 As you are wading through candidates to fill that vacancy you will probably come across a greater-than-usual number of people who seem to be "hungry" candidates. I like to call them eager. Most of us can be seduced by the convincingly sincere, "go-getter" personality that many smooth-talking candidates can turn on at will in order to get the job. We cannot help but extrapolate that if the candidate is this eager and persistent with us then they will likely try as hard with prospects, helping us achieve our numbers
But the challenge is in separating out the eager from the desperate. As we all know, a desperate person will do anything. Desperate comes from the root word despair-need I say more? The best way to separate out the eager from the desperate is to look for the substance beneath those elements that make the eager candidate the most attractive.
Eager with Substance
- Speed-- Of course the eager candidate is quick to respond and reply; quick to jump through any hoops you give them and quick to provide references when asked. But the candidate with substance is also very accurate and detailed in their response. Eager with misspellings and mistakes spells disaster.
- Desire-- You do not have to "sell" eager candidates on the position. They have researched it, thought about it and made it clear that they want it. The backbone element here is that they must actually be a fit from an experience point-of-view-or they must admit that they do not have the experience, but can articulate how they would meet the challenge without it. Trying to overcompensate for lack of experience by being persistent is unacceptable. You must be given reassurance that they can handle the job and that they genuinely desire the position.
- That little something extra-- Eager candidates usually stand out in some way, perhaps by anticipating a question, providing helpful information or preparing a special report or document. The substantive element here is that it registers with you as real and relevant to the job and situation, and that it is not over the top. If it seems manufactured to you or just a bit too much-it probably is both.
"Desperate maladies require desperate remedies." French Proverb
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