3 ways to avoid making a bad hire
Ever had the experience of hiring someone, and it seemed that a whole other person showed up on the first day? Hiring is a bit like dating. Both parties are trying to figure out if there is a fit and if they want to spend a significant amount of time together in the future. It is important that we ensure that we don’t have blinders on – or make a hiring decision in the “honeymoon period.” After watching various leaders make these mistakes, here are three ways to avoid a bad hire and achieve hiring success.
1) Ensure that the job description is accurate for the work you need done. It should summarize your expectations and goals. Having a clear description can ensure you attract the right type of talent and allows those who don’t fit to self-select out. Elements of a good job description will include:
What the person will get to do and what success looks like
Compensation and rewards
3 to 7 skills candidates need
If education or experience is required (and what type)
The growth opportunities in the role and organization
2) Have a defined interview process. It can’t be said enough. Have an interview script – and follow it with every candidate. This allows you to compare candidates and helps avoid bias created by seeing what you want to see.
Be clear about the steps in your process, the number of interview stages, and your timeline. Only include key decision-makers in your interview process. Including others seems like a great idea, but it can also make it impossible to find consensus on a candidate, which can result in an ideal hire getting overlooked. It can also create delays when waiting for team members to be available to interview.
3) Avoid “magic bullet” questions. Asking candidates, “Sell me a pen,” or “What animal would you be?” or even “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” are random, gimmicky, and not highly relevant to how they fit the job at hand. Focus the questions on the work you need done and their past experiences instead.
These three fixes will help you find the very best talent, avoid bias in the process – and, hopefully, result in a successful, long-term employee for your organization.