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Jude M. Werra & Associates, LLC Fall, 2012

ELECTION VS. SELECTIONWHAT A DIFFERENCE AN S MAKES

Here we are in the election season in

the U.S., ruminating about who we

willelectto vote for among a slate of

offices. We carefully assess each

individual, in light of the future paths

that we have elected to pursue for

ourselves.

A person elects a personal path,

while an organization selects from

among options.

Although some candidates run as

independents, most of those listed on

a ballot are selected to run by

political parties. Once in office the

winners often elect to define

themselves rather differently than we

may have expected based upon their

campaign promises, as they go about

electing the course they personally

deem best.

In careers individuals elect their

varying paths, while organizations

and entrepreneurs select the talent

they deem best suited to advancing

their future plans. Individuals elect

favored roles, while organizations

screen the candidates as they select

talents they judge as best for their

organization needs.

The wise adage: Be careful what

you ask foryou may get it appliesto both parties when decisions are

made about joining organizations.

Whether you are doing the hiring or

are a candidate who may be hired,the degree of careful discernment, in

both election and selection, makes all

the difference.

For both parties the clear temptation

is to play the odds, in a seeming

dance of castanets (bad pun?),

rather than focusing on spearing their

very best solution.

A candidate does not improve

election odds by placing a bet onevery potential employer that they

might approach. Our work life is not

a gambling career, although there

seem to be far too many employers

still willing to take a gamble on

selecting new hires on just that

premise.

Applying more due diligence on both

sides of the hiring equation will offer

both parties the opportunity to focus

on the most critical characteristics of

their ideal catch. Patient exploration,

spearing the trophy deals, makes

much better sense than casting a net

widely and then sorting through less

suited options.

Failure is the opportunity to

begin again more intelligently.

--HENRY FORD

And, just in case you needed one

more reminder:

Become an informed voter and elect

to vote for the candidates whom you

discern can offer the healthiest

solutions for all of us. Our future

always depends upon your informed

participation.

The candidate needs to apply as

much (some might say, even more)

due diligence to the opportunity than

does the hiring party. Surely, the

hiring organizations suffer with

unwise hires at times, but a candidate

who errs in accepting a poorly fitting

opportunity not only must deal withthe immediate fallout from the move,

but career long as well. Departed

employees find themselves under

greater scrutiny about their past

career decisions than do the

organizations they had left.

Candidates can frustrate their futures

by electing to accept a move that is

more the bird in the hand (shall we

say: on a wing and a prayer?).

The careful discernment of a targeted

advancement move within a well-

developed career rationale is wiser.

Far too often, from both perspectives

the employment engagement is a

matter of casting a net widely, rather

than spearing a trophy. Classic job

search advice suggests that the wise

candidates widely networking, or

seeing whats out there, is their

best way to go. Meanwhile, firms

also cast a net widely, whether

through recruiters or job postings,

with both sides playing the odds that

plenty of suitable and availablematches are poised for them to move

on out in the world.

Employers set their selection criteria

for the resume screening process.

Meanwhile, candidates too often are

not so much electing their choice

opportunity, but more commonly

expend their energies far too widely,

trying to avoid being overlooked.

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SUCCESSFUL SELECTIONClarity Back Issue Order Form

Many times readers request previous issues ofClarity. If you are interested in free copies of any of the issues

listed below related to Successful Selection, or others found on our complete Back Issues list atwww.judewerra.com, please contact us atjmwa@judewerra.com.

(# of copies desired)

Fall, 1994 Look Beyond Responsibilities, Look for Accomplishments! (READING RESUMES)

Winter, 1996 Getting it in Writing Works Both Ways (MUTUAL

EXPECTATIONS)

Spring, 1996 Investment in People Starts With Due Diligence in Hiring (GOOD SELECTION PRACTICES)

Summer, 1996 Make Sure a Job Offer Sends the Right Signals! (HANDLING JOB OFFERS)

Fall, 1996 What is a Pilot Hole Hire? (POOR FIT HIRES)

Winter, 1997 How do You Read a Resume? (READING RESUMES)

Spring, 1997 The Pros and Cons of Using Multiple Screeners (INTERVIEWING TEAMWORK)

Summer, 1997 Where Should I Probe in an Interview? (INTERVIEWING TIPS)

Fall, 1997 You Interview TODAY, But Need a Fit for the FUTURE How do You do it? (INTERVIEWING TIPS)

Winter, 1998 Rip van Winkle on Executive Selection (TRENDS IN EXECUTIVE HIRING)

Spring, 1998 What Lies Beyond the Resume? (BACKGROUND CHECKING)

Summer, 1999 Hiring The Least Worst Limits Future Results (HIRE THE BEST FIT)

Winter, 1999 Executive Selection: The Next 15 Years (FUTURE TRENDS IN EXECUTIVE HIRING)

Summer, 2000 There is a Difference Between Answers and Meaning (INTERVIEWING TIPS)

Fall, 2000 Do You Know Murphys Law of Recruiting? (ACCELERATE SELECTION)

Winter, 2001 How Stable is Your Center of Gravity? (RETAINING EMPLOYEES)

Summer, 2001 Credibility Can Make or Break an Interview (INTERVIEWING TIPS)

Spring, 2003 Why do Great Fits sometimes end in Great Mistakes? (CHOOSING LEADERS)

Spring, 2004 Tis the Season to Spring Forward (CHOOSING LEADERS)

Summer, 2005 When did you First Hear: Beggars cant be choosers? (CHOOSING LEADERS)

Fall, 2005 Is Withholding Facts on a Resume a Sin of Omission? (READING RESUMES)

Winter, 2006 New Year, New Friends (INTERVIEWING TIPS)

Spring, 2006 A Good Reason Not to Hire Relatives (INTERVIEWING TIPS)

Summer, 2006 What if the Electric Fence Isnt Turned On? (INTERVIEWING TIPS)

Spring, 2007 Consider a Lesson on Hiring (364 Years Old) (CHOOSING LEADERS)

Summer, 2007 The Talent Wars? A Perfect Storm (TRENDS IN EXECUTIVE HIRING)

Fall, 2007 New Rules for the Talent Wars (TRENDS IN EXECUTIVE HIRING)

Fall, 2012 Election vs. SelectionWhat a Difference an S Makes (CHOOSING LEADERS)

LATEST ISSUE Liars Index News (LATEST DATA & SURVEY RESULTS)

Jude M. Werra & Associates, LLC

Bringing Clarity to Executive Selection

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