Hiring the best (2)

Continuing the conversation of last week. When we hire the wrong candidate, it is costly and can even spoil the team spirit and in some situations the trajectory of the whole organisation. We have to begin to think out of the box for our recruitments.

Consider evaluation strategies beyond the face-to-face interview. The face to face is getting obsolete. Some people are good interviewers and nothing more, while there are those who are good but nervous during interviews. It may not always be the best way to evaluate someone’s true personality and skills.

While you should not forego in-person interviews entirely, consider using additional measurement tools in conjunction with interviews to give you a more well-rounded sense of potential candidates like personality tests and skilled based questionnaires.

Ensure where possible that candidates spend plenty of time with your team.

Clearly, the standard interview process is not always the best way to uncover whether your potential candidate is the best fit for the role you need to fill. Realistically, you need to do a bit more to determine if a candidate will fit in with your other team members, and your workplace culture.

This could be one-on-one, informal coffee or lunch, work simulations, and so on. Not only does this give you an opportunity to see how your candidate interacts with other employees, it allows key stakeholders the opportunity to give feedback on the candidate.

Read Also: Hiring the best (1)

Pay attention to the questions they ask. Any good candidate should ask thoughtful questions throughout the interview process. This shows preparedness and engagement on the part of the candidate—always a good sign. The traditional interview should be more a dialogue, in which both you and your potential candidate ask each other questions to determine alignment.

You can build a little hands-on work into your interview process. Bringing in your prospective hire to help brainstorm ideas for a new project or execute a small aspect of the role you are hiring for will help you get an even clearer sense of how they operate. For the not so senior for example you can do in-tray exercises that will show their understanding of issues and problem solving skills.

For the more senior ones test their problem-solving skills in an environment that simulates the day-to-day work environment they will be operating in. Pick a key problem that your business is facing that is relevant to their prospective role, and work with them on solving it. This will reveal their process, teamwork style, work ethic, and whether they are a culture fit.

Clearly understand and define your company culture. This will help you know what exactly you’re looking for in your candidate. Know what specific behavioural and attitudinal traits a potential employee should have that would make them a good fit for your current culture, or the culture you’re hoping to build. Know their values and interpersonal skills.

Find out what the candidate is not good at. There will be something. Their answer will help you know whether your assessment of them matches their own. You will also get insight into whether prospective candidates are working to improve.

You may be eager to fill a specific role within your business, but don’t rush it. Trying to hire someone as quickly as possible increases the likelihood that you’ll wind up with someone who ultimately isn’t a great fit.

Being selective about who you bring onto your team shows your employees that you really care about who they work with, and who might end up managing or leading them in the future.

Be crystal clear about expectations. Be honest with prospective hires about the road ahead. In the beginning, they might end up wearing several hats and going above and beyond to help the business. Being, clear upfront also enables candidates to decide for themselves whether they are a good fit.

Always trust your instincts. You might be tempted to rely purely on logic, it’s important to go with a candidate who you feel, on a gut level, will be a good fit. No matter how many personality assessments, how many interviews or what questions we ask, trust your guts.
I hope this whole conversation has enlightened you somewhat. If you need my help, you know how to reach me. [email protected].

Christmas is upon us. I have many guests in my home. Good to share family and friend time. In all the festivities please don’t forget the reason for the season, Jesus. I hope I will not over eat in this season, in fact I make up my mind now not to. Merry Christmas in advance.