Finding Patterns

We are all creatures of habit…of patterns.

While growing up, I fished a lot. Not having a boat meant learning to fish from the shore or a marina.

No fancy fish finders or expensive gear, just a kid who wanted to catch fish.

What did I do? I learned everything I could about fishing and the fish I wanted to catch.

I learned about their life cycles, habitat, preferred food sources and so on.

I kept a small journal on what I caught, when, where, weather conditions, size and such.

I learned and saw their patterns of behavior.

That made catching fish a whole lot easier.

People are the same.

We all have patterns of behavior, habits that define our days.

When interviewing candidates, there are patterns in their history that can be very revealing.

Here is a great way to do it. For each job change on their resume, including the current one, ask about their reasons for leaving (RFL). 

I write down each RFL on the right side of the resume. What we want to find are patterns in each transition, including promotions.

For example, if a person left job A because of personality differences with his boss. Then left job B because the fit with his team was not working. Then left job C because he thought the leadership team was a bunch of buffoons…can you see where this is going?

People lie all the time. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. Sometimes it is a lie by omission and sometimes, often, it is easy to miss-remember events.

What never lies? Actions. People do not act against what they perceive to be in their own best interest...they will hedge, obfuscate, omit, embellish and lie to achieve a goal or avoid a conflict.

When assessing a candidate’s reasons for leaving, there should be a pattern. They left job A for job B because the change represented a promotion. They left job B for job C because the new company is headed for an IPO and the candidate wants that experience to bolster their career prospects. This sort of pattern can provide invaluable insight into a candidate’s initiative, ambition, career-focus. Whereas the earlier example raises red flags.

The takeaway? Hunt for patterns in a candidate’s actions. When their past decisions align with what they are saying – keep moving the process forward. But, when their past actions do not align with whatever song they are singing in the interview, raise the red flag, dive deeper and use caution before moving ahead.

There is a lot more to say on this topic and if you want to share thoughts, click on the logo below and let’s talk!