Over the past several weeks I have been interviewing candidates for various positions we have had open in our office. The process has always been a tough one for me and I take it very seriously. I have a responsibility to the company and to my customers to hire the best. As I reviewed resume after resume I became very critical, looking for only those that have the required skills, knowing full well that someone can look very good on paper but be completely incompetent in the tasks we need them to perform. They only have a limited time to make a good first impression. I recall a couple of years ago an interview I conducted. I seen this gentleman’s resume first and was able to determine that he had all the necessary skills and experience to fulfill the role. I was excited to meet him and discuss the possibility of offering him the job. I have to tell you, I was so disappointed when I got my first glance at him. He was wearing a white dress shirt and tie with black slacks. Sound good? Well it would have been, if the shirt was ironed, if the slacks weren’t faded and if his hair was combed/trimmed. I asked him to take a seat so we could talk. I thought we could work on the grooming so I wouldn’t be so hard on him. Then.... he began to talk. I believe he used at least one curse word in every sentence and his arrogance was quite remarkable. I was just shocked. Now, I am not a prude, but this was not the professional I was looking for. I bid him goodbye, thanked him for coming in, knowing full well that he would not be offered this job. He did not make a good first impression.
I can't help but think of the men that Jesus called to be His disciples. Many of them were not considered "the highly qualified professionals" that I would have picked. Jesus could have chosen the Priests as disciples, but he wanted people that wouldn’t take pride in the gifts of God. He wanted humble hearts that would allow God to be their strength and their wisdom so that He could be glorified and not man. (1 Corinthians 1:26-31) Whew! I would have totally missed this. I would have picked the priests because of their knowledge and experience.
Will this change how I select my future employee’s? Absolutely not! I am not God, and I can’t change lives the way He does. It does, however, make me completely aware that no matter what the candidate may look like on paper or have in experience, if they are too prideful and are not teachable then they will not be easy to lead.
Holy Father, I pray that you forgive me for judging people by their appearance, knowledge and experience on a ‘personal basis’. Help me to see their potential as You do, regardless of the First Impression. I want to see others through Your eyes and not mine. On a 'professional level', help me to see the full potential of candidates and not just their resume or appearance. Forever I am thankful for the teaching found in Your Word. Amen.
