When it comes to whether or not you're going to get that new job you applied for, the man/woman calling the shots in the office is the hiring manager. If you can manage to put in a great application, then you can expect the hiring manager to see to it that you're hired.
But there are so many other things that hiring managers consider - a great resume does not guarantee a hire and while the factors that influence the hiring managers' decision could be different across different industries and companies, here are some general ones to keep in mind as you prepare your resume or wait to hear from a potential employer.
They consider your values and preferences
Hiring managers make decisions by considering potential employees' personal values and what they want out of their career. They also consider whether someone fits into their team and if they like them as people.
However, beyond this, most employers look for clues in interviews about how these individuals would handle themselves in situations that are not necessarily friendly.
For example, would you expect someone with no experience to talk back to a supervisor or take responsibility when things go wrong? Or would such an individual try to shift blame onto others?
Such behaviors indicate poor leadership skills which will only get worse as someone’s position increases. These are important qualities for a leader to have!
Furthermore, many companies now require employees to perform jobs outside of their department, so interviewers look at how well these candidates can work independently and focus on other areas of expertise they have.
They ask themselves these questions regarding the candidate
The second most important question hiring managers ask in arriving to a decision about whether or not to hire someone is what skills they have that made them successful in past jobs or experiences? This includes asking about past achievements, testimonials, and conversations with colleagues.
It’s easy to focus on what you don’t like about someone and avoid hiring them but staying focused on their strengths can help mitigate that. A great way hiring managers do this is to take a look at some of the things they mentioned during the interview and determine if those things are transferable to their workplace.
If so, they add them to their list as potential strengths. They also think about how they can leverage these strengths in the future. For example, if someone mentioned they were always able to motivate others into action, the company could use that talent to get people moving along.
Conversationalists who talk too much might not be a good fit for an organization that wants less noise and more efficiency. People with creative talents may not work well in an environment where there is little room for creativity.
Is there potential long-term growth?
Recent graduates may have all of the required skills, but they may not be investing in personal development enough to keep up with ever changing industries and positions. Developing your career is an ongoing process that requires you to invest time into continually improving yourself.
This includes developing new skills, engaging in self-education or education courses, reading business books or guides, and networking with people in your field. The more you expose yourself to what things mean, how they work, and other ways to apply them, the better prepared you are for the future.
By being aware and able to manipulate information efficiently, you’re giving yourself a leg up on others who may be more experienced than those around them. You also give yourself a chance to prove yourself by taking risks and trying out new things.
A good manager will let you try out these things so that you can determine if they work for you or not.
Are they able to perform their job duties well enough?
A great way to determine if someone is capable of doing their job effectively is by looking at their past performance. If you watch them work, do things properly, and get the task done, then you can trust that person will do the same thing next time.
Their past performance proves that they have done similar tasks before and completed them successfully, so we can assume they will in the future.
By having these past performances, it helps us know whether or not they are reliable. They tell us something about how they handle responsibilities and what they expect from others around them.
If their actions show that they cannot manage people, they may not be the best fit for this position. Or perhaps they are just not organized very well, which would also indicate that they could be unprepared for the workload.
Do they have the right personality fit?
As mentioned before, personalization is key to hiring success. What this means is looking into their lives outside of work and determining if there are any traits that correlate with someone who will contribute to your company.
Does anyone in the family go camping or hiking often? If so, would this person bring motivation to the workplace every time they show up? Does anyone enjoy reading business books or listening to talk radio?
If so, can you give them some extra material for their job to prepare them for interviews? More than anything else, people want to feel like they’re important to the team that they work with, so ask about things that may help you achieve that.
