Last week I received a Skype message from the CEO at work.
She asked if I would be open to taking a trip to Monterrey, Mexico in support
of one of our recruiting teams at a technology event. We held a conference call
with all the team members attending the event, organized a plan of action, set
goals, and booked the flight.
The flight itself was its own journey. I spent 7 hours in
Houston, Texas on a layover, sleeping on chairs in the airport and reading a
book to pass the time. When I arrived in Monterrey I quickly acclimated to the
environment. My Spanish fluency increased by a factor of 20 and my attention to
reading signs and directions made me feel more like a tourist than on a
business trip. When I arrived at the technology venue I headed straight to
Starbucks for a jolt of life. Since I really couldn’t sleep in an airport, I
was already awake for more than 28 hours. With only a couple of hours remaining
before the start of the event my team and I prepared to initiate our plan: 100+
in-person tech interviews in 2 days.
Both event days were packed with students and technology
professionals. I even had one of my blog readers’ show up at the event just so
he could meet me in person (thank you by the way). My colleagues screened
candidates, registered their names and emails and sent them over to me for
their interview. One after another I asked questions, listened to responses,
and provided feedback. When we had a moment to catch our breaths we made a list
of candidates who would be a great fit for several technology opportunities and
we pressed on. The line of candidates began to form. It was like having an audience
watch over me on some reality TV show where I was the Tech Recruiter and they
were all competing for a chance at a career.
At the end of each event day we discussed the pros and cons
of qualified candidates. We also discussed the pattern that began to emerge.
The majority of candidates needed certifications and required more hands on
experience. However, it was easy to recognize that they were our future. Their
knowledge and understanding of technology was incredible. I could assemble any
team of tech gurus from the candidates at this event and I would know that they
would succeed. They were all eager to learn, adapt, and apply their knowledge
to transform any tech opportunity.
As I made my way back to California, I reflected on the next
steps in the recruiting process. I organized my thoughts, created a follow up
plan of action and scheduled accordingly. In reflection of those two days of
interviews I was astonished that I managed to interview over 100 candidates
face to face in just 2 days. I’ve heard that quality over quantity adds more
value, but I would argue that if the quality of those involved is so high than
the opportunity to interact with as many of them as possible becomes a
requirement.
Author: Dr. Eduardo Diaz, helping you exceed expectations.
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