Over the years, I have made a considerable number of hiring decisions where my gut told me to go with attitude over resume tangibles. I enjoy knowing others feel the same way as evidenced in today’s New York Times “Corner Office” column.
Romil Bahl, president and CEO of Atlanta-based PRGX, a data mining and audit recovery company, says you have to trust your instincts. He’s disciplined about reviewing a resume before he conducts the interview, but Bahl zeros in on what the person has done rather than focusing on the resume itself. He also probes what the applicant knows about his company. “How much time they have taken to understand what we’re trying to do is an important indicator,” he says.
Asked to cite the intangible qualities he’s looking for, Romil says: ” The word I like to use is ‘attitude.’ I say this almost in an exaggerated fashion, but just to make the point, I almost want to take attitude before skill — the right attitude, the right desire to get it done and never give in.
“I feel like good, smart people in the neighborhood of the skill set we need will do better every time than the expert that may have done it four times before but is showing up with sort of a laissez-faire attitude. Are you going to make an effort to fit and to be part of the winning team and to help us win?”
Good insights for job seekers. Don’t forget the positive attitude.
I sheepishly agree…
I walked into a “throw-away” interview a few months ago with clearly the best qualifications – but an indifferent attitude. (I already had a job and I was there out of curiosity more than anything else.)
Needless to say the panel picked up on that and the interview never really got off the ground…