From Clueless to Bar-Raiser: 12 Insider Strategies for Effective Hiring
Unlocking the Secrets to Transform Your Hiring Process and Build a Winning Team"
Remember the first time you had to hire someone? If you were anything like me, it felt like being thrown into the deep end without a life jacket. From clueless beginnings and a few (okay, more than a few) missteps, to now actually getting a kick out of interviewing—trust me, if I can get here, so can you. Buckle up; you're about to become a hiring pro.
Do your homework. Why are you hiring in the first place? Having received a headcount to open a role is great, but think why you’d need someone else in your team, how are they going to help you move the needle: unload the rest of the team, bridge a gap by bringing in different skills, being able to open up new opportunities… You need to be super intentional about the profile you want to bring in the team. So, you need a plan that describes why you need that profile, what you’d expect from them, the types of deliverables, and the skills and experience the candidate need to be successful in that role. This may sound counter intuitive: describe what you would not be able to do, if you could not hire for this role.
Devote enough time, block time your calendar to hire. As a manager, this should be a priority for you. But don’t rush it!
Work in partnership with your recruiter (when you have one). There is so much upside in working closely with them, and it took me time to realize this... Thanks to your homework (point #1), you can clearly explain to the recruiter what you are looking for. What works well for me is to show them potential candidates and explain why I think they are a match. Then I have regular 1:1s to review the pipeline of candidates, and share my feedback about them. I also invite recruiters to shadow my “informal” discussions with candidate (see next point). This helps recruiters to better calibrate, and source better qualified candidates. So much worth the time investment, don’t miss that opportunity. Also, ask recruiters to highlight candidates that they sourced, vs those who applied without any touchpoints, that is super important for the next point…
Don’t start the interview process before they are excited to join you. I interviewed so many candidates who told me very bluntly, in the middle of the interview, that they did not apply, they were chased by the recruiter, and basically, they were playing the “I did not ask for anything, you want me” act. Most of the time, it is a loose-loose situation, everyone is frustrated. The candidate is not yet interested enough in the role, they don’t know enough about your company, and the opportunity you are offering. On your side, as the hiring manager, you expect to talk to a candidate who is super motivated. Ask your recruiter, if they sourced the candidate, make sure you have informal discussion to introduce yourself, and get to know the candidate. Explain what you are looking for, and what you think their profile could be a match. I have had up to three informal discussions with candidates that I found would be a great match, and tried to win them over. In those few cases, I was the one being interviewed, and that’s fair.
Be specific about what you are expecting from the candidate during the interview process. Describing the process makes it less stressful for the candidate. Amazon is very transparent about the process, and as a candidate I found it super helpful. Check it out: Interviewing at Amazon. Candidates can prepare accordingly, and also be ready to give the data that you are looking for. If they don’t have the right experience, or technical depth, if they have not operated at the level of complexity, or ambiguity you are looking for, you will find out quickly, even if they are “professional interviewers”.
Hire as a team. Form a group comprised of your teammates, as well as peers and/or even stakeholders. Thanks to your homework, you can clearly explain to them why you are recruiting, what you are looking for, the functional and other skills required for the role, etc… Assign to each of the interviewers a set of skills, data to look for during the process. Ideally, get a blind vote from everyone, and rejoin to discuss about the candidate. Based on all the data, you make the decision. Don’t forget, this is your responsibility in the end, take ownership.
Make sure you can manage the candidate. This is a tough one to figure out during an interview, and the best approach in my opinion is to check how they handle conflict. Ask the candidate to tell about a time they disagreed with a decision made by their manager, and how they handled it. Seek for their ability to manage their own frustrations, while remaining respectful and opinionated. Are they using data to challenge a decision, and offering alternatives? What about you? Are you ready to have someone in your team challenging you? How would you handle that?
Don’t ask generic technical questions. In technical roles, asking a very pointed question about a particular topic might not be relevant. I like to ask candidates to tell me about the most complex technical problem they have solved recently. This is a good way to assess their technical depth, and understand how they approach a problem. If they lack the knowledge, are they taking actions to close that gap? Have they got a growth mindset?
Don't ignore the red flags. If something feels off during the interview process, it's crucial to address it rather than dismissing it. Ask follow-up questions to better understand what the candidate is sharing. Check with other interviewers whether they got similar signals.
Avoid prioritizing credentials over potential. A candidate with less experience but a willingness to learn can sometimes be a better choice than a candidate with impressive credentials but less adaptability.
Don’t neglect the candidate experience. Remember, the interview process is also a chance for the candidate to assess your company. Strive to make it a positive experience.
Don't forget to communicate. Clear and timely communication throughout the hiring process can prevent misunderstandings and keep candidates engage
An interesting trend that I see in the industry is to offer paid trials to candidates. I don’t know whether it is always practical. Imagine you are trying to poach someone from the competition, they can’t leave their job for a short mission at your company. And why would they? There are some cases where it can make sense though. Read Lenny’s newsletter on the topic.
You've just unlocked twelve powerful strategies to revolutionize your hiring process, each one a stepping stone towards building the exceptional team your organization deserves. But knowledge alone isn't power, action is. Begin your journey towards hiring excellence now.
Your next hire could transform your team. Let’s make every hiring decision count.