Essentials To Hiring The Best
The Essentials to Hiring The Best is based on the successful beliefs, attitudes and processes of organizations who have made selection a core competency of their business. “Hiring” includes all people selections – promotions, transfers, team appointments, as well as new hires.
Essential 1: Every opening is seen as an opportunity to improve the organization.
Successful organizations view selection as an opportunity, and as a core people competency. The essentials, in order to be fully and effectively implemented, require the belief that every selection is an opportunity to improve the organization..
Essential 2: A sense of urgency exists on every open position.
If the belief is that an opening is an opportunity for the organization to improve, then every day that it remains unfilled takes one more day away from the potential improvement.
Essential 3: The selection process is front end loaded.
Take the time to develop what the position needs rather than have the applicant pool make that decision for you. A well planned and developed position requirement and process create the conditions that make the selection process proceed faster, better and at less cost in time, energy and money.
Essential 4: On every opening but true entry - level positions, first consideration is given to current employees.
First consideration to existing employees is a priority and the process of consideration is made as transparent as possible. Nothing encourages retention, accomplishment and high quality referrals more than the knowledge that opportunities to get ahead exist.
Essential 5: Time and money and effort are not used as indicators of success or effectiveness in selection.
4 to 6 evaluative interviews by skilled people with clear knowledge of the position and specific goals for their interviews can an should be the basis for most selections.
Essential 6: Every opening has a process driver.
What does that mean? A process driver is someone who keeps the sense of urgency at a high level; pushes the hiring manager; and coordinates the process to see that the opportunity to select does not get put on the backburner. This accountability requires an aggressive, sense of urgency person. Without this person and this accountability, selection can and will fall through the cracks, or result in a less than optimum decision.
Essential 7: The Hiring Manager is the decision maker in the hiring process. At the end of the day, and after all the other inputs are in, the hiring manager is the person responsible for deciding on who the selection will be. The hiring manager is also accountable for the results of the hiring decision.
Essential 8: Managers and interviewers are skilled in selection tools and techniques.
The people involved in the selection process are skilled evaluative interviewers who have defined roles and goals in the interview and selection cycle Intuition is an essential part of any selection decision, but intuition needs to be enhanced through personal and organizational preparation and understanding of what is being looked for in a candidate. Many solid candidates have been turned down because of misunderstandings over position requirements and personal non - job related biases.
This kind of development is not limited to understanding the law – which is important. It includes having the tools and techniques to ask penetrating questions, understand behavior signals and focus on accomplishment and achievement as the basis for coming to a conclusion and recommendation.
Essential 9: Assessments are a critical part of the selection process and are used to provide critical support information to the perceptions and recommendations of the interviewers.
The use of assessments to develop a picture of what are called “personal skills, attitudes and behaviors” is a very high leverage part of the selection process. Most people do not fail in their positions because of a lack of formal training, education, experience or skill, but because of less obvious issues – and most of those issues revolve around their ability to work with and through people, and build effective working relationships. Assessments are a powerful tool to answer behavior, attribute and attitude questions.
Essential 10: If a mistake is made, it is fixed as soon as possible.
Even the best of processes result in a mistake being made from time to time. In the best of processes, the mistake is identified and action to correct it is taken as soon as the mistake is determined. Selection decisions that don’t work and aren’t dealt with decisively have a way of infecting an organization, and reducing morale and effectiveness.
Essential 11: Reference checks are an absolute in every selection – internal or external.
On new hires, educational records are always checked and the hiring manager always checks with former bosses. This is a more specific recommendation than the others in this article. But it is such a commonly ignored and critical thing to do that it needs to be included.
Essential 12: A commitment to the success of the person selected is made.
When someone is selected, as much effort is spent helping them be successful as was spent on the selection process. There is no tolerance for the old “throw them up against the wall and see if they stick” attitude toward selection. Careful selection creates a commitment to making the person selected successful – while evaluating the person’s performance at the same time.
Cox Consulting Group LLC; Ph: 602-795-4100; E Mail: CoxConsulting@msn.com; Fax: 602-795-4800.
