Dear SafetyXChange Members:

"Character," a watchword of recent U.S. presidential elections, has now become a pressing consideration for corporate boards of directors, officers and shareholders. Safety professionals need to be aware of the character factor and how it may affect their search for new job opportunities.

Looking Beyond the Résumé

The influence of character on corporate decision making is nothing new. But in the wake of recent corporate scandals, the character factor has assumed new prominence. This is spilling over to hiring decisions. Today's companies are paying special attention to the integrity of job candidates. That's the first thing you need to understand.

But there's more to it. Be aware that corporate hiring directors and search firms are looking beyond the traditional sign posts - the résumé, references, "pedigree," psychological test results, interview performance - for reliable indications of character. Familiarity with the unconventional techniques that are being used to sniff out character, or lack thereof, may give you a big leg up in your attempt to land a new position.

For example, don't be surprised if a prospective employer invites you to a round of golf or dinner at a fancy restaurant. Although it might sound like fun and games, I assure you it's serious business. Make a mistake, and you may blow your candidacy. So show up prepared just the way you would for a conventional interview. And don't lower your guard. A casual setting is designed to get you to lower your hair and reveal things about yourself that wouldn't normally come to the fore in the course of a formal interview.

How to Pass the Character Test

Here are some of the questions and techniques that you should be prepared for:

Mom & Dad: "Tell me about your mother and father." What sounds like a simple ice-breaker is often, in fact, an acid test of character. The general assumption is that individuals have the same values and qualities as their parents. So, for example, a compliment like "my dad's work ethic is second to none" essentially tells the prospective employer that you can be counted on to work hard.

Driving Style: Believe it or not, you may be judged by how you drive. Prospective employers may arrange to have you drive them somewhere so they can observe your driving style, behavior and attitude behind the wheel. If you find yourself in this situation, show courtesy and patience. Don't speed, weave in and out of traffic or violate traffic rules.

Treatment of Waiters: One of the key reasons to take job candidates out to dinner is to observe their interactions with others, especially waiters and waitresses. Being rude to a waiter suggests a general lack of respect for subordinates and can seriously mar the prospective employer's perception of your character and effectiveness as a manager.

Eating & Drinking Habits: Understand that the way you eat and drink sends messages about your character. An obvious example is drinking too much. But some messages are more subtle. For example, shaking salt on your meat before you even taste it suggests that you do things in a programmed manner without thinking.

Sportsmanship: The golf course can be a great place to learn about a person's character because it introduces the element of competition. You don't want to curse, toss your club or display signs of temper because you shank a putt. And don't even think about advancing your ball when you think nobody's looking or altering your score on a hole. The old maxim "cheaters never prosper" has never been more true than it is today about corporate job-seeking.

Conclusion

The character factor is changing the way corporations hire. Résumés, references and other traditional elements of the hiring process are still in play but they don't reveal character. So companies are playing a new game: Take the applicant to a casual setting and see what he does. Be alert and understand that the next time you're out and about with a prospective employer - whether on a golf course, at a restaurant, behind the steering the wheel or anywhere else - that judgments are being made about the kind of person you are.

Wishing you career success,

Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet, www.execunet.com

HEROES OF SAFETY

John Brown holding Queen Victoria's horse

Queen Victoria's Safety Director

By Glenn Demby

Queen Victoria was born on May 24, 1819. Canadians celebrate Victoria Day on the first Monday before May 25 of each year.

Victoria's Secret

And here's something about Queen Victoria that not a lot of people know: She had her own personal safety director. Well, kind of. . . John Brown (who was played by Billy Connolly in the 1997 movie, Mrs. Brown, starring Dame Judi Dench as the Queen) was a servant to Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert. After Albert's untimely death in 1861, he became Victoria's "personal attendant."

Among his many chores, Brown was entrusted with the Queen's personal safety. In 1863, the Queen suffered some minor injuries in a couple of carriage accidents. But it could have been much worse had Brown not been there to intervene. From that point on, Brown would ride everywhere the Queen did and look after her.

Queen Victoria and John Brown had a special relationship. Biographers suggest that Brown is the only person the Queen completely trusted. Although that's hard to prove, what is clear is that the Queen allowed Brown to take verbal liberties that no others would have dared. Onlookers would gasp when Brown barked orders to the Queen like sit down in the carriage and button up your shawl. But the Queen would meekly obey, knowing that Brown was just looking after her own safety and health.

In his later years, Brown became something of an embarrassment to the court. There were persistent rumors of a romance between Brown and Victoria (completely untrue) and courtiers wanted Brown out. But the Queen would have none of it. Of Brown Victoria would say: "I feel I have a good and devoted soul in the house, whose only interest is my welfare. God knows how much I want to be taken care of."

Brown would remain by Queen Victoria's side until his death in 1883.

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