We have just hired some new people, and are really excited to have them as part of our team.
The process of getting hired at CKC is (if I do say so myself) quite challenging. We work diligently to see the calibre of each applicant PRIOR to the interview. We assign tasks prior to agreeing to spend time discussing the detail of opportunities as part of our team.
This has allowed us, over the past few years, to focus our energy on getting to know the individual during the interview, and exploring aspects of their experiences and ambitions.
Recently we were interviewing a delightful candidate – and were really enjoying our chat with her. She had passed all the initial hurdles with flying colours, and we could really see her fitting in well with our organisation. We were chatting through a couple of her previous jobs – and were impressed with her experiences, and were charmed by her honest responses and what we perceived as a fair appraisal of her strengths and weaknesses.
I then asked about a job, working in catering. And though we were definitely hiring a researcher, I was eager to hear about her experience in food handling. We do a lot of work on food and beverage products, and I was interested in two things: her interest in food; and if she had hygiene certification (as that indicates a basic understanding of some important rules when handling food).
She immediately looked embarrassed, and apologised for the ‘blip’ in her resume. She obviously felt that work in a kitchen was not really consistent with the role for which she was interviewing. She then went on to describe the difficult, but challenging aspects of that job, and what she learned from doing it.
I wish I could impart an important thing to all young people looking to launch their careers. Particularly when starting out, it is important never to be ashamed of working – no matter the job or position. If you feel that you will be judged poorly for taking on assignments that are ‘beneath you’, then perhaps that company or position is not going to be worthwhile.
I explained this to our candidate when I offered her a job. I love people who are not afraid to work.