CEO: Encourage Candidates to Turn You Down

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  1

  Kussi Bernardo

  07/08/08 | Report as spam

  CEO: Encourage Candidates to Turn You Down

  For sure most people would turn down offers, giving the companies less paper work and the ability to filter candidates according to the company culture of the moment. In the other hand would put some companies at mercy of only certain people wich could be the "turn down" of the majority or unemplyed by default, but never the less it helps a lot and prevents depression and big turnover of staff.
  
  Kussi Bernardo
  from Angola

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  2

  stephenbyrne@...

  07/08/08 | Report as spam

  RE: CEO: Encourage Candidates to Turn You Down

  well i recently interviewed for a senior strategy role with a global company only be to be told "there wasn't a cultural fit". Now i'd rather hear more detailed information about what constitutes a culture, but I'm afraid many CEOs don't really hire on this basis. for a CEO, it's more about whether you fit their culture not the company culture. I really believe that companies who say they hire out of the box and are brave hirers and not interested in hiring people who just fit the uniform are very very rare.
  
  stephenbyrne@diffusion.com.au
  diffusionblog.blogspot.com

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  3

  selfishy_me@...

  07/12/08 | Report as spam

  Re; Agreed

  I agree. Either the company is desperate to fill a position or they only use it as a tactic to attract potential candidates. I really dislike such a two-faced approach.

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  4

  radam9

  07/08/08 | Report as spam

  Only a Benefit of Something Larger

  What I see here is not a practice to implement, but rather one example of another tool that an organization with a learning and progressive culture has at its disposal. If an organization can't weigh an idea like this seriously, then maybe a deeper cultural change is needed.
  
  That means that what's needed is someone already within the organization (who arrived through its default hiring practices) who is willing and able to champion not just this particular cause, but also a deeper cultural change. But that takes a champion that can slay all of the dragons, some yawning, some breathing fire, that bringing-up an idea like this may reveal. Good luck to them!

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  ktconnor@...

  07/08/08 | Report as spam

  RE: CEO: Encourage Candidates to Turn You Down

  I wish it were this simple. There are some people who need a hard cell. They tend to be those who test as skeptical on the practical level, unconventional in their approach to rules, and with strong emotional control. These folks are liable to take the challenge just because they think you think they won't, and they might be just the people you want.
  
  Those who should NOT be "sold" in the interview are those who test as on a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of self confidence, who also have low self esteem (not the same as self-confidence), and who test as highly focused on intuitive thinking and empathy. These are the folks who are unsure enough of themselves and of what they want contribution-wise, and keyed in enough to what is wanted of them, that they are swayed easily.

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  6

  justin@...

  07/08/08 | Report as spam

  RE: CEO: Encourage Candidates to Turn You Down

  I definately use point #2 and set the expectation in terms of a "here's a typical day at the office". This approach so far in my sales account manager recruitment has been successful. I do agree with not sugar coating anything about your company.

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  7

  cileryildiz

  07/08/08 | Report as spam

  RE: CEO: Encourage Candidates to Turn You Down

  I truly believe recruiting is a game of "best f??t" and it is difficult to generalize like
  it has been suggested in this article. It might be applicable at some level and
  for some roles but not for others. If you want to give the best taste of the job
  for a new hire sales person, send him/her to filed work with one of your account
  reps (not an easy customers) and see how he/she feels. But if you are hiring
  somebody to be a change agent why you want him/her to adjust to your current
  culture. Actually you just want the opposite. So, it depends on your recruiting
  objectives and the concept of "best fit".

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  8

  victorrajavel@...

  07/09/08 | Report as spam

  Good one...

  In today's economy, the service culture must be adopted at all levels. From the CEO till the tea lady and initiatives must be taken to bring about this culture by engaging employees at all levels.
  
  Whilst what was being discussed in the article may not be as engaging, the fact is that those whom feel that they need not engage, can be encouraged to disengage. You see, when you are on the bus, your journey is as good as the journey gets you. That journey is a collective agreement of all and at times, some people may just need a little nudge in the right direction!

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  9

  Damse1

  07/09/08 | Report as spam

  Flexibility

  This strategy would work depending on the required job position and the size of the hiring company. A company that is not big enough or needing a cultural reform cannot encourage an obviously well qualified candidate to reject their offer. They need the candidate!
  General company objectives will drive how a company treats a potential employee. And like in all things, flexibility is required in managing people, adjusting constantly to difference in personalities and diversities.

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  drhall

  07/09/08 | Report as spam

  It's a TURN DOWN Day?

  Theory maybe, in reality however, the doubt remains the entire "culture" is as forthcoming as the CEO. Basically just a "conditioning" effort from the git go to hire Ducklings and
  Weaklings (brown nosers). I give this a big thumbs down.
  
  P.S.
  Why not try management from top down theory and LISTEN to employees in the trenches, implement positive business codes,
  and quit the multiple (read unnecessary and floundering) layers of management altogether ... like is the Board really riding herd on the CEO of this inane idea?

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  11

  Love To Coach

  07/09/08 | Report as spam

  Desparate for a Job: means no other options

  If the culture is too tough that good candidates can't adapt then you will only get 2 types of candidates to accept:
  1. those that really need the job for a reason
  2. those too cultural challenged to understand the reasons you need to fit. Those that won't even try.
  This just increases the chances that the candidate knows something you don't!
  
  Thumbs down

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  12

  Melpo

  07/09/08 | Report as spam

  RE: CEO: Encourage Candidates to Turn You Down

  While I agree that you shouldn't hard sell the offer, I see a couple of problems with the suggested approach.
  
  - First if you have a culture based on something negative, I think you're missing out. I was in a division once where the culture could best be described as "sarcastic." A few people thrived but most were operating at well below their abilities because it was such a tough place to be creative. Think about the benefits of hiring people who don't operate according to the current negative norms!
  - I also think that giving people two days to decide is a mistake. The best candidates are likely to have multiple offers. You don't want to give them a reason not to want to work for you. Obviously, you don't want to drag it out for weeks while they wait for something better to come along, but a week is certainly realistic in my book.
  
  Melissa Paulik
  http://www.themarketingsurvivalist.blogspot.com
  http://www.linkedin.com/in/melissapaulik