-
When Hiring, Desperation Equals Disaster
Years ago, I bought a new vehicle out of desperation. There was not a dealership in town that had what I was looking for and apparently the vehicle was not to be found anywhere on the ground. In order for me to get what I envisioned, I was going to have to wait three to four months. I decided to settle for something less and I regretted it within five minutes of leaving the dealership. For the next two years, every time I got in that car, I was reminded of what my impatience had delivered – a car I truly hated. Disaster.
I have found that whenever I settle for anything and make a decision out of desperation, it usually results in some form of disaster. I see this same thing playing out for many businesses as they begin to try to hire new employees from what seems to be a less than impressive slate of candidates. With so many government incentives being provided for not working, many are taking this free pass and it is resulting in a shallow pool of applicants. That being the case, many are hiring the wrong people and they are soon finding that their desperation is costing them, and in most cases, costing them dearly.
I think we have all hired the wrong person at one time or another. I know I have, more than once. But just because you have a made mistakes in the past, does not mean you have to repeat the mistake in the future. Most applicants are able to put on a good front in an interview, so it is imperative to have a system in place to help you weed out who will, and who will not, be a good fit for the position you are attempting to fill.
The first rule that I follow in my process of interviewing a potential candidate is to continually ask myself throughout the interview, “How will this person not be a great fit?” I used to ask myself, “How can I make this person fit in?” The “not a great fit” approach keeps me from being desperate and making a bad mistake. It keeps the downside of a person squarely in the forefront of my mind.
Recently, I was looking to hire someone who would be working very closely with me and who would eventually, be making decisions in my absence. After interviewing many, many candidates, I started getting a little desperate and I began thinking that I could train someone to make them “fit in.” Knowing that I could train someone for what I needed. I also knew that it would take the better part of the year to do so- a year I did not have. I passed over dozens of candidates that I could have trained because following my rule kept me thinking about the downside of all these interviewees and kept me focused on what I truly needed. Although it took a few weeks longer, I eventually found the right person, with the exact experience and skill set I required. I saved myself time in the end. My new hire stepped right in and was able to seamlessly transition into their role.
Another procedure that I apply to interviews and one that has served me well, is to pay very close attention to the exact wording a person uses when interacting in the interview. People cannot completely conceal their true selves, so paying close attention to their wording will quickly unveil their actual level of experience and accomplishments.
Some examples of words and phrases that signal a lack of experience and success are:
· “I am hoping to find a place to be successful.” Translation: In the past, they have not reached the level of success they desired. It might happen, it might not happen. They lack faith in themselves.
· “I should be able to be successful here.” Translation: But maybe they won’t be successful. Depends on how easy things are.
· “I want to be in a place where I can be successful.” Translation: They are implying that it was the “place” that caused their lack of success. Also, this suggests that they have never been successful in their work life.
· “I have been hoping for an opportunity like this.” Translation: They hope for things because they are not in control. Further denotes that they are not a leader or a free thinker and will likely need to be managed.
Some words and phrases that express success, knowledge, and experience are:
· “I want to choose a workplace that offers opportunity for the type of success I am used to.”
Translation: They have been successful in the past and they are looking to increase that success. They believe this may be the place.
· “I feel I can be successful anywhere I am given the opportunity to be so.”
Translation: They can be successful because they have
been successful in the past and will be in the future, given the opportunity.
·“I have learned that to be successful you need to respect and support the entire team.”
Translation: In their experience, success requires effort.
·“I enjoy that I am being considered for this opportunity.”
Translation: They are not surprised that they are being considered. They are in control. They feel that they have earned the consideration. They likely have had a higher level of success than most.
I have seen people use these techniques to purposely hire a weaker candidate they feel could be more easily controlled. For this reason, I always have some part of the interview take place in the company of senior management. This additional scrutiny by the management team, ensures that the absolute best candidates are hired, and the weaker candidates are released.
If you invest in the wrong vehicle out of desperation, you are only hurting yourself. When you hire the wrong candidate out of desperation, it can be disastrous. It is a mistake that will affect you, your entire team, and your customers. It can cost you money, future business, and the loyalty of your staff.
Don’t act out of desperation. Avoid disaster. Take the time to hire the right people. You will save time and money in the long run and your business with thrive.
Jeff Cowan – Jeff@jcowansprotalk.com
-
0 Replies
Sorry, there were no replies found.
Log in to reply.