Testing Applicants

Last week,
I outsourced a small project.
I spent a couple of hours
detailing exactly what I needed.
I got one of the three core things I needed
because the person I outsourced the project to
didn’t follow (or read) my instructions.

One of the skills
many busy entrepreneurs should look for
when interviewing possible employees
(and partners)
is the ability to follow instructions.
We don’t have the time
to double check
that every instruction we give
is followed
and, unfortunately,
MANY people can’t (or won’t) follow instructions.

Marc R. Enriquez,
founder of
Resonant Advantage Marketing
suggests
when crafting job postings

to “make your application process itself a test
as to whether a person can follow directions.
Don’t make it as simple
as allowing the applicant
to reply to your Craigslist post.
Those who do will immediately disqualify themselves.
This saves you a lot of time
in dealing with better quality candidates.”

We don’t need a thousand applicants.
We need one applicant
who can do the job.