A few weeks ago, during an interview for an executive search mission, after discussing a candidate's professional achievements and successful projects, I asked him to also talk about his professional failures and the projects he hadn't succeeded in. I wanted to know where he felt partly or completely responsible.
In response, there was a long silence. I interrupted to reassure the candidate that it wasn’t a trick question and that failures are part of our learning journey. To put him completely at ease, I shared that if I were to make my own CV with my successes and failures, it would be 10 pages long, with 9 of those pages dedicated to my professional failures. 😅 Finally, after another long moment of reflection, he said, dejectedly: “Honestly, I can't think of any, or I really can't remember. I could give you plenty from my personal life, but not professional ones.”
This might be shocking to some, but I admit that this moment was a "red line" for me in continuing with this candidate. 🚫
I wasn’t expecting a detailed mea culpa for all his failed projects, but simply an ability to reflect and be honest with himself. Self-awareness is essential for personal and professional growth. Being honest with oneself and embracing self-reflection are crucial qualities in both personal and professional life. 💡
Our LinkedIn profiles or CVs only tell the story of our successes. My work as a headhunter differs from the approach of traditional recruitment agencies. While agencies might try to "push" a candidate and quickly "close" the deal, I work with a scorecard of expected outcomes, mission details, and the desired profile.
My goal is to provide my clients with a transparent report highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of candidates. This is why I always conduct thorough background checks, cross-referencing information obtained from candidates with their former colleagues (with the candidate's consent, of course). 🔍✅
Cross-referencing information is just as important as the interviews and, in my opinion, much more relevant than psychological or personality tests. 🧠
What do you think? Is it shocking to reject a candidate because they couldn't provide an example of a professional failure? 🤔
