How to Hire: Part I

One of the most difficult decisions any leader makes is determining which candidate, sometimes from among dozens, should be hired for a position. After all, what happens if you select an individual who ends up to be the wrong fit for your Corporate Family and then miss adding “the one” who might have worked out much better?

While we can’t guarantee perfection when it comes to future employee selection, we’d like to make a few recommendations that should help hone your hiring process.

First, we suggest you set the resumé aside during the interview process, “What? Are you kidding me? The resumé is all I’ve got to go by in deciding who I should hire!” We understand why some of you may be thinking this, but bear with us as we explain. The resumé should be the ticket into the interview. In other words, you and your team should thoroughly research each vita submitted, narrowing the field of candidates to those individuals whose technical skills meet the requirements of the position which must be filled.

How else can you determine what those finalists should look like? This is the second essential point for you to consider: the candidates must fit your Corporate Culture. As we discuss in our book, Corporate Family Matters, your company’s culture is comprised of its Values, Beliefs, and Behavior Patterns. So, each and every potential person invited to an interview should be evaluated in light of these three components of culture.

If you and your leadership team are unclear or not unified when it comes to your specific Corporate Culture, then now is the time to define and adopt these critical aspects to organizational success—before you hire another member to join your Corporate Family! Once these decisions are solidified, you will be ready to start that all-important interview process. Please look for a future blog, How to Hire, Part II, where we will discuss more specifics on how to fine-tune the hiring process.