| Colleagues, I feel your pain on this issue. | | | | Look beyond the obvious - One of my best hires |
| Scenario 1: You've got a critical position that needs to | | | | several years back didn't meet the stereotypical |
| be filled by a qualified candidate, and quick. For every | | | | requirements of the job, but had some outstanding |
| day the position doesn't get filled, your in-box fills up a | | | | core skills that were easily translatable to the new job. |
| bit more with work to be done because your unfilled | | | | Had I stuck with my mental image of what I was |
| position hasn't been staffed. You see tons of resumes | | | | looking for, I would have rejected the candidate during |
| and have interviewed scores of candidates, but the | | | | the resume screening process. If your job for a |
| rock star you're looking for isn't emerging. You refuse | | | | procurement analyst requires strong analytical skills, |
| to "settle" for a mediocre candidate, but the work is | | | | consider looking at candidates from other functional |
| piling up and you've got to do something. | | | | disciplines, i.e. finance, to fill the role. I've continually been |
| Scenario 2: Three months ago you thought you had | | | | amazed the number of times "out-of-the-box" |
| the perfect candidate for a job and decided to hire | | | | candidates have become rock stars. Don't limit |
| him. You negotiate a compensation package, relocate | | | | yourself to candidates with stereotypical requirements. |
| the candidate, and do some internal public relations | | | | Get a glimpse into critical thinking skills - OK, so you've |
| work with the team. Two months after the candidate | | | | probably heard about the "why are manhole-covers |
| hit the job, you realize that your candidate was a | | | | round" type of questions and may be chuckling at the |
| PURE (previously undetected recruiting error); the | | | | prospect of asking a candidate such an off-the-wall |
| candidate had a major issue with responding to | | | | question. The truth is, critical-thinking questions are a |
| pressure and would become rude and angry with | | | | great way to understand how a candidate thinks |
| peers, employees, and customers whenever the heat | | | | through problems, how they respond to pressure, and |
| was turned up. You're now faced with either making a | | | | how quick-on-their-feet they can be. I've changed my |
| massive investment in the person or making a job | | | | hiring decision (both ways) based upon the critical |
| change. Not a pretty picture. | | | | question I asked during the interview. A great approach |
| Finding the right candidate for a job can be highly | | | | to this is to think about your own business and create |
| frustrating for both managers and recruiters. If you | | | | some hypothetical questions, i.e. if you're an automobile |
| wait too long, the work will keep piling up and your | | | | manufacturer ask the candidate how they would |
| management may start thinking you can get along | | | | design a car that gets 200 miles per gallon. Think about |
| without the position. Pull the trigger too soon and you | | | | the "tough questions" you can ask and observe your |
| risk hiring a candidate that is a PURE. There are | | | | candidate as they wrestle with their response. |
| legitimate situations where it just takes a long time to | | | | Get a hundred-day plan from the candidate - |
| find a suitable candidate. You need to minimize the | | | | Wondering what a candidate would do when they land |
| situations where you either hire the wrong candidate | | | | on your doorstep? Ask them! During your final |
| or take forever to find the right one. Here are some | | | | selection process, ask each of your candidates to put |
| simple techniques to help you find that rock star for | | | | together a hundred-day plan of what they are going to |
| your organization: | | | | get accomplished during their first hundred days on the |
| Know what you are looking for - Sounds pretty basic, | | | | job. This technique is very effective in assessing how |
| but I have been amazed at how frequently managers | | | | a candidate will take the ideals discussed during the |
| dust off a job description that hasn't been changed in | | | | interview process and put them to action if they were |
| years to use as the basis for hiring a new employee. | | | | to be hired. |
| Hiring to an out-dated job description can lead to | | | | Give peers and candidate's prospective employees a |
| ineffective resume screening and poor-fit candidates. | | | | voice - A key aspect of a candidate's fit potential is |
| Give the job description a good working over and | | | | how they will get along with peers and, if the candidate |
| ensure the skills documented in the job description | | | | will be managing people, his or her prospective |
| accurately reflect what you're looking for. | | | | employees. You may have a functional and technical |
| Use multiple interviewers who can focus on different | | | | maestro but if he doesn't have the teaming or |
| skills - Based on the job description, your candidate | | | | collaboration skills you might be creating a mess for |
| may need a combination of functional, technical, | | | | yourself and the team. Just be cautious to get a |
| leadership, and people skills. A candidate who may be | | | | cross-section of opinions; you don't want to base team |
| a technical wiz may also have the people skills of a | | | | chemistry decisions on just one person's viewpoint. |
| head of lettuce. Use trusted interviewers who have | | | | The rock stars are out there and can be delivering |
| expertise in each area of focus and ask them to drill | | | | value in your organization; just make sure you keep |
| the candidate for their respective area to ensure the | | | | focus on some of these basic hiring strategies and |
| total skills package is there. | | | | you'll get the best of the best driving results for you. |