who done it? fault vs. responsibility

my 2 cents: who done it? fault vs. responsibility

anytime i have an unideal outcome, my first instinct is to look for someone to blame. the candidate didn’t prepare. the client didn’t show up well. the coordinator sent the invite to the wrong email.

the list goes on.

but the longer i’m in recruiting and frankly, the older the i get, the more i realize that blame never leads to benefit and more often than not, it just wasn’t the right fit.

the candidate can be top notch.

the offer can be a dream.

but those two perfect pieces don’t always yield a perfect match.

so, instead of blame, i do my best to look at all 3 pieces to the puzzle - hiring manager, candidate, recruiter - and ask, “where can they take responsibility?”

it’s not about who’s at fault.

it’s not about having an answer to a “problem”.

it’s not even about something going wrong.

but there’s always an opportunity to get better and show up better the next go-around.

so, rather than looking for blame, look for responsibility.

hiring managers:

first interview, final loop, offer stage or even 2 months in… if the outcome ins’t ideal, there’s likely a dropped ball or missed detail that you can take ownership of to reduce the chances of it becoming a pattern.

one of the most common issues i see with hiring managers when candidates back out or don’t take offers is they immediately get defensive.

“they clearly weren’t the right fit if they don’t see how great of an opportunity this is”

“they’re going to a FAANG? then they wouldn’t cut it here”

“they didn’t like our equity package? they’ll regret that when we go public”

all of those statements are a defense mechanism.

you’re butt hurt your opp was rejected and you’re taking it personal because this product is your baby and of course your baby is the cutest baby in the world (as a father of 18 month old, i can assure all fellow parents our kids are average - except my son of course).

but none of those things do anyone any good and most often they just make your blind spots worse and your ego bigger and more fragile.

so the next time a candidate rejects your opp at any stage ask yourself a few curious questions

is this an opportunity that fits what they actually wanted? if they wanted to go to a public org for stock, your series a was never a long term fit. and that’s ok. it’s not you. it’s not them. it just is.

did you communicate your value prop well? if you don’t have a dialed icp, i’d imagine your elevator pitch also needs support

when they expressed their priorities, did you listen? if they want good benefits as a new parent, don’t focus on equity

if you ask good questions and are curious throughout the process, vs. trying to be a gate keeper for your dream opportunity (lol) you’ll uncover every data point you need in order to close them when the time comes

i could go on for hours about this. so if you’re a hiring manager hitting a wall in your hiring, i’d love to chat. free.99.

candidates:

if you’re constantly hitting a wall in the interview process and not getting offers, there might be some self reflection in order.

“they don’t know what they’re missing”

“nobody will give me a chance”

“i can’t catch a break”

all those thoughts do is fuel a victim mentality and skip over the only variable you can control…. yourself.

so, ask yourself….

• do i prepare well before each call?

• do i show up with a clear mind and a professional demeanor?

• do i know my stats that validate success and prove my worth?

• am i a good fit for what i’m going for? am i barking up the wrong tree?

i get a lot of dm’s from candidates telling me they’re interested in jobs that they have no business applying to and if they had spent 30 seconds reading the jd/post they’d never (in their right mind) think they were a fit.

a product manager is not a product marketing manager for the love of god.

are you good at your job?

if you’re consistently hitting a wall, it might be time to evaluate other avenues. i talk to a lot of people where i think to myself, “this ain’t for you”

and that’s ok.

but you gotta be willing to ask the hard questions to get the right answers.

TLDR: synopsis

when we have an attitude of blame, it completely demolishes our opportunity for growth and rejects the idea that we have room for improvement.

take responsibility. no because you’re in the wrong but because it’s the only option that produces fruit.

music for your friday

a lil’ west coast pop punk for your friday afternoon