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Our guest for today’s podcast is my good friend Carolyn Powell.  Carolyn, a graduate of Boston University, is a Human Resources Executive with over 20 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies. Her talents are many, and include Talent Management Planning, Succession Planning, and identifying High Potential Employees for Mission Critical Roles.

When seeking new employees, there are a few things that all employers look for in potential candidates. “It is our objective to select candidates who support the organizational objectives of our company,” Carolyn pointed out. “We look for people who can express our core competencies such as empathy and the ability to support not only their colleagues but our customers as well.” “We search for someone who can resonate with our core values and can also be a team player.”

Carolyn also shared with us how companies may use assessments to uncover the key strengths of a candidate. “An assessment can show us who you really are.”  “We often use assessments when we need to integrate a team. Our most successful teams are the ones that have the diversity of thought and contain a balance of personalities.

The interview process is something that should not be taken lightly.  You should never discount the interactions that you may have with HR during the process. A HR representative has been trained to look for certain qualities in a job candidate. They know what key words to listen for and can prevent you from getting an offer even when everyone else in the room says “yes”.

Your personal branding can also be a deciding factor in whether you are offered a position or not. Always be mindful of your first impression. It is okay to ask about a dress code when you schedule the interview, but always strive to be less casual than the employees. If the dress code is casual, it is important that you arrive in a nicely ironed pair of slacks and a jacket.

The best thing that you can do is always put yourself in the position that you can say “no” to the position. During the interview process look at the landscape of the company. Do the other employees look happy? Do they engage with each other? Do you feel that you can be successful in that environment?