1. The first principal of effective hiring is DON’T HIRE
It saves in budget. It asks existing staff to prioritize
- 1 hour today or tomorrow
- List of everything or nearly everything you’re working on
- Look at calendar, piles, anything – wait a week for a time diary of everything you do in a week
- Then list in order of importance, and next to each item, put the amount of time it takes, ok to estimate
- Then, ask for recommendation from them about what not to get done: what could you save on time not getting something done?
- What I want at the end of the week is a list, with recommendations you could set aside
- I will make the choice, but you should recommend it based on your analysis
2. Set your bar high
3. Look for reasons to say no: Eliminate ANY possibility of a bad outcome. Interviews are a reason to say no. If you don’t know, then please say no.
Screening resumes:
- Titles: small firms inflate titles, CEOs need to be several layers from the bottom layer. Managers are people with budgets. Directors are people with vision. Test that.
- Dates: experience in valuable roles, absence of month detail in short periods = inflation, recency of experience, no dates is to obscure things.
- Companies: what kind of experience does that company provide? Growing companies = better experience.
- Career progression: have they grown?
- Responsibilities: be vigilant to read each bullet and separate accomplishments from responsibilities. Key task = responsibility commensurate with role/title. Experience = accomplishments, not responsibilities
- Accomplishments: is it actually an accomplishment, is it noteworthy, is it unmeasurable?
- Education is the education level sufficient, quality, and how did they perform. Most common mistake is assuming someone finished when they didn’t.
- Accuracy: are there errors? That’s attention to detail and lack of care. Spelling errors is too easy to fix now to let it slide.
- Density: is it in our industry? Do the stay committed to roles or move around a lot?
Screen social media:
- This is your final step after interview
- LinkedIn – does resume match? do they have endorsements, posted/liked anything that is objectionable?
- Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: Are the photos/posts showing person in bad light? No profiles?
Phone screens:
- Give overview
- Ask to “Tell me about yourself”
- One or two behavioral questions
- No need to share decision at that time
- HR should conduct them
Have full onsite interview days:
- Overview of the day
- Interview with anyone you direct
- Team lunch (watch how they conduct themselves/eat)
- Take all day
- Experienced people get 75+ minutes
- Less experienced get 60 min
- Your interview is last, 90-120 minutes
The only thing worse than an open position is a bad hire
No panel interviews ever
Ask the same questions of technical candidates
Do not care about the candidate’s impression of you. Meaningless if you don’t offer. This is them performing for you. Look for preparation, inviting conversation, lacking knowledge about the company, questions about compensation and benefits are selfish
When you take notes: write down what you hear, not what you want to hear or think you hear. Exactly.
On behavioral questions:
You don’t want the action, you want the thoughts
– WHY did they do something
– Why was something obvious
– Why did you conclude
– Why did you have that plan
Bigger mistake: allowing technical skill to outshine personal.
– What did you say when you talked to them?
– WHat happened in the meeting you held?
– Why did you choose to email?
Rate candidates:
- Interpersonal –
- Cultural fit
- SKills
- Technical
Checking References:
- Start with an admission – what stage you’re at, let them know they’ve done well
- Confirm dates of employment
- Confirm job title
- Accuracy of provided job description
- THankful to build rapport
- Then process to more substantive questions
- I was told about projext X. Confirm involvement? how we the results?
- Best contribution
- Areas for improvement
- Looking for this role, how would you assess that fit?
- If you were me, would you have any concerns?
Job offers should be made by the supervisor.
- By phone – okay to leave a voicemail
- praise and congrats
- Offer – position – compensation – start date – deadline for decision
- YOu can ask them to accept right now but they don’t have to
- Make yourself available for questions
- Call every 3 days for an update
Decline:
- Decline fast
- Direct and simple, no small talk
- YOu can offer feedback, but you don’t have to.