Taking a risk can lead to great results
As a sales manager, I interviewed a GREAT candidate.
But HR didn't like that his former employer wouldn't verify employment.
So I asked, "Can you STOP me from hiring him, or just not support me doing it?"
You see, this person had a pretty terrible experience at his prior employer.
Harassment, ridicule, toxic culture, and more.
So, he left after a particularly bad day.
He was entirely upfront about.
And the prior employer elected to not verify employment.
It was a formality, and I knew that.
He could do the job & was a great culture fit.
So, I wanted to know, can HR STOP me from hiring someone...
...or just pass along a recommendation for me to consider?
Turns out, they considered the question and said...
"Well, no. We don't recommend you move forward, but I guess you CAN."
So I did.
He went on to:
- Be President's Club multiple years in a row
- Our top new business sales representative with an average sale 4x (!!!) higher than the team average.
- Be a key player when it came to maintaining culture for nearly 10 years.
It may not work in your organization, and maybe I found a loophole...
But I trusted my gut and took a risk.
One that paid off for both of us.
And his former boss ended up in the news 2 years later.
Bam.