LESSONS LEARNED OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS

THE BEST INDICATOR OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE IS PAST PERFORMANCE. Hypothetical questions tell you what a candidate might do, whereas behavioral questions – focused on past experiences – tell you what a candidate has done.

DIRECT OBSERVATIONS ARE BETTER THAN INFERRED OBSERVATIONS. The fact that John describes himself as a “people person” is encouraging. However, if he speaks disparagingly of others during the interview process, his statement becomes suspect.

RARELY IS ANYONE AS GOOD OR BAD AS WE THINK THEY ARE. Also known as the “divide by two” rule.

ALL HIRING MANAGERS– AND RECRUITERS– HAVE HOT BUTTONS THAT SKEW OBJECTIVITY. Maintain objectivity by recognizing the attributes that arbitrarily influence you.

NO MORE POP QUIZ INTERVIEWS. The more comfortable both parties are going into an interview, the more candid and authentic they will be. In fact, we recommend providing candidates an outline (in advance) of key discussion points.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, HOW WILL YOU KNOW WHEN YOU FIND IT?. The better you define what success should look like in a position – rather than vocational skill sets – the easier it will be to assess those abilities in candidates.

THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS IS LIKE A COURTSHIP. It starts with attraction (dating), evolves into assessment (getting to know each other) and concludes with acceptance (proposal). And like a marriage, it takes adaptability and alignment on both sides to make it last.

IF A CANDIDATE NEEDS MORE THAN 24-48 HOURS TO ACCEPT/DECLINE AN OFFER, THEN SOMETHING WAS AMISS IN THE COURTSHIP. An effective interview process comprises more than one visit and plenty of opportunities for both sides to learn about each other. The decision should then be clear by the time an offer is extended.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, NEVER MISTAKE ENTHUSIASM FOR CAPABILITY