It's tough to avoid subjectivity in hiring. We form impressions of candidates based on our interactions with them. Some subjectivity is inevitable; however, the goal is to find as many facts about the candidate as you can so that the person you hire matches the job you need to fill.
To hire for best results, begin by defining your expectations and creating a consistent process. It will eliminate enough subjectivity to ensure quality hires.
It's worth the time. Employees are your best resources and most costly investments.
Things To Avoid
To hire for best results, avoid the following:
- Clone interviewing: a common subconscious matching where hiring managers make decisions based on candidates that resemble those doing the hiring. This can involve hiring because someone is of the same background, same sex, same race, or has similar interests and similar acquaintances. Clone interviewing gets in the way of objectivity.
- Seat-of-the-pants hiring: Often in a hurry to fill the opening, or to hire before another job freeze, some managers simply meet a candidate, ask a few questions, get a "feel" for how the candidate may fit based on subjective gut reaction and make an offer. There is no systematic process for setting guidelines and ensuring the hire meets the qualifications needed for the job.
- Competitive hiring: fear of hiring someone who may be more skilled, more intelligent or more talented than the hiring manager. Managers really are only as good as the people whom they manage. Though good leadership helps build good teams, no one does the job alone. Finding great talent, leading that talent to produce and crediting the talented individual makes for great hiring mangers, great teams and great companies. (Read "Good to Great" by Jim Collins if you have any doubt.)
- Assumptive hiring: Making a hiring decision without clarifying and confirming the job seeker's competencies, fit and values is assumptive hiring. Don't assume anything. Interviewing is a process for investigating and reporting on the job seeker's qualifications.
As you look to fill a position, look at your goals. Many companies in media are now building a new business model and need flexibility, a proactive approach and technical savvy in those they hire. With the corporate scandals that have ruined business, it is also critical to be sure to find the ethics and values in your hire. Your employees become your company's reputation.
Get your return on the time you invest in recruiting. The process takes time, but it's well worth your investment.
