As hiring becomes competition on a global basis, talent recruiters need to take their game to the next level. We could lose the extraordinarily talented people to, let’s say, companies from more well-known and economically developed countries. This big issue can only be handled by a better individual – you, the HR professional.
Some HR professionals are aiming to be at least 20 per cent better at hiring. However, 20 per cent doesn’t require anything than being more efficient. If you might be able to be 100 per cent better, why don’t you throw out the old playbook?
There are six things to simply become 100 per cent better at hiring:
1. Define the job before you define the person
Don’t take an assignment unless the hiring manager knows what the person needs to accomplish in order to be considered successful. If the hiring manager doesn’t know what these performance objectives are, the chance of finding a great person who can and wants to do them is problematic.
2. Assess the quality of the person’s results, not the quality of the person
Rather than assess personal characteristics of the candidate, first evaluate the candidate’s accomplishments. The simplest way is to use the one-question performance-based interview. Then compare the candidate’s accomplishments with what you need done.
Not surprising but somewhat counterintuitive, if the person has accomplished something comparable in a similar environment, he or she will possess the exact personal characteristics you’re seeking.
3. Wait 30 minutes before making any yes/no decision
More hiring errors are made in the first 30 minutes of the interview than any other time. Research has shown that we all look for facts to justify our instant judgment about a person. This is the rationalisation effect in action.
To counterbalance this, you should use the first 30 minutes of the interview to prove your instant evaluation is wrong. Winning this simple mind game will prevent at least 50 per cent of future hiring mistakes.
4. Don’t negotiate the compensation (or anything else for that matter) before the candidate understands the job
Start off by saying, “Let’s ignore the compensation for a bit and explore the chance the job might represent a career move. If so, we can figure out if the final package makes sense.” The point: Changing jobs for a fully employed and extraordinary person involves a detailed understanding of the job, the opportunity, and the circumstances.
Preventing this discussion by straining people through some arbitrary and highly negotiable filters is a sure-fire way to miss the chance to see and hire the right person for the right reasons.
5. Eliminate gladiator voting by implementing a “wisdom of the crowd” approach
Adding up yes/no votes based on a series of short or biased interviews is unlikely to result in an accurate prediction of on-the-job performance. Using a quality of hire talent scorecard, on which interviewers are assigned a subset of factors to assess and their evidence is shared, will profoundly increase assessment accuracy.
6. Think differently
Out-of-the-box thinking starts by recognising you’re in one. This applies to anyone who wants to be 100 per cent better at anything, not just 20 per cent more efficient.
The original article first appeared on Inc.
