Talent Tip

Talent Tip #98: What NOT to Wear To an Interview

December 26, 2017

As you may recall, last month’s Talent Tip was about topics to avoid during your interviews with candidates. One astute reader suggested that it would be useful to flip the script and address about what candidates shouldn’t wear to interviews. Thanks for the idea, Meg!

Let’s face it: interviewing is tough.

You don’t know what challenging questions will be thrown at you. You aren’t sure how you’ll stack up against the competition. You’re worried about having sweaty palms. And you have no clue what to say if you are asked about salary requirements (oh wait, you are prepared for this one!).

So much of the interview process is beyond your control.

But there is one thing that is completely within your control and has a big impact on the impression you make: dressing appropriately.

Unfortunately, many people don’t take the time to get this aspect of the interview correct. And getting it wrong can cost you a job offer.

Here are five tips to help you nail the wardrobe portion of the interview process.

1. Better to Overdress Than Underdress
These are the kinds of interview comments I hear from clients:
“Nice guy, but he wasn’t even wearing a jacket.”
“I don’t care if pantsuits are in. Slacks are too casual for an interview.”
“Could he not be troubled to put on a tie, for Pete’s sake?”

And these are the kinds of interview comments I do not hear from clients:
“Nice guy, but he was wearing a suit. He must care too much about wanting the job.”
“I really liked her, but she was wearing a classy dress. She’s too professional for us.”
“Loved that guy’s silk tie and Windsor knot. But clearly he’s trying too hard.”

I think you get the picture. It’s almost always better to overdress than to underdress. Even if the place you are interviewing is business casual, it won’t hurt to come in looking a notch above.

2. No “After Hours” Attire
Before you head out the door to your interview, look in the mirror and ask yourself “Would I wear this to a nightclub?”

(If you just thought, “Nightclub? I’m way beyond that garbage!” then you can skip to #3.)

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard clients complain about candidates who showed up to the interview looking like they were headed to a dance club instead of a job interview.

Ladies, you should avoid inappropriately short skirts, tight clothing, or anything that is revealing (you know what I mean).

Gentlemen, you aren’t off the hook on this one. “Skinny leg” pants may be in vogue; but if it looks like your trousers were airbrushed on, you’d better airbrush them right off and put on something that gives you a little more breathing room. You’ll thank me later.

3. Dress the Part
If you’re interviewing for a role that will regularly put you in front of high net worth individuals, make sure what you wear to the interview signals that you’re ready to do that.

If you’re applying for a position that involves being interviewed on television, dress as though you will be on air that day.

If the job at hand requires public speaking in front of professional audiences, come to the interview wearing something suitable for such an occasion.

In short, make it easy for your potential employer to mentally picture you in the role.

4. Wrinkle Free is Your Friend
Before we got married, I told my future husband that I was happy to cook him fancy meals, but that it would be a cold day in hades before I would iron his clothes. He quickly educated me on the notion of “wrinkle free” dress shirts and pants. Whew. That was one marital spat avoided!

Since my wrinkle enlightenment, I have often wondered why I hear so many stories of interviewees (usually gentlemen) wearing wrinkled clothes to an interview. Even if you eschew modern clothing technology, Wally World will sell you an iron for under 10 bucks.

5. Consider Your 37 Pieces of Flair
I’m all for free expression. That probably explains why my hair used to be so blonde that one friend referred to its color as “transparent.”

As a professional, I recognized that some potential employers would judge me for that, and I was okay taking the risk.

That same risk applies to things such as pink hair, nose rings, gauges, tattoos, and dramatic makeup. When you’re on the job hunt, make sure to take into consideration how a potential employer might view these symbols of free expression.

It may be worth it to take out your three eyebrow rings before sitting down with the organization’s CEO. But it’s also perfectly fine to have this attitude: “If they don’t like me for who I am, I don’t want to work for them.”

There you have it. Five tips on proper interview attire and a bonus tip that might save your marriage (guys, buy wrinkle free!).

