Whilst recruiting for technical positions, finding the ‘ideal’ candidate is certainly an easier 'science'. For example, if I’m looking for a .Net Programmer with strong SQL Server skills, it’s usually fairly obvious form looking at their CV if someone has had this type of experience – the hard part is in finding out how good their technical skills are!However, when recruiting for non-technical IT Project Managers or Business Project Managers, I’m a big believer that it’s the personal traits of the PM at interview that play a big factor on the hiring manager’s decision.
Whilst the hiring manager is obviously looking for a PM who they believe has the experience to deliver the actual project, in my experience it is often equally as important for the hiring manager to connect with the candidate. For me that means assessing their personality traits and deciding if they have the right personal characteristics to deliver the project.
Whilst a lot of people like to think they can adapt their approach to most situations (and many can, to a point), I honestly believe that some PM’s personalities will be better suited to certain roles, and astute hiring managers will also be looking for these whilst interviewing.
I'll give you an example of two roles I have recently been asked to fill:
The first role is for a PM who will have to manage some very tough and demanding negotiations with a third party supplier. This is likely to require a different type of PM to the second role, where the biggest problem they will face is the project team, who have been falling out and failing to work well together.
The first role is likely to require a stronger personality, someone who is comfortable standing up to bullish supplier and can develop a good working relationship with them further down the line - once the supplier has understood that they aren’t going to get everything their own way!
The second role is possibly looking for a PM who has better 'soft skills. Someone who has good people skills and is capable of encouraging the team to discuss their issues and work together and create a positive working environment - ultimately getting the project back on track.
So my role as a recruiter is not only to identify who the good Project Managers are, but also to understand what type of personality traits the hiring manager is looking for and that best fit with the job in hand. This is one of the hardest parts of my job, and in my opinion the best way to get a good understanding of a candidate’s personality is to meet them face to face.
Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible (due to location and time constraints) but I do my best to meet as many of my core contractors as possible and it’s certainly paid dividends to both myself and the candidates – the ratio of people I’ve met and who I’ve placed in a contract is massively higher than those who I haven’t met. The problem I have is that I have to be fairly selective in who I meet, otherwise I’d never get any other work done!!
I’d be keen to hear your thoughts, especially from hiring managers – is this something that you consciously (or possibly unconsciously) look for whilst interviewing?
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