Making a Match
What are civilian hiring managers really looking for in a new hire?
10 years ago this question was easy (especially in the fields of technology and health sciences) - skills! But, today is a different environment and employers, overwhelmingly, are looking for candidate who are motivated...driven...and hungry to succeed. Many people will have the same skills when interviewing for a job, but hiring managers are interested in those who will have an impact on the business/company as a whole.
I think you are correct, but I believe the HR Managers in the various corporations need to do a better job of describing the specific attributes that they are looking for. Is it critical thinking, is it IT specific skills, is it leadership, or is it other functional skills that they are looking for? Our veterans are used to applying their knowledge to a specific skill set and have a decent idea if they meet the required skill or not. In this new environment, what do you think HR managers can do better to help narrow the desired skill set and what can veterans do better to highlight their acquired skillset to come to a quicker hiring solution and decision?
Dr. Williams:
We inform our students that importance of being specific and highlighting their skills that are relevant to the position he/she will be applying.
Hiring Managers normally need to capture if the applicant will be a good fit to work with the other employees and will adapt to the company's culture. Therefore we discuss with the students the DOs and DON'TS. They need to understand what to avoid and what to do.
Moreover Hiring Managers need to capture if the applicant can indeed be trained on new procedures --basically on their own process flows, etc. The applicant must be open to learn and adapt to changes. These areas are imperative for hiring managers!
I can't stress enough the importance of tailoring a resume or a cover letter for the specific job that is being sought. Hiring managers have a very specific type of candidate that they are looking for to fill open positions. The better a veteran can overtly demonstrate that they are the right fit for the opening the quicker the veteran will receive the desired job offer. Again, translating "military speak" into civilian terms is not only a "nice to have" in a resume but is imperative to break into the civilian ranks.
Employers are seeking employees who are trainable and reliable. In my classroom presentations, I offer examples of employees who call in either on Fridays, Mondays, or after lunch and don't report to work. Most students will agree with me that they have worked with co-workers who call in with various excuses and can't be counted on to report to work on a regular basis. Employees who are humble and train in all tasks show their supervisors that they value their employment. They are the employees who will be recommended for promotion!
Sharon,
I saw the behavior that you outline above in the federal government ranks and as the Commander of the organization I had to confront inappropriate behavior. Once people understand that the supervisor is going to check the little things and confront those that appear to take advantage of the system, they police themselves and each other. And once you promote those who are diligently trying to do the best they can, it sends a signal throughout the rest of the organization. In the civilian sector a supervisor can also stop this behavior by being aware and making sure his/her subordinates know what is expected.
To me, civilian hiring managers are looking at, and can quickly make an evaluation regarding a candidate's mannerism, attitude, overall persona,as well as how professional such a person will be or is. Body language, personal appearance, sentence construction, communication tactics are some of the things hiring managers evaluate before hiring an individual. Lastly, one's background, social networking preferences are of utmost importance, and individuals are judged based on these as well.
Here is a key point that veterans must understand during their job search - if the candidate is invited for an interview, they have already met the minimum qualifications for the advertised job. The purpose of the interview is to determine if the candidate will fit in well with the company/corporate culture. The interview is where the candidate must let his personality shine through in a positive manner. Veterans must become less formal, erase the use of military acronyms, and demonstrate the value that they can bring to the company. Hiring managers are looking for the best candidate that will fit the culture, but it is the veterans responsibility to fit in with their future civilian world.
Hiring managers are looking for a candidate who ideally already possesses the skills and experience needed to perform the job expectations, or someone who meets most of the expectations and can be trained on the rest. Employers also want employees who will be a good fit for their team or department. 'A good fit' might mean in personality, experience or has complimentary skills to those who are already on the team.
How do we "train" our veterans to fit into the corporate culture? We trained our service members how to fit into the military culture, but do we do a good job of reversing that training and helping them to assimilate into the corporate world? As I have stated before, if the veteran got the interview, then his qualifications are sound. Now is the time to let his or her personality shine through to demonstrate that they can successfully make the transition from military life to corporate life.