Talent Tip #97: For the Love of Lawsuits: What NOT to Ask Candidates During Interviews

November 14, 2017

As you know, I love to compare interviewing to dating. The similarities are plentiful. It’s all about getting to know someone well enough to determine whether you want to spend the foreseeable future with him.

When I was single, my father offered this sage dating advice:

“On your first date, make sure to ask if the guy is on any drugs — prescribed or illicit. The answer will provide insight about his health and his nefarious activities! Also, ask him what his religious beliefs are. It’s not that they need to conform to yours, but you want to make sure he knows what he believes and doesn’t need to form a committee to tell him what he thinks. You should ask how much money he’s got in the bank, too. Make sure he’s financially stable and doesn’t have debt. Finally, ask him about his family and his plans for starting one. You want to know what you’re getting into.”

Thanks, Poppy. These are valuable dating questions, even if they make for an incredibly awkward first date.

But would you be surprised to know they are all terrible questions to ask a candidate during an interview?

Why? Because discussing these topics could get you into legal hot water when it comes to potential discrimination.

In fact, there are a host of topics you should avoid like the plague during an interview. Steer clear of questions that divulge or are about:

Race
Color
Religion
National origin
Age (Incidentally, it’s perfectly legal to discriminate against someone for being too young. It’s when someone crosses the 40 threshold that you need to be careful about things going the other way.)
Disabilities
Medical history
Marital status
Sexual orientation
Military discharge status
Debt
Bankruptcy
Arrest record/conviction record
Social drinking/drug habits
Child-rearing plans

I know what you’re thinking. “Thanks, Captain Obvious. I would never ask questions about these things!” Are you sure? If you’re not careful, you might inadvertently ask something you shouldn’t. For instance:

“I love your accent. Where are you from?” Oops. You’ve opened up the national origin can of worms.
“This role will require a fair amount of outreach to Millennials and Gen X, so we want someone who can relate to them. Do you fall into either crowd?” Oops. You’ve just broached the age subject.
The candidate comments on the family photo in your office. You instinctively reply, “Thanks. Are you married? Do you have kids?” Oops. You’ve touched on marital status and child-rearing plans.

To be clear, it’s not necessarily illegal to ask or to know about all of these topics; but it is potentially illegal to discriminate based on these factors. So, it’s best to avoid them altogether!

Stated another way, avoid interview inquiries that are not job-related!

If you’re curious, Dad’s dating advice paid off. I (eventually) asked all of the dating questions he suggested and was pleased with what I heard. And in an odd twist of fate, I ended up marrying an employment attorney, who, by the way, has reviewed this article and given it his tacit approval, which is about as good as it gets when it comes to lawyers!

Disclaimer: I am not an attorney and this article should not be construed as legal advice. And yes, my husband made me include this.

Talent Tip #96: How to Get Your Groove Back – Part Deux

October 17, 2017

Last month we talked about why employees lose their hustle. Specifically, we covered three of the six most common reasons people tell me they have fallen out of their groove – lack of challenge, not feeling financially rewarded, and geographic mobility. This month we are covering the other three reasons (which will make last month’s reasons seem like child’s play!) and the big-picture take-aways about how to regain your hustle.

1. Organization dysfunction
Every once in a while I have a phone call that sounds like this:

Bob: Hey, Claire, I gotta get out of here. This place is dysfunctional. It makes the government seem like a well-oiled machine.
Claire: Zoinks. What kind of dysfunction? Is change possible? Can you be part of it?
Bob: Oh, you have no idea! It would take a miracle worker (or a board that is paying attention) to solve these problems.

The sad truth about organization dysfunction is that it is incredibly difficult for any single employee to correct alone. It almost always boils down to senior management problems and a board that either isn’t paying attention or doesn’t want to get its hands dirty.

If you find yourself in a dysfunctional organization and you don’t see any obvious ways to improve the situation, you may want to dust off the resume and start looking elsewhere.

