Many of us have experienced being blinded with hiring a promising candidate who at a later date turns out to be a disappointment. At times like these, you end up wondering as to what went wrong? It is definitely not the candidate you had hired then where did the loophole happen? Let’s look at a few ways to set the right process and gauge the person accordingly.
01. Past Roadmap
Before making an official announcement of the opening or scouting, prepare a past roadmap. This includes the tenure of past hires, the source of hires, internal and external factors influencing it and reason behind turnovers. Create a hiring process based on these factors. This is to implement a system that shall help in the long run and also avoid a cycle of hire, turnover and hire.
02. Hiring Criteria
Create an accurate hiring criterion that includes a detailed list of skills and personality traits vital for the role and ensures that you use them as a strong reference base for selection. Do not let an outstanding resume cloud your judgment. This is the step which will ensure that the abilities are as per the requirements of the profile.
03. Phone Interaction
Before you do an interaction in person, schedule one over the phone. During this conversation filter out the basic information such as profile, work history, salary expectations, etc. This will help you eliminate the deal-breakers allowing you to narrow the field to the right candidates.
04. Prepare Questionnaire
A candidate will always put their best foot forward which at times includes details that will glorify their work or exaggerations related to their work while concealing a few real facts. To make sure that you cover all the bases, prepare a questionnaire that will provide you with appropriate responses to help garner the right information. For e.g. if it’s a position for a Training Manager, give them a case study and ask them to design a training module around it. The ones who give you the appropriate replies will then move on to the next phase.
05. Assessment Tool
This is an old age tool but a really important one. It’s inclusion of psychometric tests that help gauge the potential of the employee, their teamwork abilities, assertiveness and more. Here you prepare a list of qualities that your performing employees have, check how many qualities are in common especially if you are adding the resource in the same team and then make your decision accordingly.
06. Renewed Format
Move the interview beyond the traditional format as you need to gauge if the candidate is the right ‘cultural’ fit as well. Make the experience a little casual - Engage. Speak. Laugh. Make the candidate comfortable enough for them to open up. This will help check the accuracy in respect to the culture for the team and more importantly for the organization.
07. Work Failures
Everyone has had some failure at a given point in their careers, ask the candidate about theirs. Candidates who are honest will speak openly about their past failures; this will give you an idea about their transparency and also help you understand how much they can positively contribute towards your company’s vision. Ask about this only after the ice is broken.
08. Quantify Deliverables
Make an elaborate list of deliverables that are expected to be achieved as per the 30, 60 and 90 days’ mark. Let the candidate know that these are the expectations and ask them as to how they will plan the strategy to achieve them. This targets do not need to be mandatory; this is just to assess the candidate’s skills and potential and help you both begin from the same page.
09. Background Check
Reference/Background checks have become a necessity of an interview process. This is to get an understanding of the candidate’s capabilities from his/her formal colleagues just for additional clarity in respect to the hiring. But this shouldn’t be the only criteria for selection, if you believe that the candidate is really good, then extend the offer letter immediately.
10. Probation Period
Finally, the final step in every interview process; let this be a mandatory one irrespective of the position the candidate is hired for. This helps safeguard the organization, and will also come in aid in making changes in the candidate’s way of working if the need be. Irrespective of how accurate your hiring process is, you still need a probation period clause as your plan B.