Comments on: Copy the Marines? Halos and Horns http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/ Recruiting News, Recruiting Events, Recruiting Community, Social Recruiting Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:16:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Square Pegs and Round Holes : ERE.net http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/comment-page-1/#comment-15374 Square Pegs and Round Holes : ERE.net Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:30:04 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/#comment-15374 [...] call this the halo/horns effect: or, use a snippet of data to form an overall opinion (i.e., a spelling mistake must mean [...] [...] call this the halo/horns effect: or, use a snippet of data to form an overall opinion (i.e., a spelling mistake must mean [...]

]]> By: More Forgettable Interview Advice : ERE.net http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/comment-page-1/#comment-10728 More Forgettable Interview Advice : ERE.net Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:59:11 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/#comment-10728 [...] Humans tend to use snippets of information to make sweeping assumptions about other abilities. This is called the halo/horns effect. [...] [...] Humans tend to use snippets of information to make sweeping assumptions about other abilities. This is called the halo/horns effect. [...]

]]> By: Thomas Gray http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/comment-page-1/#comment-2749 Thomas Gray Thu, 26 Apr 2007 04:18:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/#comment-2749 While I appreciate Dr. Williams finer point of caution against a poor decision making process I must make a counterpoint to the 'Horn'. As a Marine and a recruiter who has made a living placing transitioning military technicians and officers for the past 7 years in addition to a successful track record of engineering retained search I have experience to speak from. I have seen the military veteran fail with equally shocking disappointment as when my star retained search candidate, a Mechanical Engineer from MIT with a Harvard MBA, was fired. Failure happens. First one should never make a decision to hire based simply upon the school attended or the branch of service a candidate was in or even the fraternity they joined in school. I agree with that yet we have all seen it happen. One should make note of the fact that during training in the U.S. Military our young college graduates are pushed to the point of utter failure in order to learn extremely valuable leadership lessons. They are thrust into impossible situations in order to develop the kind of cool headed mentality that is required when the world is falling apart around them. Not entirely unlike a firefighter who runs in to the burning building when everyone else is running out. These alone are not qualifications for any job other than the one they have been doing. The qualifications come from the actual management of operational assets and resources in these haried environments. The education comes from well respected schools like West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy. The enlisted technicians receive top notch training in Nuclear Power Production, Electronics and Computer Systems troubleshooting and a whole host of other mechanical, operational, and logistics issues which are faced on a daily basis with a level of criticality far beyond the value of the ledger. It is important to recognize that the current level of technology in todays U.S. Military rivals that of the most technologicly advanced office in Corporate America. The skills and experience to keep the machine running are directly transferable and in addition you get the intangible traits of a cool headed and focused leader who has been successful at navigating one of the toughest training environments there has ever been. Don't hire them just because they've been in the U.S. Military. Interview them; hire them if they are qualified. While I appreciate Dr. Williams finer point of caution against a poor decision making process I must make a counterpoint to the ‘Horn’.

As a Marine and a recruiter who has made a living placing transitioning military technicians and officers for the past 7 years in addition to a successful track record of engineering retained search I have experience to speak from. I have seen the military veteran fail with equally shocking disappointment as when my star retained search candidate, a Mechanical Engineer from MIT with a Harvard MBA, was fired. Failure happens.

First one should never make a decision to hire based simply upon the school attended or the branch of service a candidate was in or even the fraternity they joined in school. I agree with that yet we have all seen it happen.

One should make note of the fact that during training in the U.S. Military our young college graduates are pushed to the point of utter failure in order to learn extremely valuable leadership lessons. They are thrust into impossible situations in order to develop the kind of cool headed mentality that is required when the world is falling apart around them. Not entirely unlike a firefighter who runs in to the burning building when everyone else is running out.

