When a position opens up on your team it provides a tremendous opportunity to add depth and dimension. But oftentimes that opportunity comes with a lot of pressure to quickly fill the position. There are a variety of factors that create flaws in the hiring process and prevent us from selecting the right candidate. Here are three tips to help you approach the hiring process thoughtfully and thoroughly.
Tip 1: Be clear about what “good” looks like
A current job description is a start, but it’s not enough. Before you start looking at resumes, spend time with the hiring team to determine the most critical technical and leadership competencies you need in that role. Consider the reasons why you are hiring. Is it a new role? Was someone promoted? Was someone moved out of the role because he or she wasn’t the right fit? If it’s the latter, then take the time to consider why he or she wasn’t the right fit and what positive contributions he or she did make. As a team, agree on 6 competencies – 3 technical and 3 leadership – that are absolutely critical to the team and to the success of the role. The team also needs to agree to tradeoffs it is willing to make prior to starting interviews. This will help keep the hiring team grounded once the interview process begins
Tip 2: Select a hiring team to provide different perspectives
The hiring team serves as a system of checks and balances that will hold everyone accountable to the 6 agreed-upon critical competencies. Given the interview time constraints, hire a team at least four people to allow the group to divide and conquer. With this approach, each person can focus on three competencies, and there is overlap so that no one person is responsible for a single competency.
- Hiring person No. 1 – focus on competencies 1, 2 and 3
- Hiring person No. 2 – focus on competencies 2, 3 and 4
- Hiring person No. 3 – focus on competencies 4, 5 and 6
- Hiring person No. 4 – focus on competencies 5, 6 and 1
Tip 3: “How” something was accomplished is more important than “what” was accomplished
It’s impressive to read a resume full of what a candidate has accomplished in his or her career. During the interview process, spend more time delving into how he or she achieved the outcomes. This will offer valuable insights into the candidate’s work style, philosophy, leadership skills, and ability to engage and influence. Ask probing questions. How did the idea come up? What was going on in the market? What was going on internally to influence it? What were the alternatives? How were those discussed? Who made that decision? How did the candidate bring along critical stakeholders? If you want a “what” then consider exploring “What was satisfying about the accomplishment” as it provides insights to motivations.
Process, process, process
The hiring process provides a tremendous opportunity to build your bench. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Stay clear and invest your time in the process. You will find it to be well worth the effort for you, your team, and your new employee.
This article is part 1 of a 3-part series. Stay tuned for the second article that focuses on hiring pitfalls to avoid.