Episode #12 - Hiring Smart: Avoiding the Pitfalls
Hello and welcome to Tricky Management Situations !
Onirio delves, just for you, into all those delicate, sometimes seemingly improbable (but oh-so-real!) challenges that the world of management throws our way. In each episode, you'll find tips to gain some perspective and expertly navigate through your tricky managerial situations
On today's menu, an essential subject when managing a team: recruitment.
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🛶 Today's challenge: How to recruit without screwing up?
As a manager, you're on the hunt to recruit a new team member. You're not just looking for any candidate; you're searching for an A player. With several applicants lined up,
How can you ensure you make the best decision?
⛔ Watch out for dumplings!
What we want to avoid:
The person who seemed perfect in the interview but actually oversold their skills!
This candidate with an impressive resume whose arrogance quickly irritates the whole team 😑🔫
The person we hired in a hurry, even though we had doubts, and now we have to part ways…
That elusive unicorn candidate (or in French terms, a five-legged sheep) we keep searching for but never find 🐑
Source: Sors du lot blog
Of course, recruiting is a perilous exercise! And getting it wrong in recruitment can have serious consequences (even though, for us, it generates some great stories to tell😇).
How to successfully recruit?
Prepare for the interview (of course!)
Create an evalutation grid: the goal is to objectively assess the expected skills and attributes of the candidate.Those who will meet the candidates can fill out the grid with their observations, then compare their scores to make a collective decision. An example follows.
Prepare your set of interview questions: These questions should help you thoroughly understand the candidate's experience, skills, and motivations. It's preferable to use open-ended questions to evaluate more effectively the candidate's alignment with the job requirements and company culture.
Examples:
Tell me about the professional achievement you're most proud of
What experience pushed you the furthest out of your comfort zone?
What did you like and dislike the most about your past experiences?
Tell me about an experience where you worked in a team with people who had different values from yours. How did you manage to collaborate effectively?
What would make you leave immediately?
To further enhance skill evaluation, one of the most efficient approaches is using a scenario-based approach. This enables us to assess both the technical and behavioral skills of candidates.
Examples:
Expose the candidate to a situation they will encounter in the role and observe how they react and resolve the presented challenge.
Ask them to produce a typical deliverable (such as a Word or PowerPoint summary on a topic related to the job) to assess their ability to write and structure a document.
This assessment can be conducted verbally, in writing, or both; with prior notice or spontaneously. Importantly, always provide feedback to the candidate on their performance, whether it's positive or negative.
Embrace an open and authentic approach
Be transparent with the candidate: Clearly inform the candidate about the challenges they will face in the role. Also, share the more negative aspects of the job, such as repetitive tasks, interpersonal difficulties with another team, or tight deadlines. Share your vision and personal experience of your company. This will genuinely help them envision themselves in the position.
Put the candidate at ease: An interview is, foremost, a human experience! Can you imagine working closely with this person every day? Is your conversation natural and genuine? Trusting your instincts remains crucial in the decision-making process. 😉
Give the candidate time to assimilate and react: Throughout the interview, continually check if they have any questions. While you should answer these, it's also a way to gauge their curiosity, their prior research into the role or company, and what they prioritize
Making collective decisions without bias
It's essential that the candidate meets several individuals from the company, perhaps even members of their future team. This helps them grasp the operational dynamics and the group's ambiance. For team members participating in the recruitment, aiding in finding their future colleague is rewarding and motivating. It shows that their opinion is valued and they are trusted!
Example: You can organize interviews with three different individuals. Each completes their observation sheet and discusses their opinions after these interviews to collectively decide on the next steps
With these tips, you have every chance of finding the perfect fit for your team. It's your turn to make sure it's a mutual match! 😉
À for the next episode!
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This management situation explored with 💙 Onirio was told to you by Blandine Brielles