What we can learn from Lorne Michael's hiring practices

Regardless of how you might feel about Saturday Night Live, it is pretty amazing to think that it has been on the air for 40 years.  In some regards they have had to continue to adapt and evolve over time to cater to the needs of a changing audience.  While in other regards they have done the exact same thing for those 40 years and it is a magic formula that continues to work year after year.

What exactly is it that provides that kind of staying power?  I think a lot of it comes straight from the top with Lorne Michael and his hiring practices.

First of all, he is not afraid to look back and regret NOT hiring some pretty amazing people.  Oftentimes employers move on from a candidate after an interview as if they had no ability to contribute to their organization.  I have had clients get a second opportunity to hire someone after some success and a select few are willing to do so.  Far too often, however, if they passed the first time they will pass the second time.  You will never get them all right, but some honest self-reflection on candidates you missed out on can help the hiring process going forward.

Secondly, he doesn't laugh during interviews.  Which if you think about the thousands of auditions he has seen makes you wonder if he let out the occasional chuckle.  He wanted to see how the comedians would push through the awkward silence.  Far too often I see employers gush over a candidate, promise them way too much, and then after some true careful consideration they pass on the candidate.  It is confusing, disappointing, and frustrating for the candidate when they receive so much affirmation during the interview, only to get shot down afterward.  There is nothing wrong with letting people know the truth at the conclusion of an interview.  Let the candidate know exactly where things stand without the promise of next steps that might not be fulfilled.

Next, he often gave second chances.  Whether it be another audition or an invite back in a following year, he kept audition tapes and was never afraid to look at them again.  As I mentioned in my first point he did regret not hiring a few key people.  He learned from that mistake and tried to always keep an open mind.

He also fought through some objections.  Jim Carrey was interviewed last night during the pre-show, and the question was asked if he knew of someone who tried to kibosh his hiring in the early 80s.  He didn't go into a lot of detail, but it sure seemed like there was someone that did not want him to be hired.  Lorne was not afraid to bring him in to host even though he was not selected as a cast member.

Additionally, Lorne knew he had to hire gifted writers and let them do their thing.  There are many stories about changing things at the last minute with scripts or skits.  He knew he had hired capable people and although he was incredibly organized and wanted lots of rehearsal time, he could also let go and allow those writers to shoot from the hip.  He knew that was exactly why he had hired them.

Lastly, he was not afraid to do what it took in a pinch.  Martin Short said that he didn't even interview for his spot on the cast.  In the mid 80s they simply needed a spark with some big names and Lorne signed several to a one-year contract.  They did so many amazing sketches that it seems like they were on for more than one season, but they weren't.

I would love to talk to Lorne some day and ask him who he thinks he best hire ever was.  Think he could narrow it down to only one person?

Do you need "fact-checking" on your resume?

We have all had those moments in life where we "mis-remember" something or a memory is fuzzy because it is so long ago.  I just caught up with a former colleague from a job that was 17 years ago and our re-collection of events was similar, but not exactly the same.  So I'm certainly not here to judge anyone.  But the recent events surrounding Brian Williams' account of something in his past have stirred quite a nationwide controversy and discussion.  How can this relate to your job search?

This can serve as a good reminder for any candidate who is looking to polish up a resume or is preparing for a search for a new role or career challenge.  One of the first things I see on resumes that is a gray area is dates of service.  There are two ways this can be misleading if you're not careful.  The first is when you list through "present" on a resume when you really left that employer.  The reason is irrelevant.  If you are no longer with a company, you should indicate that on your resume.  The second way that can be meant to mislead is if you don't explain gaps in time on your resume.  This is often done by not including the months as well.  Let's say, for example, that you have a couple of 6-8 month gaps during the last 4-5 years.  I have seen candidates simply put in years, leave out the months, and then have to explain themselves later.  It is much easier to just have all of the information accurate from the start.

Another common problem I see with resumes is regarding education.  If you are working on a professional designation, but don't have it yet, don't list it on your resume as something that you have.  I know this seems like common sense, but I have seen it many times where someone is only one credit or one class short of something, they are in process, and they go ahead and put it on the resume.  It may never be checked, but that is a slippery slope toward lying about something.  Or if you have not received your Bachelor's degree but list your dates in such a way that makes it look like you do, that is a problem.  We were close to offer stage on a candidate recently who made it appear as though a college degree was received, and the employer required that for the position.  At the end of the day there were a few classes shy, and the employer pulled the offer.

Finally, I see numbers being stretched and manipulated to make things look more attractive.  In the world of insurance one statistic that is often transposed is premium instead of revenue.  If you are working on accounts that represent $100,000 in premium that is entirely different from an account that generates $100,000 in revenue to a retail agency.  That is a pretty easy one to ferret out, but I am surprised by how many times people try to inflate that number.  We also see it with number of accounts assigned, number of direct or indirect reports, annual goals, and much more.  Don't ever guess on that or you might be held accountable later.

What else have you seen in the past when "fact-checking a resume?  Happy to hear your stories as always!

Three things that let the air out of your search

The hype over #DeflateGate may subside now that the Patriots won the Super Bowl.  I do have to admit it was fun to watch all kinds of companies create advertising campaigns around the conflict.  I saw some creative ways to attach products to all of the hype surrounding the story.

It also got me thinking about how a job search can begin to look like these sad, under-inflated footballs if you aren't too careful.  Here are three classic mistakes that people make to let the air out of their search:

1)  Lack of interest.  I have seen people just stop caring when things don't go well during an interview or a search process.  It is usually someone else's fault, they just hope fate intervenes to turn things around, and they do nothing pro-active to turn their situation around.  It may seem unlikely, but I have seen it over and over in the past.  Maybe they haven't had to look for a job before, and it is tougher than expected.  Or one minor setback puts them into a tailspin that they can't break out of.  The bottom line though is that if you don't care, no one else will either.

2)  Lack of communication.  Somewhere along the lines in that game for the Patriots there were not proper checks and balances to make 100% sure the balls were inflated correctly.  Similarly during an interview or search process you have to make sure you are checking in, making yourself available, and saying what you are thinking.  You certainly don't want to over-communicate, but I had to admit I appreciate too much communication over not enough nine times out of ten.  I can't tell you how crazy I get when I try to check in with a candidate before or after an interview, only to get the silent treatment.  It doesn't send a good message that you are engaged with the process.

3)  Lack of effort.  You can telling when someone simply isn't trying.  You ask for something ahead of an interview and get nothing.  You advise someone how to prepare for an interview and know that they didn't.  Employers and hiring managers will tune into this and vet it out quickly.  It can happen before, during, and after an interview.  Once again, I am okay with trying too hard and it backfires on you much more so than deciding to not try at all.

The solution to combat all three of these is quite simple - be interested, or at least feign interest.  It isn't that difficult.  Stay in touch with the company and/or recruiter throughout the process.  It doesn't have to be over-done, but to the point.  Lastly, show me some hustle.  If you are in a job search you have to go out and get it.  The right job isn't going to come knocking on your door.  And even if it does, you still have to open the door!

Have you ever had the air let out of your search?  If so, what did you do to stop it?