You know that feeling when you finish talking to a candidate and you can’t get their offer out fast enough? Chances are, you’ll behave something like this: You’ll ask an employee to take the candidate for coffee, then quickly put together an offer so you can seal the deal before the individual leaves the building. You do not want to lose that applicant to the competition. Then, there’s the candidate who seems pretty good. You believe this individual would perform their duties well and add value to the company, but you’re a bit more cautions. In this scenario, you’ll give the applicant a firm handshake goodbye, and then immediately check with the rest of the team to see what they thought. After getting the green light, you’ll check their references before extending an offer. And then of course there’s the other kind of candidate, the one who either doesn’t have the skills for the job, or whose ego won’t fit through the door. No one could pay you enough to work with that candidate.
While you may think it should be easy to know whom to hire, the reality is, it’s not always easy or obvious.
It’s almost never a black and white decision. You very rarely get applicants like the first one or the last one in the paragraph above- most fall somewhere in the middle. There’s a lot to consider when vetting your applicants. You need to consider the job you have open today and what that job will look like 6-12 months from now. You need to consider the candidate’s chemistry with the team, the strengths they’ll bring to the company, and their culture fit. And what happens if several people interview the candidate and come away with different impressions and opinions?
Navigating the hiring process is a lot like driving in fog.
Common sense and great instincts may guide you in the right direction. If you follow the rules (be alert for bright objects, don’t drive faster than you can see, and be aware of what you cannot see) you will probably make it out of the fog unscathed. Still, it’s not an ideal condition to drive in… or hire in. Anything you can do to lift the fog of uncertainty off the hiring process will benefit you and your company in the long run. After all, choosing the right additions is an investment in the new hire and the company. You want to ensure you’re not just making a good hire, but you’re investing in a long-term relationship. If you’re just trying to get someone decent on board in a hurry, this advice isn’t for you. But if you want to lift that fog and find some clarity you’ll need a plan.
We’ve created this free guide to help you create a plan that will guide you to finding and hiring the right person. Use button below to download your free guide!
