Union Square Ventures doesn’t want resumes from investment analyst applicants.
Instead, the New York venture-capital firm—which has invested in Twitter, Foursquare, Zynga and other technology companies—asked applicants to send links representing their “Web presence,” such as a Twitter account or Tumblr blog. Applicants also had to submit short videos demonstrating their interest in the position.
Another company cited in the article uses an online survey with questions tailored to the position to help screen applicants. Another firm posted a series of challenges on its website aimed at gauging candidates’ thought processes. (No More Résumés, Say Some Firms, WSJ, 1/24/2012)
Takeaway: Differentiate yourself and increase your web presence through a membership with the United States Proxy Exchange. Demonstrate your financial and/or legal savvy through your own blogging and volunteer work. Network with those who invest not only their money but their brain-power. Learn to work in a matrix organization, with mentors, not supervisors. Participation might be especially helpful for the careers of women. See the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2010 Women’s Report.
To contact James McRitchie directly, please email jm@corpgov.net
Christopher Bayer, Ph.D. says:
We are witnessing interesting developments in business culture regarding “new hire value.” Brainpower, networking, blogging, volunteer work, and web presence are new, important arenas in the hiring and evaluation process. Mentoring is replacing supervision as the operational ethic in organizations. We are all partners in the process. Archaic, feudal, authoritatian hierarchies are becoming extinct. James McRitchie’s observations are well taken.
Paul Babiak, a noted New York City psychologist, notes that 15% of top management executives misrepresent their education, and that 30% of all resumes contain lies.
In today’s corporate world, the recognition and importance of “criterion behavior” is growing. What the candidate brings to the table in terms of production, analytic and independent thinking, personality style and courage, communication skills, and innovation are more significant than where they went to college, or their zip-code of origin. What they actually can do, or have done, is what’s worthy. This defines true value and potential. Lionel Logue (“The Kings Speech”) and Steve Jobs are great examples of criterion behavior for all the obvious reasons.
I will take some poetic license here and cite the Finnish education system. Finland provides us with a novel model of schooling, performance, and evaluation. It is completely egalitarian. It is criterion behavior based. Teachers are mentors. They are paid very well, and they are highly respected. Students work together in small groups on a myriad of projects geared toward solutions. There is little homework and minimal testing. Finnish students score at the top in international tests of math, science, and reading literacy. Indeed, their brainpower and creative problem solving skills are nurtured from the beginning of their education. American management can learn from many sources and many corners of an increasingly shrinking planet.
Shifts in perspective can yield interesting results. The truly global interconnected nature of the new “internet driven” universe will no doubt produce many new twists, turns, changes, and novel and creative solutions to modern day problems and challenges.