What Hiring Managers Want

Dear Allison,

All our managers at 7-Eleven think they possess these qualities you mentioned above. In fact, people in any position have a perception they are too good for what they are doing. This is human nature.

Now coming to the reality. In this time of unemployment, we can very easily get very highly qualified people on-board, that can be very successful Managers, given that they are trained well by competent trainers. Unfortunately we lack (competent) trainers in 7-11. Another harsh reality is, 99.9% of these new SMTs will be stuck as store managers for ever, at least in the market I come from.

PS. If you want to bring qualified, motivated, high-energy, personnel into our team, please think of their benefits and career as well. (If not, lets just stick to the basic needed qualification :) )

Zafar

Zafar of MN 2:27PM September 13, 2010

What a great list! Most HM's cannot so clearly pinpoint what is really important to them. As a result, they build a list of qualifications, rather than qualities.

When you said, "they're narrowing (the) pool down", by stretching for greater qualifications, that is precisely one of the faults in today's hiring model. By insisting on advanced degrees, specific certifications, precise titles that mirror the position perfectly, and a myriad of other mostly unnecessary

"qualifications", the HM overlooks dozens of very qualified candidates whom also possess the "qualities" that actually determine success.

HM's and everyone in the selection process must work harder to get back to "quality-based" selection, in place of "qualification-based". Advanced technology has made us think that the right person should just appear based on the qualifications we have demanded. Seeking quality-based candidates demands that the funnel be opened wider, not narrowed, and that HM's do more grunt work needed to actually determine who possesses both qualifications and qualities that will create success.

Here is truism I feel cannot be disspelled: "The candidate with fewer qualifications for a position, but with all the qualities needed for success, will ALWAYS be a better choice than the person with all the qualifications for the position, but with few of the qualities necessary for success."

Best of luck in your searches,

Jim Cargill

jim c of NV 7:26PM August 25, 2010

What if you feel like you are ALL of those things, yet you have a hard time getting hiring personnel to return your phone call and/or respond to your qualified resume??

Kara of DC 1:44PM August 24, 2010

Great tips, as always, Alison! I still find that at least one third of job seekers don't read the requirements of the advert, so are not technically qualified for that job. Then a third are, and have as you put it the "basic" qualifications. That leaves the other third who engage at a higher point. Long term job seekers seem happier to look at other jobs outside their core skill & experience zone that read adverts, do some research and engage employers - why don't they learn?

http://www.professional-cv.co.uk

Ian 9:24AM August 24, 2010