Does the Perfect Match Exist?

I sometimes get a kick out of reading some of the software job postings out there on the web. Positions advertised as the ultimate opportunity: the company has been voted as one of the Best Places in the Universe to Work, they have 62 kinds of micro-brew on tap, and you will get to work on incredibly cool bleeding-edge technology that will make smoke come out of your ears with the extreme technical challenge. Of course, that’s obviously the right place for you, given that you’re a “rock star”, “ninja”, “Jedi”, or some other amazing type of employee. You live, breathe, eat, dream code, and when you’re not doing that… you like to code for fun. It’s the perfect fit!

We can all recognize how humorous that last paragraph is. However, the reality is that many times, the interview process is rife with unwarranted salesmanship from both sides. Sometimes, companies unrealistically hype the desirability of a position, and candidates inflate their past contributions, track record, and skill level, the result can be a short marriage.

I find many recruiting firms make claims that they have an inside track to finding that perfect candidate, or creating that perfect match. Twenty-six years of high-tech matchmaking experience has taught me that, while sometimes a perfect fit does happen (and of course that’s what we’re shooting for), more often than not, the process of a candidate being hired may have a number of compromises and tradeoffs. Now, of course, these compromises and tradeoffs should not be major ones, or else the match probably is doomed. But there is probably going to need to be some flexibility on the parts of both the hiring company and the candidate in terms of some of the minor, less critical items on the wish list.

Here’s where picking the right recruiting firm to partner with is crucial. There are many elements that go into making a good match, and each situation is going to be a little different. Here at Lynx, we work very hard to uncover what the key issues are for all parties involved, and our broad and deep experience with a vast number of hiring situations gives us the ability to help you navigate through matching up those key elements, whether you’re the hiring manager, or the candidate. We are going to be proactive to make sure that the necessary two-way communication happens, which greatly increases the odds that everyone is dealing with reality, and the match is a good one that will end up working out well for everyone.