More Than a Hunch: Making Better Hiring Decisions

By: Tracy Lindow, PHR

I recently overheard a conversation between two department managers in the hallway of my organization:

Manager A:    “I will not be in our staff meeting today because I have to interview a candidate for the vacancy in my department at 9 a.m. If she shows up on time and has no criminal record, I am going ask HR to process this candidate as a new hire.”

Manager B:    “Do you expect this candidate to be qualified?”

Manager A:    “I just need a body in that job. I will train her if I have to.”

Does this scenario sound familiar to you?

Whenever an unexpected vacancy occurs, the hiring frenzy begins. Managers often feel the pressure to hire the first “warm body” with the minimal qualifications for the job instead of utilizing a systemic and thorough approach.

The short-term solution may have long-term consequences. The costs of making the wrong hiring decision are simply too high to emphasize speed over quality! Some of the many risks include:

decreased customer satisfaction
lost sales
lost productivity
increased expenses for recruitment & training related to inevitable turnover; and
decreased morale of existing employees.

How can you improve your process?

Structure

Structure solves a lot of problems. Traditional interviews are typically casual and can be characterized by a lack of preparation. Interviewers use open-ended questions, but they focus on subjective “what if” scenarios. A structured process requires additional preparation on the part of the interviewer, but the front-end time commitment produces results. Interview questions are developed based on job analysis and defined key competencies. The same questions are asked of every candidate, which allows responses to be more objectively evaluated.

Substance

The style of your interview greatly impacts the information each candidate provides. Interview questions are typically categorized as either situational or behavioral. Situational interviews are future-oriented and based on hypothetical scenarios. Questions often begin with “what if…” or “what would you do if…”? While this style allows candidates with little job experience to answer your questions, you may be getting what the person thinks is a correct response.

Behavioral interviews are past-oriented and questions are based on actual demonstrated behaviors. Questions often begin with the phrase “tell me about a time when…”. This style makes it more difficult for candidates to “create” a correct response.

And, you know what they say...the past is the best predictor of future performance.

Sample Questions

For your next interview, try to structure your process around questions that are behavioral in nature. Here are some sample questions for your use:

Think about the boss who has given you the most independence. How did you respond? What problems did you encounter?
Please describe a decision you made in your last job that you now regret. How did you correct it? In hindsight, what would you have done differently?
Tell me about a time when you had to help another employee do his/her job.
Can you think of a time when your loyalty was divided between the customer and the company? Tell me about it. What did you do?
Describe a time when team members had to arrive at a compromise to get the job done. What was your role in making that happen?
Tell me about the last “misunderstanding” you had with a co-worker and/or your manager. How did you resolve the situation?
Think about a time when your integrity was challenged. How did you handle it?
Tell me about a time when you missed a deadline on an assignment. How did you minimize the effect?
Tell me about a recent goal you set and achieved for yourself. Walk me through your planning process.
Describe the characteristics of the most challenging co-worker you have ever worked with. How did you handle this person?

The Bottom Line

Slow down! Your employees are your most expensive asset and must be thoughtfully recruited to your team. Taking the time to structure your process and alter the substance of your questions will pay off.

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