In our previous Talent Talk column, we discussed the true cost of hiring the wrong person for a key position. This week we begin to look at strategies to avoid that and begin the process of hiring top talent.
The first mistake I see many companies make in hiring is not being clear, across the hiring team, on who they need. No doubt each person on the team has a clear idea in their own mind as to the requirements of the role, not realizing the others were not on the same page.
What will happen is that one interviewer will love candidate A, but another interviewer will be lukewarm because of their specific experience. Yet another will say that he or she is “not a cultural fit.” This will be repeated several times, with the interviewers taking turns being the one who loves a candidate. In extreme cases, the team eventually concludes that they are looking for two different candidates in a single hire.
Creating a job scorecard, or similar tool, to define who it is you need will quickly yield noticeable results.
However you get there and whatever you call it, you must address the following:
- The mission of the role — why does it exist?
- The competencies that you must have. These include cultural values and are critical to defining the DNA of the candidate you are seeking.
- The experience and technical knowledge needed to excel in the position.
- The KPIs and outcomes for this person in the first 30 and 90 days, and the first year.
The other beautiful part of the job scorecard is that it spells out the specific results this person is expected to achieve. This helps maintain a focus on the mission of the role, which is why you are hiring in the first place.
Getting this step right, before you begin the hiring process, will save you time in the long run.
About the author
Paul Sturgeon is CEO of KLA Industries, a national search firm specializing in plastics, packaging, and polymer technology. If you have a topic you would like to see discussed, a company that is growing, or other ideas for this blog, e-mail Sturgeon at [email protected].
