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Hiring Right...the first time
Hiring is a big investment for a company. It costs money to advertise the position or pay a search firm. It takes time to interview, make decisions, hire and train the new employee. There
is also a lag time in productivity until the person gets up to speed in their new position. That's the investment if the hire works out. If it doesn't you can double the cost and add the negative
impact on your organization when you have to fire the new hire.
Here are some hiring guidelines:
- Don't hire someone just because you like them. This is a tough one. We all want to be with people we like but that's not a good reason to hire them. Our feelings often blind us and results
in missing or rationalizing away relevant information.
- Two people should conduct the interview. This helps avoid the trap mentioned above. One person is the observer and note taker. The other is the primary interviewer. When the meeting is
over the two interviewers compare notes. The outcome will be more objective.
- Don't hire someone who is the exact opposite of the person you just fired. It's easy to over-compensate when you've had a bad experience. Don't go for the opposite of what you've had. Hire
the person with the qualifications you need.
- Don't hire someone who is exactly like you. You will strengthen your organization if you achieve balance with complimentary not overlapping skills.
- Pay attention to your gut reaction. Sometimes our intuition picks up information our brain misses. Don't ignore your instincts.
- Ask the follow-up questions. A candidate might exaggerate their role in a project. Ask a follow-up question that requires intimate knowledge of the work.
Use a structured set of questions. That way you'll ask all interviewees the same questions and compare equal information.
Tip: Hiring right is challenging. But when you consider the cost to the organization, it's worth taking the time to prepare for the interview and hire right...the first time.
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