2. Burnout

It’s not unusual for me to have conversations that sound something like this:

Bob: Claire. I’m burning the candle at both ends. I’m completely overworked and I feel as though I spend all my time in one endless meeting. I work such long hours that Gretchen growls when I come home because she doesn’t recognize me. I gotta get out of here and regain my sanity.
Claire: Is Gretchen your dog or your wife? In any case, have you told your boss you’re overworked? What did she say about it?
Bob: No, I figured it was obvious. I think half the staff feels this way.

Not so fast, Bob. Your boss may not realize just how overworked and overwhelmed you feel. But before you barge into her office and tell her as much, make sure you think critically about what the problem is. According to the Harvard Business Review article Employee Burnout Is a Problem with the Company, Not the Person, there are three common culprits of workplace burnout:

–Excessive collaboration – Too many meetings, emails, and interruptions

–Weak time management disciplines – An organizational culture that makes it difficult to say no to low-value meetings and other time-wasters

–Tendency to overload the most capable with too much work

Once you’ve identified which of these factors are at play, it’s time to talk to your boss and explain the situation. Make sure you come armed with solutions such as reducing meeting frequency, eliminating time-wasting practices, hiring additional staff, or offloading some of your work on another employee. You might also suggest that the organization employ the use of software such as Microsoft Workplace Analytics, which can track how much time is being spent on meetings, emails, etc.

Of course, this is no easy conversation to have. You may find yourself standing up to a powerful organizational culture that values overwork and excessive meetings. Be prepared for the “You’re not a team player, Bob.” response. If your boss favors the status quo to improving efficiency and production, you know how to reach me!

3. Irreconcilable differences
The phone rings. You know who it is.

Bob: Claire, I don’t think I’m in the right place. My boss and I are like oil and vinegar, I don’t fit in with the organization’s culture, and I’m just not ethically comfortable with some of the tactics our organization employs. Now, I know what you’re going to say: I should talk to my boss, right?
Claire: Bob, you’re a quick study. But, ironically, I don’t think you need to talk to your boss this time. I think you should send me your resume and we’ll explore opportunities.

Bob and his employer are facing what divorce lawyers like to call “irreconcilable differences.” It’s highly unlikely that a conversation (or even 100 conversations) will lead to a situation in which Bob and the organization are on the same page. In circumstances like this, it’s probably best to move on to a place that is a better fit for you.

So, now you know the six most common reasons employees lose their hustle. But what about the big-picture take-aways? I’m glad you asked.

1. You CAN change things!
There is a very real chance you can have an influence on the very things that made you fall out of love with your job in the first place. Your proactivity may help you fall back in love and regain your hustle.

2. The grass is not always greener.
It may be that you just need to hit “reset” in order to appreciate where you are. Remember the Pina Colada song? It’s possible that you already have a great job in an organization with a healthy culture and stellar people. Finding those things in the next opportunity is not guaranteed.

3. Communication with your boss is critical.
If you complain to your friends, spouse, and strangers on the Metro, but you aren’t proactive at work, then you can rest assured that nothing will change. Communicating with your boss can work wonders. And if it doesn’t, then you can move on with confidence in knowing you tried to make it work.

4. Don’t give up on the free-market nonprofit world because of one dysfunctional situation.
There are plenty of healthy, high-functioning organizations out there — many of which would love to hire you! So, think twice before leaving the free-market universe!

Of the six reasons I cited that people lose their hustle, you’ll note that “lack of fulfillment” wasn’t one of them. That’s because I never hear from people inside of our world who are unfulfilled. Yet, I hear from countless people outside who are clamoring to get in! Bottom line: we are lucky to be working for liberty!

Talent Tip #95: How to Get Your Groove Back – Part One

October 2, 2017

At the State Policy Network Annual Meeting earlier this month, I had the privilege of being on a panel that discussed why we lose our hustle, including lessons on resilience, strength, and creating a career that lasts. In case you missed it (which was a big mistake because we served Prosecco….and the panel started at 3!), I thought I would share some of the key take-aways with you here.

