"How to Read People Like a Book"
By Sheryl Nicholson

As recruiters, we all have gone through the elaborate interviewing process only to find ourselves saying a few weeks later, "This can't be the person I interviewed and hired!" America has focused on improving her illiteracy rate; but our success as recruiters comes not from our ability to read books, but how well we can read people. As Rick Meiss calls it, "People Literacy."

Most of us tend to hire people who are like ourselves. I know I did and that was a huge mistake. We feel comfortable with people who speak at the same rate of speed, like the same things, are motivated in the same way. Many of us are also "people watchers" when we're at the shopping mall or airport. We are instantly alert to outward displays of individuality, such as people who wear purple spiked hair, "granny glasses" over contacts, shoes with no socks and those who cling to the comfort of plaid polyester. Yet, we forget to look for the differences in the people when they are seated in our interview chair.

The job of recruiting and interviewing is easier if we can solve the "People Puzzle" effectively. Recognizing that each puzzle piece is needed to complete a diverse and productive staff allows you to hire the best and the brightest the first time. We need a reliable measuring devise to predict a person's potential for success. There are several personality profiling products on the market that define personality types and predict success. Used with proper interviewing techniques these tools can be very effective in assessing candidates. I prefer to use the TTI tool for interviewing, hiring, training, team building, customer service and sales. TTI has been around since 1928 and it identifies 16 classical patterns of behavior, but I will share with you the Basic Four. They are "D" for Decisive, "I" for Impulsive, "S" for Steady and "C" for Cautious.

When "D's" enter the room, you know it. A strong handshake, steady eye contact and an "I'm in control" attitude gives them away instantly. They tend to talk quickly, state more than they ask and are usually interested in knowing "Where do I go from here"? What motivate them? Power and authority! Give them choices and let them take risks and be creative. Don't put them in a mundane environment, or a crisis will be created because "D's" thrive on change.

The "I's" are the people who could stay all day in the interview chair. They will tell you personal details, which will be more than you really wanted to know. They smile a lot, want to be friends and are motivated by prestige and "perks". They can and will talk to ANYONE, so don't expect then to sit quietly behind a computer. "I's" fit naturally in the field of sales and marketing and love to "just wing it" and do what feels right today with little worry for tomorrow.

"S's" are natural team players with excellent listening skills. They often speak in the "we" format instead of "I". Dressed for comfort, they stay away from anything flashy that would attract attention. They ask more than they state and are motivated by a stable work environment. Financial security and paid vacation questions are important to this steady personality.

We would tend to call the "C" type pessimists, while they would use the term "realists." Interested in your Policy and Procedures Handbook, they move cautiously and conservatively. Simple yes and no answers come easily for them, with a detour around any personal questions. Accuracy and "doing the job right" is what motivates this needed puzzle piece.

Of course everyone is a blend of these four basic patterns, with one character assuming dominance. Combinations are important to know. A "D-I" personality will react to stress differently than a "D-C." There are natural personality conflicts and compatibilities that will allow us to work agreeably together once every employee uses this tool.