Glass Dragon - China Recruiter Network
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Passionate or just ‘High Maintenance’
A funny thing happened to me yesterday, and not for the first time. The basic background will be familiar to those of you who regularly propose candidates for high-level or senior positions, but the outcome is what’s even more interesting. It really got me thinking, that there is really a fine line between candidates who are ‘passionate’ and those who are ‘high maintenance’ for us and the client who is hiring. And figuring out whether your candidate is super keen and super qualified or just an egotistical prima-donna, is challenging.
The trick is, I guess, for us Head-Hunters and HR people to be able to tell the two apart with a little science, rather than just intuition and instinct. This situation raises other questions too, about the way people demonstrate how they deal with knock-backs, bad news and rejection. Maybe there are regular behaviours common to both that we can look out for?
Anyway, I’m on a bounty hunt, another mission impossible, for a Director-level position in the Video Games industry. The role is in Shanghai, and I am looking worldwide, especially in hotspots like Canada, USA, UK, France and Japan. It’s a difficult search, and the client and I both know it.
I find candidate A and candidate B.
I attract them, buy them in, qualify them against the tough criteria.
I propose both to the client.
They meet all the on-paper criteria, and I am expecting interviews for both.
Client comes back to me with a NO on both – “not suitable”
I grumble to myself, thinking the client probably doesn’t want to offend these candidates with specifics like “We thought your portfolio was terrible” and keeps it to a short diplomatic no. I beg the client for more detailed feedback, but my expectations are low.
I reject candidates A&B with tact and diplomacy, apologizing for the lack of a reason, and thanking them for their interest.
Candidate A says: Okay, thanks, keep in touch.
Candidate B says: No Way! I really want this job, here’s why… etc… let me send you a mail to pass on to the client
12 bullet points later, I get the message over to the client. Client is astonished and says:
I appreciate his passion. To go thru this much effort after be told he is not the right fit, means one of two things to me, he really wants and feels he is qualified for this position or he is high maintenance. Now, I am interested and would like to speak with him to find out which.
My question to you good people is: In life and work, how do you really spot whether your candidate is: Passionate or…. High Maintenance?
Are there any patterns, comments, actions that clearly put people in one category or the other that we can spot early on?
One thing I do know. One is definitely good, and one definitely isn’t – whether you’re looking for a new hire or a lover
The trick is, I guess, for us Head-Hunters and HR people to be able to tell the two apart with a little science, rather than just intuition and instinct. This situation raises other questions too, about the way people demonstrate how they deal with knock-backs, bad news and rejection. Maybe there are regular behaviours common to both that we can look out for?
Anyway, I’m on a bounty hunt, another mission impossible, for a Director-level position in the Video Games industry. The role is in Shanghai, and I am looking worldwide, especially in hotspots like Canada, USA, UK, France and Japan. It’s a difficult search, and the client and I both know it.
I find candidate A and candidate B.
I attract them, buy them in, qualify them against the tough criteria.
I propose both to the client.
They meet all the on-paper criteria, and I am expecting interviews for both.
Client comes back to me with a NO on both – “not suitable”
I grumble to myself, thinking the client probably doesn’t want to offend these candidates with specifics like “We thought your portfolio was terrible” and keeps it to a short diplomatic no. I beg the client for more detailed feedback, but my expectations are low.
I reject candidates A&B with tact and diplomacy, apologizing for the lack of a reason, and thanking them for their interest.
Candidate A says: Okay, thanks, keep in touch.
Candidate B says: No Way! I really want this job, here’s why… etc… let me send you a mail to pass on to the client
12 bullet points later, I get the message over to the client. Client is astonished and says:
I appreciate his passion. To go thru this much effort after be told he is not the right fit, means one of two things to me, he really wants and feels he is qualified for this position or he is high maintenance. Now, I am interested and would like to speak with him to find out which.
My question to you good people is: In life and work, how do you really spot whether your candidate is: Passionate or…. High Maintenance?
Are there any patterns, comments, actions that clearly put people in one category or the other that we can spot early on?
One thing I do know. One is definitely good, and one definitely isn’t – whether you’re looking for a new hire or a lover
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