Definition:  Reverse Engineering – 
Making a new or better system without copying the original design.  Examining what a system does or should do and using new processes to achieve that result. 

The research is clear and consistent over the past century:  The system is broken.

Using normal employee selection procedures and regular job interviews–very, very few hiring managers can predict which candidates will be high performers and which will do poorly on objective productivity measures.  Typically correlations are in the .20 to .35 range – that accounts for between 4% to 6% of the variance or signal, all the rest is random noise.

You generally can’t train interviewers to make valid predictions among candidates for a position.  The selection and interviewing process does not accurately distinguish who is going to be a marginal employee and who is going to be a star.  Across functions and industries, stars perform at 200-300% greater productivity. 

Recently we have discovered the elements of a good match.  Each fit factor varies in people and in jobs.  In a good match the levels of the fit factors are aligned.  These are the 4 groupings of fit factors.

1) cognitive ability,
2) planning ability,
3) interpersonal skills, and
4) attitudes, interests and motivations

In the following list are the key factors that people possess in varying degrees and that are of relative importance in different jobs.  When you discover the importance of these components and provide evidence of your level of competence on these factors, you are communicating relevant information.

²    Ability to learn and apply new job information.

²    Flexibility and adaptability to meet changing situations.

²    Time management skills.

²    Planning and prioritizing skills.

²    Active engagement in team efforts.

²    Skill at effectively persuading others.

²    Ability to coach and counsel subordinates.

²    Ability to analyze data and solve problems.

²    Technical skills.

²    Willingness to make work a high priority.

²    Ability to produce a quality product that meets company standards.

When a good hire goes bad, these factors were misaligned.  Proactively portraying your skill level on these factors, is to present the actually useful information to the candidate selection process.  Why not give screeners and interviews the benefit of the doubt? 

Delivering this information is like saying, “Here are the answers to the questions you should be asking.”  Conversely, ascertaining fit factors about the job is reverse engineering of the acceptance decision in order to make your choices more valid.