Hiring people is a risk. There is always a possibility that a manager will make a mistake. Too many companies and managers hire out of FEAR, rather than out of VISION. Several years ago the Dallas Cowboys lost a playoff game to the San Francisco 49ers by approaching the whole game tentatively and cautiously. They were not willing to take a risk, especially when they were ahead. They were more afraid of losing than motivated by the vision of winning.
We often see hiring done in the same way. Candidates are too often chosen because they are safer bets. They are paraded around and interviewed by scores of people, even committees, in order to get everyone’s approval. This approach is less effective in selecting the best candidate than in spreading the risk around, so that everyone is “covered” if it doesn’t work out. Interviewing can literally become a popularity contest, eventually put to a vote.
So often, finding a good candidate is mentally tough to do because of distaste for a long, drawn out interviewing process. We do not interview and hire often enough to really get good at it. The mental hurdle of having to set aside the time and effort drags us down. Although interviewing and hiring are two of the most important functions of a manager, they are risky. They have no immediate return on investment and are time consuming!
Make the Process Easier
There are, however, ways of making the process easier. The first is to keep initial interviews simple. So often we talk to managers who feel they have to devote days to initial interviewing. They find themselves exhausted at the end of the process because they do most of the talking: Telling the candidates about the job, the company, and whatever else comes up in an unstructured conversation.
Positive criteria for the position and candidate need to be established before interviewing begins. We recommend an initial structured interview lasting no more than one half hour. By structured we mean a prepared list of questions that are asked of each cndidate. The interviewer should record their answers, so they can be compared. The purpose of the initial interview is to assess the candidate’s skills, experience and ability to do the job. Second, a personality check can be made to assess the candidate’s ability to fit in. It’s that simple.
One Half-Hour
An employer does not have to sell the candidate on the job and his company or make a total assessment of the candidate. He is seeking only to answer a few questions about the candidate’s ability to do the job. He should inform the candidate that he is only going to be interviewed for half an hour, and, if there is interest, there will be other interviews to answer the questions of both parties. This way there are no other expectations about the length or the purpose of the initial interview. The process is clear from the start.
An interviewer has no obligation to even fill the half hour. If he comes to the conclusion in the first five minutes that the candidate is not a contender for the job, he should inform the candidate and end the interview. A candidate will appreciate that his time wasn’t wasted. Likewise, if in the first few minutes of the initial interview, the interviewer concludes the candidate should be asked back and pursued, he can inform the candidate that he will be asked back, give him literature on the company, and the interview can end.
The End
At the end of each initial interview, the interviewer should take two or three minutes to note his initial impressions of the candidate. Upon completion of initial interviews, the interviewer can begin to compare and rank the candidates. Candidates who are nearly equal should be invited back with the top candidates. At least 4 or 5 candidates should be invited back. Limiting it to too few runs the risk of the top one or two candidates eliminating themselves, or being eliminated, and having no one left to consider.
Once initial interviews are concluded, in-depth second, third, and even fourth interviews can be scheduled. Following these guidelines will make the interviewing process more productive.
Tony Beshara is owner and president of Babich & Associates. Beshara has been in business since 1973, and he alone averages $2.5 – $4 million per year in billings. If you have any questions about this article, please call (214) 823-9999.
© Tony Beshara, Babich & Associates
