Why I Rejected 10+ Qualified Candidates
Flashback time!
I’m taking you back with me to NYC several years ago. I had an open manager’s position in my department and needed to decide on a few great candidates to meet for interviews. As I was working for Polo/Ralph Lauren, there were many, many applicants. Our excellent HR department weeded out those who did not meet the necessary qualifications, but I was still fortunate to have 30+ qualified resumes to consider.
I couldn’t meet with all of them, but I wanted to read through each of their resumes. My first pass took the number down to less than 20, with most of the “rejects” landing there due to one or more of the following:
Grammatical errors
Spelling errors
Typos
Yes, seriously! Though the individuals were technically qualified in terms of education and experience, they were out of the running due to what many might consider inconsequential mistakes.
Am I a little picky? Admittedly, yes, and I am a self-confessed Grammar Nerd as well. But to me, the rejected applicants had shown that they lacked professionalism and attention to detail.
Regardless of the position, I wanted everyone on the team to not only perform their role well but also show aptitude for bigger roles. Attention to detail connotes accountability; team members who ensure their work is free of mistakes and inconsistencies make the whole team more effective and efficient. Time is not wasted in double-checking and backtracking, and they earn trust from their coworkers.
That mutual trust goes a long way towards nurturing collaboration, allowing the team to work together successfully. In turn, other departments can then trust that this team produces quality work and each team member’s reputation is enhanced. Trite but true: a rising tide raises all ships!
With easy-to-use AI tools, there is little excuse to turn out poor quality work, either numbers or words. And taking two minutes to read over what you’re about to send or turn in can pay off. Some of my biggest embarrassments have come from not proofing before hitting “SEND”.
"Details matter. It's worth waiting to get it right."
- Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple
~ Tracey
Fundamental of the Week #25: PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS
Be rigorous about accuracy and precision. Double-check your work.
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