Want to hire superstars?
Trying to find the “total package” is the last thing you should do.
Literally (and not in the teenage use of literally) the last thing.
Why? Think about the typical hiring process. You work hard to
find and select the right candidate. You evaluate skills and
experience and then ask interview questions to determine if the
candidate possesses qualities like attention to detail,
interpersonal skills, leadership ability, problem-solving skills....
Your process is exhaustive and, well, exhausting.
Still, while many of the people that get hired turn out to be good
employees, few of them turn out to be what every company really
needs: great employees.
Why? Those companies -- and the people making the decisions
-- took the job description approach to hiring.
Think about job descriptions . They list a wide variety of
qualifications the employee should possess. Typically attributes
like “self motivated,” “able to work with minimal supervision,”
“able to prioritize and handle multiple tasks,” and “able to work
well alone or as a member of a team,” are included.
So what happens? People evaluate candidates with those
requirements in mind. The candidate that ticks the most boxes
is usually selected—and the company winds up hiring good
when they really need great.
Now think about the truly great employees you know. Some are
well rounded, some are not, but all possess at least one
incredible skill. They all do at least one thing, one critical thing,
so well that people are willing—even happy—to overlook some of
their deficiencies.
Related: What Kinds of People Do You Hate to Work With?
(LinkedIn)
They may not “take a collaborative approach to problem
solving,” but wow do they make your fulfillment facility sing.
In short, a great employee has what you really need. All other
attributes on the job description, while important, pale in
comparison.
Next time you hire an employee , set the job description approach
aside and take this approach instead.
1. Determine what you really need.
Forget about finding a “well-rounded employee” (whatever that
is). If you could only pick one or two attributes, what are the
most important skills or qualities you need?
Keep in mind those attributes will often change depending on
your current needs and the skills your other employees possess.
So ignore the job description. Forget the position; think about
the job. Decide what you really need the new employee to do.
As Dharmesh Shah says, "You don't need a VP of anything... you
need a Doer of Things That Need to Get Done."
2. Decide what you really don’t need.
When you’re ticking off boxes on a list of qualifications it’s easy
to forget that you simply can’t live with some attributes,
regardless of how solid the candidate otherwise appears.
Complete this sentence about a theoretical employee: "I don't
care how great she is, I would still let her go because she
________."
Those are your no-go attributes. Never lose sight of them.
3. Do a first pass.
Set aside every candidate that doesn’t have what you really
need. Don’t be tempted by the, “Wow, she really has a wide
range of skills,” candidate. If she doesn’t bring the one or two
attributes you really need she may turn out to be a good
employee, but she’s not likely to be great.
Then set aside every candidate with an attribute on your "no way
in hell" list. She won't be great either.
Related: Does the Car You Drive Impact Your Career? (LinkedIn)
4. Conduct highly focused interviews.
Spend 10% of your time assessing general qualities and 90% of
your time ensuring the candidate truly has what you need. Dig
in. Ask for examples. Ask lots of follow-up questions. Write
everything down.
Then check references and use your notes to help you ask
specific questions. Sure, some companies won’t provide any
information, but many -- especially small businesses -- will.
Many will say they are not allowed to share information about
previous employees. When that happens, try saying, “I
understand. I’m just really worried I might a mistake. Can you
just say, if you were me, whether you would hire him?”
You'll be surprised by how many people will want to help you
out with a whispered "yes" or "no."
Then you can...
5. Assess the “total employee.”
If a few candidates seem relatively equal in terms of what you
really need, then decide which one best meets your more
subjective criteria. Conduct a second interview if necessary. Or
let other employees interview the remaining candidates.
At this point you can afford to evaluate “nice to have” qualities
because you’ve done everything possible to identify candidates
that have the attributes you truly need.
What do you think? Do you hire people who have that one skill
you most need, or do you try to hire candidates who appear to
be the total package?
LinkedIn Influencer, Jeff Haden , published this post
originally on LinkedIn .
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