You start a new job bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, excited to wake up every day and git-r-done, right? But as time marches on, you may find yourself lacking the hustle you once had. So, what do you do? Well, first you need to understand why you lost your hustle in the first place. Then, you need to ask yourself whether there is anything you can do to turn the situation around and get your hustle back.

Below are three of the six most common reasons people tell me they have lost their hustle, along with thoughts on whether changing things is within their control. Next month we’ll cover the other three reasons and the big-picture take-aways about how to regain your hustle.

1. Lack of challenge or room for growth
It’s not uncommon for me to have calls that sound like this:

Bob: Claire, I want to look for a new job. I no longer feel challenged at work. I’ve hit a ceiling.
Claire: Sorry to hear this. What did your boss say when you told her how you feel?
Bob: [long pause] Uhhhh. I haven’t told her yet. I guess I should.

Turns out most people get frustrated about not feeling challenged but plum forget to open the lines of communication with their supervisors. So, I like to suggest that an employee proactively sets up a meeting with his/her supervisor to discuss the situation. But I also encourage the employee to come to the table with possible solutions — not just a complaint about the problem. Now, imagine this follow-up conversation:

Bob: Claire, I wanted to update you on my situation. I talked to my boss and suggested that I expand my responsibilities to include some of the items that were weighing her down. Turns out she was relieved to get those things off her plate. Now, she’s happy because she’s less stressed out and I’m happy because I feel challenged again.
Claire: Boom goes the dynamite!

Now, things may not turn out so rosy, but it’s a good thing to try before heading out the door. And if there truly isn’t room for growth at your current organization, maybe it is time to find your hustle elsewhere.

2. Feeling inadequately rewarded
Now, picture this conversation:

Bob: Claire, I’m getting underpaid and want to consider other opportunities.
Claire: Bob, that’s unfortunate. What did your boss say when you approached her about this?
Bob: [long pause] Uhhhh. I haven’t brought this up with her. I guess I should.

Once again, it’s wise to engage in a dialog with your boss before jumping ship. But don’t just walk in the bossman’s office with your complaint. Come armed with the following: a list of ways you have added significant value to the organization, including specific things you’ve done to exceed expectations; empirical evidence of comparable salaries; and your new desired salary.

The follow-up call often goes like this:

Bob: Claire, thanks for the advice! I talked to my boss last week and got the raise I wanted! I’m back in hustle mode, baby!
Claire: Wonderful! You owe me a beer!

I’m a sucker for happy endings, but it doesn’t always end up this way. If a heart-to-heart conversation with your boss doesn’t lead to your desired outcome, you may want to look for an organization that financially rewards you for your performance. And Talent Market is happy to help you find a new home!

3. Geographic mobility
The phone rings. It’s you-know-who again.

Bob: Claire, I want to move back to my home state. So, I’m on the market.
Claire: Good to know. Your boss said working remotely isn’t an option?
Bob: [long pause] Uhhhh. I didn’t ask that yet.

You’d think Bob would pick up on the trend by now, huh? Before updating your resume (and long before packing up the U-haul), have a conversation with your boss about whether working remotely might be an option. If you are self-motivated and have a job that doesn’t require being in the office every day, it’s quite possible you can take your work with you. If your boss is skeptical about remote work, offer to engage in a six month trial period to prove to him that you can create value outside a standard office. And if he says “no”? Reach out to Talent Market!

…..TO BE CONTINUED

Next month we’ll cover the other three common reasons employees lose their hustle and what can be done about them. Hint: think organizational dysfunction, burnout, and irreconcilable differences! Don’t miss it!

Talent Tip #94: Burning Bridges and Lessons from Peter Gibbons

August 22, 2017

Have you ever wanted to tell your boss to take a long walk off a short cliff or post something incendiary on social media about your former employer? Have you daydreamed of walking out of the office for a lunch break never to return? Did the movie Office Space strike a chord with you?

