Imagine you need to employ a new staff member…
What’s the first thing you do? Write an ad? Call HR? Brief an agency?
You’ve just made the most common mistake of managers who decide to hire: Missing the first step.
Allow me to explain…
Have you ever found yourself interviewing a job applicant and thinking “This is a total waste of time”?
Usually, you’ve come to this conclusion within a few seconds. Unfortunately, you’re committed to carry on the interview until a reasonable time has elapsed for the candidate to believe they have had a fair hearing.
Why was this person, so clearly unsuited to the role, even sitting in front of you?
They were there because they had submitted an impressive application in response to an advertisement.
Clearly something was wrong in the process. Either
1. the advertisement was not specific enough about the requirements or
2. the application was not adequately scrutinised for a match to the specific requirements of the role.
Start your recruitment process with one simple question and I guarantee it will be much faster, easier and more productive:
“What would it take for someone to be an outstanding performer in this role?”
(Because you only want to hire outstanding performers, don’t you?)
Here are three simple steps to help you define what you’re looking for in your ideal candidate:
1. List all your requirements for the role (=success factors). Include
2. Now decide which of these you must have (=essential criteria) and those which would be nice to have (=desirable criteria).
3. Are there any personal characteristics which you definitely don’t want (= traits to avoid)? For example, you might wish to avoid employing someone who has a strong desire for money while lacking the personal drive required to earn it.
Now – and not before – you are ready to ‘go to the market’ with your requirements.
Then:
Tip: Review your job descriptions to include success factors for more efficient and effective recruiting next time round.
Susan Rochester has been managing director of Balance at Work since 2006. Susan has a natural tendency to balance analytical thinking with an optimistic outlook to set direction and solve problems. She is an effective facilitator and constantly creates new and more effective ways of doing things, motivated by helping others to achieve their goals.
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