Individuals, whether they are hiring or applying, can take measures to maximise the likelihood of a good hire.
Here are some simple steps:
Be clear about what you are looking for: I have seen numerous examples of organisations who weren’t clear about the key, non-negotiable skills and personal attributes they were looking for. Some didn’t even know what the key accountabilities were.
Similarly, job applicants need to be really clear about why they are applying for the position, what their non-negotiable needs are, what they have to offer, and how they will add value.
The best people are not always the ones that gets hired, and the best employers don’t always get the employees they could get. Often this is because they make the mistake of not “blowing their own trumpet” enough during the recruitment process. Failure to thoroughly understand and then be able to communicate key strengths and “selling factors” is one of the main reasons people and organisations fail to achieve their goals. Someone once said that the recruitment process is a game – it is easier when you know the rules. A modest approach is not a winning strategy.
The power of passion: Don’t over value technical skills. Many people don’t apply for positions because they think they don’t have the work-specific skills or training. Smart employers recruit for passion and enthusiasm, because they know it’s easier to teach someone how to do something then it is to teach them to be motivated, and passionate about what they do.
Celebrate diversity: We all know that discrimination is illegal but it still happens. One recent survey showed that 80 per cent of human resource and recruitment employers had first hand experience of talented and appropriately qualified people being discriminated against in the job market. Employers and employees can really benefit by looking for the gold in diversity. As the population ages and new immigrants continue to come to New Zealand there will be a growing need for people who not only possess the skills we need but can also relate to our changing demographics. Like-hiring is not a winning strategy.
Don’t imagine your facts, do a reality test every step of the way: Reference checking is a well-known and vital part of any recruitment decision. A smart organisation does this 100 per cent of the time. But even this does not guarantee a 100 per cent successful hire, as the Maori Television Chief Executive hiring fiasco illustrated. Drilling below the surface and assessing peoples motives, interests, values, personality traits and attributes –all the stuff beneath the tip of the iceberg – requires a thorough, systematic approach. Using assessment centres, multiple job interviews, and psychometric testing may help.
Prospective employees should also “reference check” their new employer before taking the role. A smart move is to talk to people who have worked there or still work there, and ask them for a “realistic job preview” to find out what it is really like to work there. The economic, social and health costs of poor hiring decisions are too costly to ignore.
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