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Monique Danielle
May 19, 2005

Job Applicants: A Small Business Owner’s Perspective

Recently DivaDesignWorld hired a new marketing assistant.  In the process, we received resumes from many hopeful applicants. From the pool of 50 or so applicants we interviewed a total of 4 people.  Today I want to discuss how important it is for employees to look at the hiring process from an employer’s perspective.  Below are Do’s when trying to find employment with a small business. After each do is a note regarding my thought process in hiring our most recent employee.

DO – Follow directions specified in job ads. For example our online ad stated that we wanted a personalized cover letter, resume, references, and salary requirements. Furthermore we clearly stated that all applications should be sent to our physical address – no emails and no phone calls.   Fewer than 15% of applicants followed these instructions. A great deal of them tried to email their resume when we specifically stated that a paper application was required. 

Those who failed to follow instructions communicated one thing to me – “I’m too lazy to mail my application, and I don’t follow directions.” None of these people were interviewed.

DO – Present your cover letter and resume in a professional fashion. This means that you should use high quality paper, not the cheap stuff sitting in your printer tray. Your resume should be well organized, AND it should be tailored to the job in question. The more you customize your resume, the better your chances for an interview. Rather than folding your resume and sticking it in a small envelope, use a high quality flat envelope.  If you’re looking to really stand out, send your resume via UPS or FedEx.

For the marketing position I was bombarded with a pile of resumes. Naturally I was drawn to those applications that conveyed professionalism and effort. None of the sloppy or plain applications had a chance. Perhaps if DivaDesignWorld were an accounting firm, plain white paper would have sufficed. However, we are a marketing communications company. Any qualified applicant should know that a marketing company values presentation and image. Lesson: Know your audience.

DO – Replace cheesy, juvenile, cheeky messages on your answering machine with clear, articulate, professional messages. And, when you are home to answer the phone, be sure to answer professionally.  If you normally answer your phone with, “Yo, this is Mary,” you had better change your ways – fast!  For the period during your job search you should answer the phone, “Hello, Mary Speaking.”  Nothing is a bigger turn off then calling a prospective employee and getting a cheeky answering machine, or rude initial welcome. 

I received an application from someone who appeared to be very qualified. However, when I called her I was greeted with a harsh, unfriendly, unrefined, “Yeah, this is Mary”. I pressed on, “Hello Mary, this is Monique with DivaDesignWorld, I’m calling in regard to the application that you submitted”. Her response was a gruff, “Yeah”.  I wanted to hang up right there. But, being the polite person that I am, I spoke with her for a few minutes. Wow, what a painful conversation. This woman wanted the job, but she made Roseanne Bar look refined!  The woman we eventually hired is gracious, eloquent, friendly and professional in our initial phone conversation.

DO -  Arrive at your interview 5 minutes early. You should look and smell like a professional. No tight clothes. No low-cut blouses. No perfume. No smoke smell on your body. No overly trendy clothes. No body piercing. No strangely colored hair. No sexy clothes. No jeans. No tank tops. No shorts. No body odor. No bad breathe. No excessively large or overly hair sprayed hair.

One woman we hired showed up with so much makeup that she literally resembled one of those porcelain masks.  This did not make a good first impression. She cemented the negative impression when she boasted that she had an excellent eye for cute clothes. What the heck?  We are a marketing communication firm, not a clothing boutique.  This woman should have found something more compelling to discuss than the latest runway styles.

DO – Research the prospective employer ahead of time, and arrive at the interview prepared to ask meaningful questions.  Your first questions should NOT be, “What are the hours? Pay? Etc? When a prospective employer invites you to ask questions you should ask questions that demonstrate your desire to understand the corporation, ensure that you are a good fit, and your intentions to contribute to the company’s success.

The woman we hired asked excellent questions. Her questions made it clear to my partner and I that she was not desperate for a job. She was not going to work somewhere that she did not fit. Rather, she was looking for a company whose culture and needs were in sync with her skills and work style. Furthermore, the depth of her questions demonstrated a clear understanding of business, as well as an ability to ‘think on her feet’.

DO – Exit with grace. When you leave the interview room be sure to stand up, smile, look the interviewer straight in the eye, shake their hand, thank them for the opportunity, and reiterate that you are excited about the possibility of joining the team.

Of the 12 people that I have interviewed this past year only three of them followed this advice. The rest just sort of stood up and scampered out the door. What a turn off!! I was really impressed with one young woman, but when she exited in this manner her chances for the job exited with her.

DO – Answer questions honestly. For example, when asked, “What is your greatest weakness?” don’t answer with, “I work too hard”. 

I was very impressed with the women we hired, who was quite blunt about her weakness. She said, “I am eager to please and want to make a difference. I want to take the ball and run. Sometimes this gets me in trouble because people sometimes mistake this for pushiness. I’ve had people get upset and think that I’m trying to take over.” If I was looking for a data entry clerk, this statement would have cost her the job. But, then, she wouldn’t be happy as a data entry clerk.  I was looking for a marketing assistant who can make things happen. Her answer told me four things: 1) This woman is ambitious, 2) This woman is honest, 3) This woman reads people well. [I’m blunt and she knew that she also needed to be blunt], and  4) In managing this woman I will need to give her autonomy and ownership while clearly setting employee/employer relationship guidelines.

DO -  Follow-up.  Immediately following the interview, hand write a thank you note, and send it – THAT SAME DAY!  An email thank you is note good enough. You must take the time to hand write and send a real thank you note.

Of the 12 people that I have interviewed this past year one sent a hand written thank you note, three sent a thank you email, and the rest did nothing. That is pathetic!  You should send thank you notes after EVERY job interview.

DO – Treat all email correspondence with care.  Many people think that with email it’s OK to abandon formal conventions. This is a bad idea! If you were hiring someone, which applicant would you be more impressed with applicant ‘A’ or applicant ‘B’

Applicant A:

Here are the references you asked for:

John Smith – 555 555 5555

Jane Smith – 555 555 5555

Sally

Applicant B:

Dear Monique,

Thank you for your interest in having me join the DivaDesignWorld team.  Per our conversation, I am sending two employment references.

John Smith, Owner of Acme Building

PH: 555 555 5555

Jane Smith, Marketing Manager at Widgets Galore

PH: 555 555 5555

If there is anything else that I can do to facilitate the hiring process, please let me know.

Cheers,

Sally Jones

12345 Main Street

Portland, Oregon 97225

(503) 555 5555

Email:

DO – look for jobs that are the ‘right fit’.  Employers are always looking for employees who fit the job, fit the company culture, and fit the needs of the hiring manager.  You should be cognizant of this. In an interview your job is to demonstrate how you are the best fit for the job. You will demonstrate this through everything that you do. Your resume, your phone manners, your attire, your grooming, your linguistic choices, your voice, your questions, your listening skills, your demeanor, and your follow-up actions.

In interviewing applicants I am far more impressed by people who ask thought provoking, meaningful questions, than I am with people who chatter on about all of their accomplishments. Of course a truly savvy applicant will work in their accomplishments throughout the course of a conversation while at the same time asking thoughtful questions.