Sent: July 25, 11:30 p.m.
From: CEO
To: Executive Team
Subject: Jim’s Interview
Hi, everyone. Thanks for taking the time to interview Jim McDonald this afternoon. He comes highly recommended by our board for the VP of Sales position. I know he’s the first and only candidate we’ve interviewed, but let’s fast-track the feedback loop. We need to get our numbers back up by the end of Q3. Reply all and let me know what you thought of him!
Reply All From: Suzanne, Dir. of Operations
To: Executive Team
Subject: Jim’s Interview
I thought he was great! Very high on the likability index!
Reply All From: Bob, Dir. of Product Strategy
To: Executive Team
Subject: Jim’s Interview
Small world. Turns out he used to work at the same company as my brother. They were in different departments though. Seems like a nice guy.
Reply All From: Carol, Dir. of Customer Experience
To: Executive Team
Subject: Jim’s Interview
He’s funny! I bet our customers would love him.
Reply All From: Jane, Dir. of Technology
To: Executive Team
Subject: Jim’s Interview
He’s fine. I won’t really interact with him, so I don’t care. Just please make sure he’s not a technical troglodyte. I don’t have time to babysit the sales guy’s laptop problems.
Reply All From: Diane, Dir. of Marketing
To: Executive Team
Subject: Jim’s Interview
He’d make a great travel partner for my upcoming trade shows—seems like a lot of fun. Great culture fit!
Reply All From: Joe, Associate VP of Sales
To: Executive Team
Subject: Jim’s Interview
I don’t really know what I’m supposed to be working on right now, so yeah, it would be great if I could have a manager sooner rather than later. When can he start?
When you’ve got an open position as important as a revenue-generating position like VP of Sales, get a butt in that seat ASAP! There’s no time to waste. Every minute that position isn’t filled, there is money falling through the hole in the bottom of the boat and the boat is taking on water quickly.
Don’t waste time or money with recruiters or headhunters. When someone as important as your Founder or your Board refers a candidate, consider it a slam dunk! Get that person in for an interview loop right away with your senior-most people and fast-track the feedback loop. Being accepted and liked by your senior team is the most important qualification—you can fill in the skill gaps later. Like they say, hire for culture first, skills second. If he’s well-liked, your team will be more apt to do his job for him so he’s successful and won’t cause unnecessary performance pressure on the rest of the team.
The fact that your Founder or your Board doesn’t really understand the requirements of the position is beside the point. They know what’s best and will be flattered if you hire one of their referrals without question. If things go poorly down the road, you can blame them.
LET’S GET REAL
Reply All From: Sue, Director of Human Resources
To: Executive Team
Subject: Jim’s Interview
DID ANYONE ASK HIM IF HE CAN SELL? Just curious.
“Hire slow, fire fast” is one of the most important mantras of good team building. A deliberate, thoughtful, and strategic hiring process is the best investment you can make in your company. Yes, while hiring to values and culture is incredibly important, don’t forget that you are hiring people for their skills and their ability to get the job done and add value to the business.
All too often, interview loops and hiring procedures are so rushed and informal that candidates aren’t vetted for skills at all. They are assessed for their likability and “fit,” and because they were referred from a credible source or “look good on paper,” the assumption is made that they can do the job. Here are a few tips and tricks to make sure you get the proof before you make the hire:
- Invest in professional recruiting. It is always worth the money to hire a reputable professional recruiter or headhunter for senior hires. Negotiate a smart deal, and make sure they are financially motivated to guarantee that your new hire is successful. They’ll ensure that you vet multiple candidates, help you avoid the temptation to move too fast, and run a fair
- Talk to Really talk to referrals. Never think of checking referrals as “checking a box” in the recruiting process. Try to have thoughtful conversations, ask unexpected questions, and consider looking for hints and clues in their answers.
- Do background research via networking. Find out where this person stands in your industry, what their reputation is—and, yes, dig into their LinkedIn profiles and Google them. Take the time to find out as much as you can about both their character and their skills. Make professional background checks a standard policy for every new hire, it’s easy to outsource, affordable, and worth it.
- Require specific proof-points. Don’t be shy about asking for work samples (writing samples, presentations, videos, proposals, etc.) that back up the candidate’s
It is far better to have a vacancy than a bad fit. Some say the cost of a bad hire is the equivalent of three times that person’s annual salary. From disruption to the organization, to bad PR, to a “do-over” in the hiring process, a rushed or bad hire can be incredibly costly. Take the time to do it right; insist that your interviewers take the process seriously, ask smart questions, and deliver thoughtful feedback to you.
If the open position is a management position, you may decide to include their potential subordinates in the vetting process. Should you do so, make sure they understand that they are not part of the decision-making process, but that their opinions are valuable by giving them something specific to probe for or score against. Having subordinates focus on a values fit is an excellent way to include them in the process.
Never hesitate to bring candidates in for a second round, and certainly don’t feel like you’ve wasted their time by doing so. A smart, great-fit hire is as valuable to them as it is to you. So, beware the impatient candidate; they should share your desire to take all the time that’s needed to make sure it’s a win-win for everyone. Even if you’ve narrowed the field to a single candidate, multiple rounds of interviews are expected and accepted by most jobseekers.
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