain the circumstances of a job change, but to reflect on the lessons learned. You may still conclude that your initial response was accurate. Or, you could discover a diamond in the rough.
The shortage of qualified BV talent suggests that you can’t afford to dismiss potential without a closer and more careful look.
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John Borrowman