These alone are not qualifications for any job other than the one they have been doing. The qualifications come from the actual management of operational assets and resources in these haried environments. The education comes from well respected schools like West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy. The enlisted technicians receive top notch training in Nuclear Power Production, Electronics and Computer Systems troubleshooting and a whole host of other mechanical, operational, and logistics issues which are faced on a daily basis with a level of criticality far beyond the value of the ledger.

It is important to recognize that the current level of technology in todays U.S. Military rivals that of the most technologicly advanced office in Corporate America. The skills and experience to keep the machine running are directly transferable and in addition you get the intangible traits of a cool headed and focused leader who has been successful at navigating one of the toughest training environments there has ever been.

Don’t hire them just because they’ve been in the U.S. Military. Interview them; hire them if they are qualified.

]]> By: Michael Stone http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/comment-page-1/#comment-2748 Michael Stone Wed, 25 Apr 2007 03:43:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/#comment-2748 Great article Dr. Williams. You certainly made some excellent points. There is some research that suggests that many hiring decisions are made within 5 minutes of an interview, mostly based on the halos and horns argument. Not to say that an offer is made, but the remainder of the process is just a ratioanlization of the expected outcome. I do have one comment though. The best indicator of Job Success is Job Match, not just skills. Job match, determined by thinking styles, behaviors, and interests. I have all the skills needed to be a dishwasher, but I sure wouldn't be successful at it. Thanks for the great article. Michael Stone THE STONE GROUP Great article Dr. Williams. You certainly made some excellent points. There is some research that suggests that many hiring decisions are made within 5 minutes of an interview, mostly based on the halos and horns argument. Not to say that an offer is made, but the remainder of the process is just a ratioanlization of the expected outcome.

I do have one comment though. The best indicator of Job Success is Job Match, not just skills. Job match, determined by thinking styles, behaviors, and interests. I have all the skills needed to be a dishwasher, but I sure wouldn’t be successful at it.

Thanks for the great article.

Michael Stone
THE STONE GROUP

]]> By: Melanie Varela http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/comment-page-1/#comment-2747 Melanie Varela Wed, 25 Apr 2007 03:22:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/#comment-2747 Showing my military expereince (10 years USMC) on my resume landed me in IT Placement and Contract Services. I never had a minute of experience in this field before my hire. Granted, my boss has a tender heart for Marines, and we feel certain that is what prompted her to contact me. After 2 years in my position, we look at my resume, and at the job description and chuckle. She declares she doesn't know why she called me to begin with, but is so glad she did. I'll just put it down to the Marines, and maybe a halo. Showing my military expereince (10 years USMC) on my resume landed me in IT Placement and Contract Services. I never had a minute of experience in this field before my hire. Granted, my boss has a tender heart for Marines, and we feel certain that is what prompted her to contact me. After 2 years in my position, we look at my resume, and at the job description and chuckle. She declares she doesn’t know why she called me to begin with, but is so glad she did. I’ll just put it down to the Marines, and maybe a halo.

]]> By: Karen Mattonen C.A.C., C.S.P http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/comment-page-1/#comment-2746 Karen Mattonen C.A.C., C.S.P Wed, 25 Apr 2007 03:08:00 +0000 http://www.ere.net/2007/04/25/copy-the-marines-halos-and-horns/#comment-2746 Dr. Williams, Kudos for this article. Hopefully you will not get much fallout from this especially during this turbulent time. The military is made of folks of all kinds, good, bad, brave, not so brave, weak and strong.. Having spent over 10 years as a military dependent I met people I would trust with my life, and there were some, I would not want to meet in a dark alley, under any circumstances. Great Post! 'There is something that is much more scarce, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability.? Robert Half Dr. Williams,
Kudos for this article. Hopefully you will not get much fallout from this especially during this turbulent time.

The military is made of folks of all kinds, good, bad, brave, not so brave, weak and strong.. Having spent over 10 years as a military dependent I met people I would trust with my life, and there were some, I would not want to meet in a dark alley, under any circumstances.

Great Post!
‘There is something that is much more scarce, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability.?
Robert Half

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