What’s Your Gut Feeling

What’s Your Gut Feeling

Those of us in the staffing industry have heard many times about the use of quantifiable metrics in the process of finding suitable candidates for positions we’ve been retained to fill.  That is important, certainly, since those metrics tell us about the measurable results a prospective candidate brings with him or her to the interview process for a new position.

The hard facts are very important, but not at the cost of overlooking the less quantifiable aspects of each candidate.  If there are three candidates equally as qualified for a given position, how do you determine the one that would best serve the employer?

Photo by Brandon Lopez on Unsplash

That is the question answered by those sometimes ‘gut feel’ occurrences that you experience as you go through the interview process.  There are certain intangible areas to each candidate and it is those that often color the outcome of the process.  Those are the things that, in the end, often prove to have been the ‘clincher’ that helps the employer reach the final conclusion in the case of each candidate.

We would all probably feel better if we could ignore this fact and make ourselves believe that quantifiable facts are the end all and be all in hiring the right person.  Those are certainly very important and we pay very close attention to ascertaining that information for each candidate we court on behalf of our client employers.

There is, however, a reliance upon intangibles that only evolves from experience gained in the process of hundreds and thousands of interviews.  Intangibles often figure in both successful hires as well as in unsuccessful hires.  None of us is perfect, but the more we’ve practiced the art of the successful hire, the better at it we become.

Frankly, we rely on the intangibles at each step in the process.  The quantifiable pieces are either there or they’re not there; that is determined fairly quickly.  We are always looking for those things that point to future success.

If you are a long time client, you know that we rely heavily on having learned what makes your company work and on what you expect of your employees.  If you are looking for a staffing firm, you’ll find that we are anxious to get to know you and your company beyond the simple what do you do and how do you do it kinds of questions.  We want to get to know you and the culture of your company; we want you to be comfortable with us and we want to be comfortable with you.

If you’ve not had that experience before in the arena of staffing firms, give us a call.  We’ll either measure up to your requirements or we won’t.  We think we’ll win a lot more of those reviews than we lose.  That may sound a little prideful, but it is based on experience, results and longevity.  And yes…we are proud of that.

Fred D’Amato – Vice President