Thoughts on Job Qualifications

When considering someone to hire, much is made of an applicant’s qualifications. As is seen in performance differences, there are differences in qualifications.

First, is the applicant who is certified or holds a certificate of qualification. Let us consider a recent story I was told. A large company in town hired a newly certified Microsoft engineer (MCSE certification). Upon reporting to work, the new hire was taken to a room with more than a dozen new computers in it. He was told to get the operating systems and software all loaded on the blank hard disks that afternoon using Microsoft’s unattended installation procedure. An hour later when the supervisor returned, he found the technician gone – he quit! The new hire had apparently undergone a quickie, concentrated learning course to get qualified but had neither the experience nor the journeyman background for the work.

Let us move up a level to the college graduate, either baccalaureate or graduate. A degree means only that the candidate is acceptably bright and can pass the required written and/or oral tests. No other interpretation is possible. A bright, shiny, new MBA means the same thing. The degree supplemented by experience is the next level up, but the warning here is: “What kind of experience?”; “Under what circumstances?” The only way an interviewer can answer these questions is through behaviorally-oriented questions. “What did you determine the problem was?” “What did you do and why?” “What did you learn during each phase of what occurred?” Behaviorally oriented questions reveal much more than you can get from “yes” of “no” answers.
When someone touts him/herself, they may say “I’m an expert.” It is easy to claim this possessing only a professional degree, but experience can be claimed – and explained, to improve this statement. Of course only behavioral questions of this applicant or his/her references are useful. Next in the hierarchy is an expert with successful experience – what more could a company desire in a new hire? But there is a another, better level. An expert who is a proven success at what he/she has attempted is in a strata by him/herself and is the most desirable candidate. More importantly, such a candidate who also demonstrates maximal intellectual flexibility and problem solving insight when responding to behavioral interview questions is clearly a superior candidate. Only such questions can provide the interviewer(s) with insight into the analytical and problem solving abilities of the candidate.

So, just being qualified does not guarantee successful job performance, and behavioral interviews can be risk management tools for decision makers with hiring responsibility.
This discourse reminds one of a marketing plan – when you are trying to sell yourself, explain that you are an expert-level professional of proven successful experience and accomplishment.


Dr LGG