Paint the Worst Picture
I am hiring all the time. Even when I am not meeting people, I am thinking who can help us with what. It’s almost an OCD. (damn, I am writing this while getting home from the airport!)
An amazing thing I have found is while talking to prospective people to join us, if I painted a really terrible sketch of the job or the working environment, it actually attracts people significantly more than it harms. While I try to figure the attitude from this conversation (and set job expectations), the typical candidate will start getting interested in the job anyway. It’s perhaps the challenge or the brutal honesty of the conversation that excites people.
Most people want to know about the real work environment of the company more that the job description. Because jobs, profiles and designations change, but the organization purpose & culture rarely do. People, first, want to know about the place where they will live, grow and thrive, not what they need to do to get the next promotion. And this certainly more relevant now than ever before.
So the next time you meet someone whom you like, start by saying why your company is the worst place for them. To borrow from Kim Piper Werner, make it mighty ugly. Those who will still join you, are keepers!
Disclaimer: At NowFloats, we have a strong sense of job satisfaction and that affords us many liberties during the hiring process. We know most people will love our culture, if they do join.