We’ve all been there. You’re so frustrated that you’re tempted to burn a bridge.

I’ve witnessed the destruction of many-a-bridge in my career, and they all have the same unhappy ending. Once the smoke clears, that’s one overpass you can never cross again.

Now, for Peter Gibbons in Office Space, it all ended well. But it may not for the rest of us. So, here are some of the most common bridge-burning techniques we’re seen and why you should avoid them like 37 pieces of flair.

• “Ghosting” a Potential Employer
A couple of years ago we helped a candidate land an amazing director-level job. The candidate seemed excited and the employer was thrilled. But as the start date neared, communication from the newly hired director trailed off. Calls, emails, and online messages weren’t returned. We started to worry that something terrible had happened. I remember combing local accident reports and news stories fearing the worst. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks: the candidate wasn’t being held against her will in some remote locale; we had been “ghosted” (to borrow dating terminology).

What never made sense to me is why the candidate didn’t simply pick up the phone (or write an email) and explain she no longer wanted the job. Things change; these things happen. Despite the pain of rejection, the client would have surely understood. And if the candidate handled the situation correctly, there is a good chance we would have left the door open for future possibilities. Instead, she burned the bridge.

The lesson here is to have the decency and maturity to tell an employer that you are no longer interested in pursuing a job — whether it’s before or after an offer has been made. If you go radio silent, I pinky swear that your future options with the organization will be nil.

• Quitting a Job without Ample Notice
Employers feel the sting of rejection when they lose an employee, but they typically get over it with time — unless the departing employee ends things unprofessionally or leaves them in a lurch.

A client recently told me about an employee who just stopped showing up for work. No call. No email. No note. What? I’m having a flashback to how I broke up with my boyfriend in fifth grade. (Sorry, Rusty. I was young and foolish.)

This immature and short-sighted behavior will no doubt come back to haunt this gentleman. What happens when a future employer asks for a reference from the organization? Another bridge incinerated.

The moral of the story is to give ample notice before leaving a job. It’s the respectful thing to do. Two weeks is standard courtesy, but if you’ve been on the job for several years, more notice will may help you maintain a healthy relationship with your soon-to-be-former employer.

• Unloading on Social Media
Years ago I was working on a search and thought we had found the perfect candidate. The client was just about to draft an offer letter when he decided to sniff around on the candidate’s social media sites. Lo and behold he found a post in which the person had trash-talked a former employer. Then, faster than you can say, “short-term thinking can cost you a job,” the client moved on to another candidate.

Not only had the candidate burned the bridge with her former employer, but she had inadvertently let the fire spread to other bridges — many of which she may never know were burned.

The take-away here is to always be professional on social media sites when it comes to former employers. Just remember mama’s advice: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

• Telling off a Boss
We’ve all had that boss. My first job out of college involved working for an unethical, dishonest, unresponsive, unprofessional jerk (to put it nicely). It took me all of three months to figure it out and then I knew I had to get out of there. I had all sorts of grand machinations to tell him off in dramatic fashion, but ultimately decided to be professional — as much as that pained me. It was the right move not only for my career, but also for my conscience.

The key point here is to not let your emotions in the heat of the moment get the best of you. If you have irreconcilable differences with your supervisor, you should look for another job. And when you leave, there’s no need to tell the bossman how you really feel. Just put in your notice and move along.

So, the next time you’re tempted to pull a Peter Gibbons and not show up for work or emulate Joanna and let flair get the best of you, remember the power of long-term thinking. It’s a small free-market universe; the things you say and do today will work for (or against) you in the years to come.

Talent Tip #93: Looking Outside the Talent Box

July 26, 2017

By Claire Kittle Dixon and Lauren Skiver

Have you caught yourself with a staff vacancy asking, “Why doesn’t a candidate with the perfect background and experience apply?”

