Finding the right person for the job takes creativity and preparation

2 May, 2019

Ted Coss shares ways to go beyond the standard job interview, resumes, and references to figure out how a candidate will perform in “real life.” 

Hiring talented people who perform well and are the right fit for an organization is an art.  It takes significant preparation on the part of the hiring manager, and, done well, goes beyond a phone screening and in-person interview.  For senior executive roles, the stakes are higher, with bigger salaries and higher performance expectations, so the recruiting and interviewing process should be handled with even more care and attention.

In a New York Times Business article, How to Hire the Right Person, author Adam Bryant recommends several strategies to get to know the candidate beyond just the surface level, and I wanted to touch on three of them in particular:  1) “Get away from your desk” 2) “Throw some curveballs” and 3) “Push for diversity.”

Starting with environment: while bringing candidates on-site is fine, does having them holed up in a conference room, or, your office, really allow you to see how they will act once they have the job?  Take the candidate on a tour of the office, introducing him/her to other employees in a less formal way, and you’ll have a better chance to see their personality. Through body language and conversation style, you’ll get a sense of whether or not the person is genuinely curious about your organization and observe how they relate to other people.

Bryant recommends taking the candidate out for a meal with members of the team. Others concur. “You learn so much in a meal,” said Carol Smith, publisher of Harper’s BAZAAR. “It’s like a little microcosm of life.” The candidate’s personality reveals itself during a meal, providing answers to key tests for Smith, like how well the candidate collaborates with the group.

Moving on to the interview itself, getting creative with your questions is a must.  “Smart candidates will be prepared for all the usual interview questions, and will try to find clever ways to turn any negatives into positives,” says Bryant.   One particular question that he recommended stood out to me: “What is the biggest misperception people have about you?”

The answers to this question will reveal candidates’ level of emotional intelligence and self-awareness. Do they know how they are perceived by others, even in ways that may not be an accurate reflection of who they are?  Tony Hsieh, the chief executive of Zappos.com, uses this question often. “I think it’s a combination of how self-aware people are and how honest they are,” said Hsieh.  “I think if someone is self-aware, then they can always continue to grow. If they’re not self-aware, I think it’s harder for them to evolve or adapt beyond who they already are.”  That being said, it is important to note that “perception is reality,” and how others perceive you is important, even if it isn’t accurate.

Another strategy Bryant suggests is to “push for diversity.”  He turns to Lisa Borders, President of the Women’s National Basketball Association, for insights. “I’m always looking for the opposite of what I am, for the most part,” she said. “I think so many of us, because of unconscious bias, hire people who look just like us, who have the same skills that we do, to complement us. That’s not a complement at all. That’s a duplicate. So I am often looking for the person who can complement the skills I already have.”

We know that hiring takes time and the desire to get to know a candidate in a meaningful way, but, when push comes to shove, trust your instincts.  Kris Duggan, CEO of BetterWorks, said it best: “What I’ve found from all the interviews I’ve done in the last 10 years is that whatever nagging suspicion you have during the interview process about their behavior will be magnified 10 times after you hire them.”

So, take the time – and remember this: hiring the right people can be a long game.  The effort is well worth it when you find that right person.

Are you searching for the right person for a critical role?   Let’s talk.