Hiring: Ask A Different Question - Get a Better Result

I've never thought the hiring process in America was very effective. Most business owners I've talked to agree that no matter how we try to screen applicants (or how much we pay screening and testing companies), we're really not very good at picking the best employees from pools of applicants. The form and method presented below will challenge "applicants" (inquirers, really) about how they will help you better serve your customers. The form will also make quick and easy work of dealing with those "applicants" that don't have any interest in working for you but are "going through the motions" of job application for various reasons.


From the time in the early 1980's when I waded through 55 or so applications from teen agers wanting to work in my photography studio until today, our methods haven't changed much and we haven't gotten much better at choosing effectively.

I've hired based on applications and resumes. I've hired by watching someone working somewhere and asking them to come and work for me. I once hired a young man whose resume contained typos and misspellings (definitely against the recommendation of the HR woman and even the CEO) because I thought he'd be dedicated and hard working. I was right.

Overall through the years, my track record at hiring has been no better when I waded through applications and resumes than when I've hired on a whim and a gut feeling.

We require "applicants" to give us all kinds of information on a job application. We accept bland cover letters and resumes (many trumped up with fluffy accomplishments). Even through all of that lengthy and time-consuming process, we still eliminate good candidates while bringing in some bad ones for interviews. It's only through random good fortune that we actually hire someone that has the attitude, character and skills to help us fulfill our mission to serve customers.

We were exploring the problem recently in an open discussion during one of our weekly Entrepreneurs Brown Bag Lunch sessions. One of the participants mentioned that many times after completing the standard employment application, the "applicants" were relieved that there were no openings; they had accomplished their mission to keep looking for work. Later that same day, we continued the discussion in my Entrepreneurship class. Eventually, the class came up with the idea of using a form similar to the one below to have "applicants" complete before deciding whether or not to have them complete the traditional employment application. This form is very simple. It states that you, as an employer, are different and that your employees help you innovate new products and services as well as new ways to serve your customers better. In fact, you expect that of your employees. The "applicant" is given a box in which to write how he or she will contribute to this innovation in products, services and customer service as you expect of your employees. The form asked for the "applicant's" name and a single contact phone number. The "applicants" can check a box if they give you permission to share their information with other small business colleagues.

These forms are not employment applications, but wouldn't you like to have an idea of which people can tell you, in their own words, how they can help you accomplish your mission in serving customers? You review each completed form and only call the ones that look interesting to come back and complete the actual application. For the ones that don't strike you, including any of those just going through the motions of job application without any interest in your company, you haven't spent much of your time or the "applicants'" in processing a traditional application that won't be considered.

Click here to view a full size PDF of the form.

The beauty is that is fits on one page, i.e. your letterhead and you can tweak the wording to fit your company's needs. This is a reduced picture of the form and the words from our sample form are presented below. If you'd like to download our sample form in Word or PDF, you can do so at the Innovative Business Resource Center web site by clicking here. You may use or modify the form as you wish. If you decide to try a version of this form and this "pre-employment" process, please tell me about it by email to jcorrell@indycc.edu. We have a few businesses in Independence that are preparing a trial. I'll share their results in the future.

We do things differently here and may very well be different than any previous employer. Our employees have an entrepreneurial mindset and help us innovate new products and services as well as new ways to serve our customers better. We practice character traits such as punctuality, initiative, flexibility and thoroughness. We love working together as a team and we're all energetic and very responsive to our customers’ needs. We always try our very best to give them what we've promised and many times more than we've promised.

Whether or not we have an opening at the present time, we'd like to know about you and how you can help us.In the space below, please tell us why you would like to join us and how you will help make a difference in the way we serve our customers.

If you are applying for a specific position, please demonstrate how your education and/or skillset will help you in the position; however, be sure to link that information to how you will help us serve our customers better.