"The Eagle Scout Kid" part 2

So here's the story. Last week I met a candidate who really impressed me - not only with his day-to-day skill set but with the person he is. He's an Eagle Scout, does mission trips (5 of them so far), sings TO ENTERTAIN THE OLD FOLKS at retirement homes, has coached Special Olympics and more.

I posted a blog about this young man here and was quite surprised by the discussion that followed.

Most people advised me to look deeper. They were convinced that I'd find a dark side. To many it seemed something just HAD to be wrong with this guy. According to them, his involvement in character building projects, volunteering for his community and a 3.98 GPA are not enough info to allow me to pass judgment.

But, don't we all claim the "supernatural" ability to assess cultural fit? Isn't that why we earn the big money?

Just how in the world is this to be done if not by looking at how our candidates conduct themselves on a daily basis? Where, then, are we to look?

I've got the rest of the story for you. Follow this link and you'll not only see his stellar resume - but if you click the play button above you'll hear how it turned out.

Comment by Maureen Sharib on October 28, 2010 at 4:14pm: Hi Thomas,
Can you think of any other things that are good measures of character?

Comment by Thomas on October 28, 2010 at 4:54pm: Maureen, my comments were not to imply that an Eagle Scout rank is the only measure of good character. I made my remarks in the context of the Boy Scout movment working on instilling the principles of ethical leadership in the young men in the program. For someone to make it to Eagle Scout takes time and commitment to not only learning these principles, but putting them into practice and demonstrating that through a variety of leadership and practical circumstances that show that they not only "get it" but understand the value systems of Scouting.

If you happen to get such a person as a candidate, of any age, you might inquire as to what their Eagle Project was and how it helped them put into practice the principles of both ethical leadership and servant leadership. I think you'd enjoy hearing the answer.

Now, with regard to other ways to measure this, that is a longer answer that many recruiters can give you a variety of responses. I'm not sure I have the stamina to type that much and would rather this be taken off line for a longer reply. Hope this helps.

Comment by Maureen Sharib on October 28, 2010 at 5:11pm: Thanks I'd like to see that character discussion here.
Nobody ever seems to want to go too close to it.
It didn't get much play in the first go-round of this saga.

Comment by Joann Robinson on October 28, 2010 at 5:32pm: Jerry, really great! When I saw the extracurricular activities, I thought that he either has someone in his life with disabilities or his parents impacted his "giving" spirit. I find similar candidates in the rehabilitation field who have strong religious ties, a giving spirit, and desire to see individuals with disabilities achieve their goals. I think that depending upon the industry in which you work, you may be more skeptical when reviewing someone's resume like "The Kid's." His would be one that we would take a look at, particularly based on his interests with individuals with disabilities (and particularly since I work with an agency that is devoted to blind and vision impaired). Stereotyping used in evaluating different generations should be treated for what they are - generalized guidelines of commonalities - not a recipe book of all of x = the same attribute. I find older generations who "act" in many ways like younger generations and vice versa. Most of us are some cross mix of qualities from each generation - since we are influenced by each generation that we are in contact with.