It certainly would make your job (and ours) easier to find candidates whose backgrounds perfectly match our job openings. But, as a number of organizations we’ve partnered with have found, thinking outside of the talent box can prove incredibly fruitful—especially for openings that are challenging to fill. Not only can it expand your talent pool; it also can bring your organization a fresh perspective.

Thinking outside the box

This is exactly what Kory Swanson, president & CEO of John Locke Foundation, had in mind when he hired a senior fundraiser. “I decided to hire outside of the fundraising box. I wanted to go with someone who had a passion for freedom and free markets—someone who had been a successful entrepreneur and understood how the wealthy think about wealth. Jon Pritchett fit the bill.”

In the initial months since becoming JLF’s senior vice president, Jon has developed a comprehensive major gifts program, identified and pursued high net worth individuals, expanded JLF’s membership categories, and introduced a planned giving program. As a result, JLF’s donor retention rate, average gift size, and year-over year giving have seen impressive increases.

The Mackinac Center has approached hiring in a similar way. Mike Reitz, Mackinac’s Executive Vice President, put it this way: “We’re trying to save the country—why wouldn’t we look at other industries for the very best people we can find? Not only does this give us a wider recruiting network, this strategy helps us continually broaden our perspective and test our assumptions. New hires from outside the public policy world are good at identifying bubble thinking.”

This led Mackinac to hire John Mozena as their vice president for marketing and communications. His private sector PR experience brought fresh insights to their practices. Through his efforts, the organization started looking at their share of conversation, share of voice, tone, message inclusion, and other factors they hadn’t previously considered. They have now instituted new measurement practices that more accurately determine their impact on the media. Perhaps most impressively, John has expanded Mackinac’s outreach to progressive media and opened opportunities for Mackinac to preach beyond the choir.

The Empire Center pursued their director of development opening with a similar outside-the-box perspective when they hired Ann Hughes. Ann is a former broadcast journalist with no prior development experience. As Tim Hoefer, Empire’s executive director, said, “We’ve found great value in hiring people from varied backgrounds. A different and fresh perspective on reaching our goals has really helped us think outside the box and fine tune our processes.” In the interview process, Ann demonstrated she was committed to Empire’s cause, could translate her skill set to fundraising, and had the work ethic to succeed. Since joining Empire’s team in August, Ann has led them in an aggressive growth plan which has already achieved multiple benchmarks, including increasing their donor base.

That’s nice, but how does it work in reality?

Jon Pritchett at John Locke shared two tips for others joining the movement. First, take advantage of SPN’s training, mentoring, and expertise; and seek peers in similar organizations and share best practices. Second, respect the difference in how nonprofits are managed. Avoid being the bull in the china shop who constantly talks about how things are done in the for-profit world, but be willing to constructively share your ideas, learning, thoughts, and experiences from the private sector—especially if they might have a positive impact on the movement.

Mackinac’s John Mozena shares this tidbit of advice for newcomers in the free-market space: “It’s incredibly important for those coming in from the private sector to show they “get it” as quickly as possible, demonstrating an understanding of and passion for the principles of liberty and free markets.”

And Empire’s Ann Hughes’ advice for others in her shoes? “Ask a lot of questions, and ask for advice. Through SPN, you can turn to development peers from all over the country and take advantage of numerous training opportunities.”

But maybe the most valuable thing newcomers bring to our space is passion. Jon Pritchett perfectly summed it up: “After five months in the movement, I’m as excited as I’ve ever been about anything.”

This article appears in the July/August issue of SPN News.

Talent Tip #98: What NOT to Wear To an Interview

Talent Tip #97: For the Love of Lawsuits: What NOT to Ask Candidates During Interviews

Talent Tip #96: How to Get Your Groove Back – Part Deux

Talent Tip #95: How to Get Your Groove Back – Part One

Talent Tip #94: Burning Bridges and Lessons from Peter Gibbons

Talent Tip #93: Looking Outside the Talent Box

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