The most important and one of the most profound things I’ve learned is how around only ⅓ of how an applicant is evaluated can be reasonably attributed to qualifications. This chunk encompasses unique capabilities, experience, communication skills, and other aspects of an applicant that makes them qualified for a position. To me, this should be much larger because these are the objective indicators on whether or not they should be hired. A person’s skills and abilities are important in determining their level of performance and A-players, as the reading calls them, will show their worth and their capabilities.
However, what remains in the pie is mostly chance or random error. This is the mostly subjective part. While this is important because yeah, an applicant should fit with the company and get along with the recruiter/interviewer, it dominates the objective qualifications. I agree that applicants should have alignment in values or see things in a similar manner. The issue here is that the system breaks down because of personal biases. People naturally like to be around others that are similar to them. Maybe someone gets hired because they’re more charming, good looking, funnier, or even a fan of the same sports team, rather than their actual ability to get the job done.
I picked this particular topic because while presentation is important and getting along with the interviewer is crucial, it is too much of a factor in comparison to qualifications. Flipping that around to be more positive, it is key to nail that first impression, that handshake and eye contact, so that interviewers like you not for what you’ve done and can do, but rather because of you. This is a crucial consideration during the hiring process. It’s why diversity should be valued even more; more viewpoints can mean more objectivity. Sometimes you can get away with being under qualified because it is more important to sell you and your personal brand than your job-related abilities. I want to make sure that I am a great candidate truly because of why I am applying, but I will also know that being myself and being appreciated for who I am is more important, and in this case, more impactful.