MightyRecruiterHire Great People and Avoid Disasters: 3 Basic Tactics
Hiring decisions are an absolutely crucial part of a manager’s life. Recruiting the best people can make the difference between a lackluster business and years of stellar growth. These three basic tactics can help you hire great people and avoid disasters in the recruiting process. The tactics are easy to remember because they’re all ïrules of threeï: interview three or more candidates, each in three or more places, by at least three different interviewers.
Tactic #1: Always Consider a Minimum of Three People
Don’t be so dazzled by the first candidate that you hire him or her on the spot. With candidates better prepared than ever, this is a common mistake made by some managers, especially novice managers. Even if the first candidate seems to be perfect for the job, you owe it to yourself and your business to consider a wider variety of potential employees. Many companies simply will not make a new hire until they’ve interviewed a dozen or more people for a single position. A small business may not have the time or budget for that many interviews, but you should at least stick to the rule of three if you want to hire great people and avoid disasters in the future.
Take the time to evaluate each of your three (or more) candidates in the following ways:
-Do they have a strong talent for the particular kind of work they will be doing in your business
-Do they have the intelligence to learn a range of new skills after their hire
-Are they in the habit of asking great questions and thinking ahead to the next challenge
-Is their work ethic strong and committed
-Do they know why they want this specific job, and can they articulate this to you in clear, attractive terms
-Are they a good fit for your company culture
You should have clear, honest answers to all of these questions before you even consider closing the interview process.
Tactic #2: Always Interview in Three Different Places
In many jobs, people will have to work in a variety of locations. Potential hires may act very differently behind their desk than they act in a lunch meeting with high-powered clients or in a busy, noisy production facility. When you interview people in different places, you can get to know how they react to various situations.
Use your creativity when it comes to interview locations. Some flexibility here will help you hire great people and avoid disasters in the long run. If you have a small workplace, consider moving one of your interviews to a nearby coffee shop. Invite the candidate to visit multiple locations if your business has them. Schedule one interview to take place in a large, busy shared workspace and another interview in a quiet boardroom. Depending on circumstances, you might also interview people at a national conference or convention. Each environment will bring out something different. If you have a very small workplace, be creative.
It’s also important to interview in multiple locations because people often let down their guard after the first encounter. If they are putting on a facade during the initial interview, that will often fall in subsequent meetings, leading to more honesty and a better conversation.
Tactic #3: Have a Minimum of Three Different People Speak With the Candidate
A minimum of three different people should speak in depth with each candidate. This takes time, but it’s an important strategy if you want to hire great people and avoid disasters. When you have multiple people involved in the hiring process, you gain some important advantages:
-More of your staff are likely to be happy with the end result.
-The ïpost-game reviewï after the interview process will be more detailed and more productive.
-A larger group of interviewers means less work for each individual.
-When your colleagues are actively involved in hiring, they are more likely to help the new hire succeed.
This tactic can also help you with the rule of interviewing in at least three places. One person can meet the candidate at a conference, another at the office and a third at the coffee shop. Team-based hiring is a crucial way to build morale in the long run. It can be a key strategy in the quest to hire great people and avoid disasters.
Do you want to learn more about smart hiring strategies Check out our collection of management advice at Mighty Recruiter. We have articles and tools for all your hiring needs.