The recruiter said, "I honestly don't care what school you went to."“

In recruitment, instead of looking for candidates who graduated from prestigious universities, you should delve into understanding the candidate's personality to find individuals who are passionate and willing to dedicate themselves fully to the company.

Before working in finance, I was a lawyer. The courtroom taught me how to get the other party to answer truthfully – a skill essential in the recruitment process. Most candidates try to embellish or "lie" during interviews, so you have to find opportunities to test the candidate's true thoughts and uncover their potential.

Important qualities

• Curiosity: This is a sign of intelligence and makes candidates more appealing. I always prefer working with candidates who are genuinely interested in the job, as evidenced by their curiosity.
• Emotional intelligence (EI): This is the ability to identify and manage one's own emotions and those of others. If a candidate is intelligent, curious, and understands the impact of emotions on their surroundings, they will be well-equipped to contribute to building a healthy and vibrant company culture.
• Passion: Those who are passionate about their work tend to be more successful than others. They always give their best, stay committed for the long term, and care more about their work. Employers should learn to identify candidates who are passionate about their work, as these are the most valuable candidates.
• Preparation: Alexander Graham Bell once said, "Preparation is key to success." I can tell whether a candidate is prepared for an interview by the questions they ask in return. Passion is important, but good preparation is also essential.

Unimportant information:

• School of Graduation: If a candidate graduated from a good school, that's great, but it doesn't guarantee success. Less than a third of the top 100 CEOs on Fortune's list attended an Ivy League school. I still prefer working with someone who graduated from less prestigious schools but has genuine passion, rather than someone who boasts about their diploma but lacks the necessary qualities.
• Professional skills: These are necessary skills – but they are only minimum requirements and don't set them apart. Dozens of other candidates in line have similar skills, unless they possess exceptionally unique abilities. So, for me, the outstanding candidates are those who are genuinely sincere, curious, and passionate.

Let me tell you a true story: Five years ago, I interviewed a candidate for the position of Chief Information Officer. What caught my attention was that he mentioned he had received his Jesuit training. I asked him about his education and the books he had read. To be honest, I didn't learn much about his skills during the two-hour interview – which revolved solely around this topic – but I did learn a great deal about his character, personality, and intellect. And now, he is a key member of our leadership team.

Therefore, in the recruitment process, instead of looking for candidates who graduated from prestigious universities, you should delve into understanding the candidate's personality to find those who are truly passionate and always want to dedicate themselves fully to the company.

Source:

– HR Insider / VietnamWorks –

Author: Viet My College - Date written: August 23, 2016

Category: Personal Development - Maturity, Career information, Training