Ten Biggest Hiring Mistakes

Prior to publishing our book, “You’re NOT The Person I Hired”we conducted an in-depth study of hiring practices in 134 different companies in the manufacturing, high-tech, distribution, retail and service industries. The study examined 225 executive-level hires to determine what worked well, what didn’t work well, and where most companies tend to stumble. Among its many findings, the study identified ten common hiring mistakes that plague companies of all sizes. You can get the complete survey for free by clicking here

Three Causal Factors contributed greatly to the root cause of these mistakes:

In most cases, the finding suggested these hiring mistakes are not caused by willful ignorance or negligence. Rather, hires that fail to produce the desired results are most often the result of a predictable combination of causal factors, including:

1) Inadequate preparation. The company fails to take the time to outline a detailed, measurable definition of “success” that can be used to source, evaluate and select candidates. Instead, most hiring organizations rely on outdated or insufficient job specs that merely list desired attributes, educational attainment and other minimally useful criteria.

2) Lack of information. Many hiring managers lack the information and training to hire effectively at the executive level.

3) Human nature. Interpersonal situations like interviews are often guided primarily by gut feelings. The hiring team that has not been trained to minimize these distractions is easily influenced by preconscious perceptions and nonverbal cues.

In most cases it’s a lack of replicable hiring process to improve outcomes.

An Methodology for Success

The solution.

All that’s required is a structured approach that enables companies to avoid the predictable pitfalls that plague many high-level hires. Based on our experience hiring thousands of executives, we have developed a methodology that consists of eight distinct steps:

1. Build a multi-faceted Success Factor Snapshotä to guide the entire search process. 2. Implement a deep sourcing strategy to reach and attract selective and sleeper candidates. 3. Identify and verify success prospects. 4. Create structured dossiers on selected candidates to enable objective, unbiased evaluation and comparison. 5. Conduct Success Factor-based panel interviews using a “magnifying glass” probe methodology. 6. Proactively address and overcome obstacles to hire throughout the entire active interviewing process. 7. Streamline compensation and benefit negotiations through structured interview-based preliminary groundwork. 8. Follow through on the hire with proven transition communication and work style assessment, coaching and facilitation.

Together, these steps comprise the “Success Factor Methodology,” (the content for our book, and our on-site hiring course ), a proven process for improving your ability to find, recruit and hire toplevel executive talent. Each step in the process requires the full collaboration of stakeholders in all the business units affected by the potential hire. But when you employ the methodology in a consistent and systematic manner, the outcome is a hire with a significantly increased likelihood of long-term success.

For more information on building a successful hiring process visit our website atwww.impacthiringsolutions.com

If you found this helpful please share with others. Also, please leave a comment to let us know if we are helping. Even, thanks, helpful, interesting or a short note is appreciated.