After recently sitting in on a webinar covering hiring “best practices,” I’d like to share with you (as a reminder) the key elements of the hiring process, which will lead to you making successful hiring decisions.
Most important, and coming from an assessment person, is to remember that hiring decisions should be based on four key areas, each weighing in between 25% to 30% in your decision-making process. And no, we are not including “really liking” someone as one of the factors (although it is a plus). We’re talking about resume screening, assessments/behavior and skills, interviews, and reference/background checks.
Key Factors in Hiring Decisions
1. Resume Screening
The resume is often the first point of contact between you and a candidate. Look for:
- Relevance: Ensure the candidate’s experience and skills align with your job description and company culture.
- Consistency: Verify that there are no unexplainable gaps or discrepancies in employment history.
- Accomplishments: You will want to see highlight achievements and contributions, not just duties.
2. Assessments
Utilizing assessments provides an objective view of a candidate’s skills, strengths, and position-specific concerns.
- Skills Tests: Evaluate technical and job-specific skills through practical tests. For years I have recommended Staff Testing for this — and still do.
- Behavioral Assessments: Determine cultural fit and work style compatibility. Winslow (which many of you successfully use) provides position-specific candidate insights and also professional development feedback for individuals should you decide to hire them. DISC and 12 Driving Forces will clue you in on communication and motivation.
- Cognitive Ability Tests: Measure problem-solving abilities and logical reasoning. There are cognitive abilities measured in the Alertness trait of the Winslow assessment. Staff Testing also includes cognitive tests.
3. Conducting Interviews
The interview is crucial for determining positional expertise, insights on how a candidate conducts themselves, and problem solving. Always dig deeper in your interviews than a candidate’s first answer by asking “Why or how?” “What happened next?” and “What would you do if….?” questions.
- Behavioral Interviews: Use the position fit feedback from the Winslow to focus interviews on position-specific candidate strengths and weaknesses.
- Technical Interviews: Test technical expertise and problem-solving skills. Again, Staff Testing has a number of office, technical, and operational skills tests. You may also give candidates an example of a technical issue you know they’re going to run into and have them walk you through the steps to solve or complete it.
- Panel Interviews: Involve multiple stakeholders to gain varied perspectives. Also, you may always schedule a call with me for candidate comparisons or debriefs.
4. Reference and Background Checks
Conduct thorough checks to ensure due diligence:
- Reference Checks: Contact previous employers to validate experience and performance. Here is a link to another post around reference checking.
- Background Checks: Verify the candidate’s education, criminal records, and other critical areas.
- Google Searches are also insightful. I once had a client hire someone who was acquitted for murdering his wife – and although yes, he was acquitted, there was still an aura of suspicion that my client would have preferred to avoid.
- Cultural Fit: Confirm that the candidate aligns with your company’s values and culture.
Effective hiring decisions are a multi-step process that requires attention to detail at every stage. By focusing on these four key factors, you will be able to select candidates who not only meet the job requirements but also contribute positively to your organization’s culture.
Feel free to reach out to me anytime with assessment questions, to discuss candidate results, or to develop coaching and engagement strategies.
Best –
Lindsay
