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Section 10
Implications for Employment Hiring Decisions (Part 1)

Question 10 | Test | Table of Contents

In the last section we discussed how your client can overcome their fear of the job market.

In this section we will discuss the six reasons that your client can be hired or screened out from a prospective job. These six reasons are presentation, ability, dependability, motivation, attitude, and network. We will cover the first three reasons in this section.

As Chad, who was mentioned in a previous section, looked for a new career in auto sales, we found it helpful to go over some guidelines of the hiring process. Chad was worried that since he had not participated in the interview process in a long time that he would not be as prepared as he would want to be. To begin our discussion of guidelines of the hiring process I stated to Chad, "There are six reasons you can either be hired or screened out from being hired into a new job opportunity. The acronym I use is PADMAN because the six reasons are Presentation, Ability, Dependability, Motivation, Attitude, and Network." I then went into more detail about each reason with Chad.

1. Presentation
Two ways employees can be a good fit.
1. Target companies that have images similar to yours. Chad was a casual person having worked on an assembly line for years. Therefore, I suggested he target independent, smaller auto sales lots.
2. The second way is to adjust your presentation to fit into the company’s image. Chad and I reviewed several car sales success stories he had so they would be fresh in his mind for an interview.

However, clearly, it is important that your client present a genuine image.

Four don’ts for presenting a positive image
1. Don’t interrupt or contradict the interviewer, or try to make yourself look smarter by making them look wrong or dumb.
2. Avoid fidgeting. Have your client role play loosely folding their hands in their lap.
3. Dress has been discussed in previous sections. Consider suggesting your client dress one notch better than you would once you were working there in order to show your professionalism, respect for the company, and promotability
4. I suggested in a previous section, watch your body language. Leaning forward in your chair shows interest and involvement while leaning back in your chair can be seen by the prospective employer as disinterested or arrogant.

2. Ability
It is common for clients to think that ability is the most important of these PADMAN (Presentation, Ability, Dependability, Motivation, Attitude, and Network) reasons. I stated to Chad, "Lack of ability may get you screened out but since all the top candidates will have the appropriate abilities for the job one of the other five areas may be the deciding factor for being hired. Often ability wouldn't be the final reason you are hired when it comes to technical jobs that very few people have the skillset for."

Ability, in this case, is defined as getting results in a reasonable time frame. In order to gain an idea on your client’s abilities, potential employers will more than likely look at education, work history, license, and certifications. It may be helpful to go over with your client their abilities and to make sure that they are represented properly in any documentation, i.e. resumes, that they will be sending in to their potential employers.

I stated to Chad, "Since you are changing fields, you can discuss transferable skills from all parts of your life to prove you have the ability to sell cars." Chad then brainstormed some transferable skills that he gained from his job dealing with car parts and buying and selling cars as a hobby since he was in high school.

Highlighting Abilities
I feel it is crucial to spend time in a session to examine the job. Your client can identify the particular skills that employers are looking for to see if the position is a match. I stated to Chad, "Once you identify these abilities, you can tailor your resume to highlight these abilities in your education, work experience, and so on. While in the interview, If appropriate, look for opportunities to highlight these specific abilities and have specific examples of how you demonstrate these abilities."

3. Dependability
I have found for most clients that their idea of dependability is probably something like showing up on time for work and meeting work deadlines. However, when a potential employer is looking for dependability they are more than likely asking themselves, ‘Will you work in my company’s best interest?

Employers may look at obvious criteria like your past job performance and education but they may also consider other criteria such as emotional stability, lawsuits, illness, childcare, health and safety, and even the ability to leave personal problems at home. Since dependability is such a broad category. Chad brainstormed potential concerns employers may have about him.

Do you have a client that can benefit from discussing these reasons why they may be hired or may be screened out from a prospective job?
In this section we discussed the six reasons that your client can be hired or screened out from a prospective job. These six reasons are presentation, ability, dependability, motivation, attitude, and network. We covered the first three reasons in this section. For presentation, the four tips to help your client present a good image are don’t interrupt or contradict the interviewer; avoid fidgeting; dress one notch better than you would once you were working there; and watch your body language. For ability, which is the skills that your client will need to be successful at the job that they are applying for, it is helpful for your client to tailor their resume to highlight these specific abilities in their education, work experience, and so on so they are apparent to potential employers. For dependability, which is defined as how a client will work in the company’s best interest, your client may find it helpful to brainstorm what potential concerns regarding dependability potential employers may have about him or her.

In the next section we will discuss the other three reasons your client could either be hired or screened out from a potential job. They are motivation, attitude, and network.

MacDougall 24-44
Reviewed 2023

Peer-Reviewed Journal Article References:
Huang, L., Frideger, M., & Pearce, J. L. (2013). Political skill: Explaining the effects of nonnative accent on managerial hiring and entrepreneurial investment decisions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(6), 1005–1017.

Langer, M., König, C. J., & Scheuss, A. I. (2019). Love the way you lie: Hiring managers’ impression management in company presentation videos. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 18(2), 84–94.

Nadler, J. T., & Kufahl, K. M. (2014). Marital status, gender, and sexual orientation: Implications for employment hiring decisions. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(3), 270–278. 

Skandrani-Marzouki, I., & Marzouki, Y. (2010). Subliminal emotional priming and decision making in a simulated hiring situation. Swiss Journal of Psychology / Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Psychologie / Revue Suisse de Psychologie, 69(4), 213–219.

Voss, N. M., & Lake, C. J. (2021). Let me think about this: Factors associated with deliberative decision making within hiring contexts. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 24(1), 1–22.

Wechtler, H. M., Lee, C. I. S. G., Heyden, M. L. M., Felps, W., & Lee, T. W. (2021). The nonlinear relationship between atypical applicant experience and hiring: The red flags prospective. Journal of Applied Psychology.

QUESTION 10
What are the four tips to help your client present a good image? To select and enter your answer go to Test.

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