To make real, considered, job focused choice the basis for hiring the right people three Elements need to be in place.
1 – Start with a written blueprint of the position. Not just a Job Description, although that's an important part of the blueprint. I mean a profile of the job and what attributes and qualities are needed for success. And a written statement of the top 3 to 5 accountabilities of the job is a must, as is the participation and buy in of the stakeholders to the development of the profile of key accountabilities, attributes and qualities.
2 – An active recruiting campaign to provide choice in the form of vetted candidates that meet the “Must Have” requirements developed in Element 1.
3 – A process for selection that relies on the skill, experience and a shared understanding of what's needed for the job on the part of a selection team using tools and techniques that help select the right people for the right jobs.
These three elements create the space for choice to work and guard against the kind of snap decisions based on biases and emotions that often lead to failure.
The following is a real world hire decision that illustrates the negative consequences of acting in haste.
A newly hired Division President needed a General Manager for one of the five operating units reporting to him. He filled the position very quickly. He selected a transfer from another division of his new employer who had been mentioned as a candidate by a corporate HR person. The basis for the HR recommendation was the candidate having asked what it took to get promoted. The President was impressed with the way the candidate arranged his transport to the interview – all the way from Hartford CT to Boston MA, his fast walking and fast talking, and his immediate availability. On that basis the President hired him. For the candidate it was a big promotion into a troubled business that needed technical and leadership expertise if it was to survive. Contacts in the division he had come from were mystified at his promotion. He was described as a “dud.” He lasted two years, never relocated to Boston, and finally resigned just before he was going to be fired. The damage he and his boss did resulted in the operation being consolidated with another operation in a western state, and over 200 employees in Boston losing their jobs.
This new President had a pressing need, he had very little knowledge of the organization, and he had no developed contacts or processes within his new corporation to help him vet candidates. He also had as a model a former boss who routinely made snap hire decisions and then fired people as soon as it became apparent he had made a mistake. Absent any other information, this new President assumed that behavior was the way to do things.
The three Elements – a job blueprint, a recruiting campaign, and a selection process can create choice and protect from the kind of snap decision this President made. When it's tempting to act in haste, the three elements can be a real aid to creating space for a reality check – and providing the tools for real choice.
It's surprising how often hiring decisions are made in haste based on pressing needs and biases that have nothing to do with success in the job. Inventory your own choices in selecting the right people, and then use the three Elements to improve your success in selecting the right people for the right jobs.
Written by Andy Cox, President
Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100;E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com
Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved
Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100;E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com
Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved
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