Hiring Right and Left

Picture by John Baldessari

In a recent conversation with a Senior VP of Human Resources and gifted consultant, we discussed the challenges of finding top talent in the technical world.  His comment almost surprised me as he said he thinks when engineers interview, they have no clue, even when coached, what will come out of their mouths.  Although engineers tend to be more left brained (organized, analytic, great problem solvers), when it comes to interviewing, they are often lost in the quagmire of questions, even when they prepare.  Interviewing requires quick thinking.  Some engineers would rather ponder the questions, research the responses and put the possible answers in a spreadsheet.

According to Mark Bregman, an executive in talent management in his recent blog:

Most top executives admit that they have repeatedly hired people who are “B” or “C” players, who have had an adverse impact on the company, who needed to be replaced.  Most will admit they have someone on their staff right now that fits this description.  Many studies have shown that without a formalized, professional approach to evaluating candidates, employers can expect 50-60% hiring accuracy, no better than flipping a coin.

Herein lays the challenge: the creative, right brained engineer may answer your prepared questions more quickly as verbal communication flows from his lips (which may become a problem in meetings, when he wants all the attention).  The left-brain engineer is far more comfortable with data than talking with the hiring manager across the conference table in an interview.  And he may only speak in meetings when he knows the answer, rather than talking to hear himself.  Which person do you need for your team?  Although unemployment is high, finding the technical gurus you want and need is, and will continue to be, very challenging.

Asking the right questions is critical for you.  Nick Tuback in his recent article says:

According to a recent study by the US Department of Labor, 62% of all U.S. jobs in 2010 will require higher skill levels. While 97 million people will be needed, only 43 million Americans will have the educational qualifications for these jobs. On the other hand, 38% of all U.S. jobs in 2010 will still be low-pay/low-skill and require 61 million workers. About 115 million Americans will be competing for these jobs.

The improving economy may cause heartburn when you think about the current difficulties in finding the skilled people you need and will need.  How can you do this?

Interviewing, not just for the right skills, but the personality factors enhances the chances for success.  Prepare the questions in advance, not only for the on site interviewing, but for the phone screens.  When you assign different questions to your team members before an interview, consider whether they are right or left brained.  No one is purely one way or the other, but let the analytical team players ask the more technical questions and encourage the right brained or “creatives” tackle the questions on dealing with difficult people, moving projects to deadlines and other questions where judgment, not finite answers, will improve the possibilities of hiring the right person to fit your team.

When you have a chance, I strongly recommend you take the time to listen to the video presentation where Dr. Jill Bolt-Taylor, a medical doctor and professor, talks about her stroke and what it means for all of us.  It is very powerful.

(Please ignore any pop-up ad.  I’m too creative to figure out how to eliminate it.)