The Essentials to Hiring The Best is based on the successful beliefs, attitudes and processes of organizations who have made selection a core competency of their business. “Hiring” includes all people selections – promotions, transfers, team appointments, as well as new hires.
Essential 1: Every opening is seen as an opportunity to improve the organization.
Successful organizations view selection as an opportunity, and as a core people competency. The essentials, in order to be fully and effectively implemented, require the belief that every selection is an opportunity to improve the organization..
Essential 2: A sense of urgency exists on every open position.
If the belief is that an opening is an opportunity for the organization to improve, then every day that it remains unfilled takes one more day away from the potential improvement.
Essential 3: The selection process is front end loaded.
Take the time to develop what the position needs rather than have the applicant pool make that decision for you. A well planned and developed position requirement and process create the conditions that make the selection process proceed faster, better and at less cost in time, energy and money.
Essential 4: On every opening but true entry - level positions, first consideration is given to current employees.
First consideration to existing employees is a priority and the process of consideration is made as transparent as possible. Nothing encourages retention, accomplishment and high quality referrals more than the knowledge that opportunities to get ahead exist.
Essential 5: Time and money and effort are not used as indicators of success or effectiveness in selection.
4 to 6 evaluative interviews by skilled people with clear knowledge of the position and specific goals for their interviews can an should be the basis for most selections.
Essential 6: Every opening has a process driver.
What does that mean? A process driver is someone who keeps the sense of urgency at a high level; pushes the hiring manager; and coordinates the process to see that the opportunity to select does not get put on the backburner. This accountability requires an aggressive, sense of urgency person. Without this person and this accountability, selection can and will fall through the cracks, or result in a less than optimum decision.
Essential 7: The Hiring Manager is the decision maker in the hiring process. At the end of the day, and after all the other inputs are in, the hiring manager is the person responsible for deciding on who the selection will be. The hiring manager is also accountable for the results of the hiring decision.
Essential 8: Managers and interviewers are skilled in selection tools and techniques.
The people involved in the selection process are skilled evaluative interviewers who have defined roles and goals in the interview and selection cycle Intuition is an essential part of any selection decision, but intuition needs to be enhanced through personal and organizational preparation and understanding of what is being looked for in a candidate. Many solid candidates have been turned down because of misunderstandings over position requirements and personal non - job related biases.
This kind of development is not limited to understanding the law – which is important. It includes having the tools and techniques to ask penetrating questions, understand behavior signals and focus on accomplishment and achievement as the basis for coming to a conclusion and recommendation.
Essential 9: Assessments are a critical part of the selection process and are used to provide critical support information to the perceptions and recommendations of the interviewers.
The use of assessments to develop a picture of what are called “personal skills, attitudes and behaviors” is a very high leverage part of the selection process. Most people do not fail in their positions because of a lack of formal training, education, experience or skill, but because of less obvious issues – and most of those issues revolve around their ability to work with and through people, and build effective working relationships. Assessments are a powerful tool to answer behavior, attribute and attitude questions.
Essential 10: If a mistake is made, it is fixed as soon as possible.
Even the best of processes result in a mistake being made from time to time. In the best of processes, the mistake is identified and action to correct it is taken as soon as the mistake is determined. Selection decisions that don’t work and aren’t dealt with decisively have a way of infecting an organization, and reducing morale and effectiveness.
Essential 11: Reference checks are an absolute in every selection – internal or external.
On new hires, educational records are always checked and the hiring manager always checks with former bosses. This is a more specific recommendation than the others in this article. But it is such a commonly ignored and critical thing to do that it needs to be included.
Essential 12: A commitment to the success of the person selected is made.
When someone is selected, as much effort is spent helping them be successful as was spent on the selection process. There is no tolerance for the old “throw them up against the wall and see if they stick” attitude toward selection. Careful selection creates a commitment to making the person selected successful – while evaluating the person’s performance at the same time.
Cox Consulting Group LLC; Ph: 602-795-4100; E Mail: CoxConsulting@msn.com; Fax: 602-795-4800.
No comments:
Post a Comment