Sick of always being on the nervous end of the negotiation table? Well, let's take an exercise today, just for fun, and take on the role of a hiring manager at a medium-sized company. I'll start by presenting the scenario, and then take a look at three candidates, at which point you will select one candidate (and you can provide reasoning for why you picked who in the comments).
Before we get started, a few disclaimers. One, all of the characters, companies, etc. are completely hypothetical and came straight from my ever-wandering mind. And secondly, I will make some assumptions that aren't always true, based on the experience, background, and record of each candidate. Realistically, if we were down to only three candidates, interviews and skills tests would be the determining factors most likely. But it's just hypothetical, right? Just for fun, and to see things from another perspective.
The Company
You work at Centaur Shipping, a logistics company with about 100 employees. Your company serves medium to large organizations by providing tracking software that helps organizations manage their warehouse supply, freight trucks, etc. to be more efficient in their shipping business. Your company's core strength is its cutting-edge software programs, and a staff that is well-versed in this technology and can translate it into clear business efficiencies.
In addition to account managers, marketing people, administrative staff, accountants, and other roles, you have several IT professionals in your organization. You are the IT manager, overseeing your small crew. You currently have one employee who oversees email/Exchange, manages the staff's BlackBerry devices, and handles some other assorted tasks. Another employee handles SharePoint, Active Directory, and troubleshoots as problems arrive.
The open position, the final cog in your wheel, is for a do-it-all generalist that can become well-versed in the tracking software and troubleshoot errors. This employee will also have an important role with new software deployments. He or she will also be expected to serve a strategic role in determining limitations of the company's hardware and software, and report these concerns directly to you, the IT manager. All in all, this person has the closest pulse on employee needs of your IT staff.
What You Want
Before even opening up the position, you've begun to craft the type of worker you want. You want someone who is independent, and can quickly become acclimated with the new system and how Centaur does business. You want someone who is smart and fast, and can make important decisions on the fly without fear or error. Lastly, you want someone who is loyal and committed to making the company the strongest it can be.
Your boss, the director of business development, has left you with a fairly open budget for the employee—$35-60k salary. If you could get a competent employee in the lower echelon, that'd certainly earn you kudos, but the position is important enough that your priority, by far, is finding the right candidate.
The last concern is that you have a number of newer employees who have little technology experience, especially some of your account managers (sales staff). These are people people, and interpersonal relationships are important to them. You need someone who can explain complex concepts to them and also build healthy relationships to maintain morale. The previous employee to hold this role was a guy named Oscar, who was smart, funny, and well liked. However, his technical expertise lacked, so you had to let him go.
After the jump, we'll take a look at our candidates.