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Interviewing and the Economic Value of Good Looks 173
Let’s say that two candidates show up for an interview for a medical
products sales position. One person has done some cursory research
on the company using Google. The other candidate arrives
with a detailed action plan to grow a new sales territory. This includes
a map indicating the location of every doctor’s office within
a 30-mile radius of his home that could be a prospect. Which candidate
seems more passionate about the role?
This is a true story, by the way. The candidate who came up with
the MapQuest TM -based plan had been trying to break into the medical
products industry for years. He was passionate about the job
and wanted it badly. This motivation showed up in his preparation.
He got the job and is proving himself to be an A-player.
As Michael Vaughan, vice president of sales at TicketLeap, says,
‘‘I don’t like hearing the question ‘What do you do?’ from a job candidate.
I want to hire people who have taken the time to figure that
out before they speak with me.’’ Today, anyone with nominal initiative
can research your company and come to an interview prepared
to ask good questions. If you don’t see at least that level of preparation,
you have to question his or her passion for what you do.
A-Player Principle: The amount of preparation that candidates
do before meeting with you helps you to gauge how
much they want to work for you. You don’t want to be a
temporary parking space for an employee who has an eye
on a different employment prize.
A-Player Payoff Points
Chapter 9: Interviewing and the
Economic Power of Good Looks
A-players are attracted by high standards. As long as it’s
logical, don’t be afraid to use a vigorous interview process
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