Word on the Street

Some thoughts from Gail

"I was reflecting about what to write about on "Word on the Street" on my morning run and a perfect example came to mind of some of the dangers in hiring a new recruit that may have the technical experience that the company needs, but may not have the 'fit' for the business.

This is an important question. Which is more important? What are the risks to your business and your culture as a whole?

There are some real costs to the business, so some of the questions a hiring manager should explore prior to making a final decision would be:

Has the interview process been thorough and well prepared? Did I get the information I required?
How would I evaluate this person's 'fit' into the culture?
What are we as a business prepared to risk in terms of 'fit versus skills', what is not negotiable?
Psychological profiling? How necessary is this not only in terms of a more in-depth picture of the candidate, but what other benefits to the business would there be?
Verbal reference checks. How do I know if the person I'm speaking to is the relevant person and are the dates that have been given for the period of employment correct and verifiable? Have I included in the reference check the areas that have been flagged during the interview process and where applicable, the psychological profile? In the case of a verbal reference being completed out of our time zone have I got the business number not the personal out of hours number?
Am I now satisfied that I have enough information to make a decision?

We often see the end result of a recruit made by the business where insufficient time has been taken around the hiring of a new staff member - sometimes it is done in haste, sometimes the decision is made because 'so and so' knows this person and they are a "good sort" or someone else thinks they would be great for the business! Overseas reference checks need special attention to ensure that you are not talking to the prospective candidates friend who may well have worked with them but is not the appropriate person to be speaking to. Call the business during business hours. If the person is not with that business try and get another name of a senior person who is still employed as well as the referee they have given. It is amazing what distance can do to spin a tale!

Go Fish Talent works with its clients to minimise the margin of error. There are a range of effective tools that can be used.

We all know what the cost of a bad hire is in terms of the impact on internal and external customers, the damage done to the brand and quality of service, and the cost of exiting a bad hire. Take the time up front to ensure that each new recruit is adding to the capability and performance of your business as well as aligning with your culture and values.

It is time well spent."

Word on the Street is up-dated regularly with thought provoking and relevant HR topics. If you have anything in particular you would like Gail to review or comment on please contact us through our Contact Us page