Hire in Haste, Regret at Leisure

By BLR Founder and Publisher Bob Brady

In BLR’s nearly 30 years, I’ve hired a lot of people as we’ve grown to our present 225 employees. We have great people, from editors who get their kicks from analyzing regulations (yes, that can be fun!) to customer service reps who enjoy getting the billing and shipping exactly right. A couple of hires stick in my mind, though, not because they are examples of my brilliance. Rather, the opposite.

One candidate seemingly had every element of experience that we needed. She was perfect, and not just on paper. When she came in for an interview, she demonstrated mastery of every skill she claimed. We would have hired her just on her résumé, but the interview went swimmingly as well.

You can guess the rest. While her work skills were good, her attitude and behavior were not. We pointed this out to her, but she pointed out to us that her work product, her – “deliverables” – were A-OK. That she ran roughshod over peers, that suppliers avoided her, that even her boss dreaded dealing with her, well—that was their problem, not hers.

Eventually, of course, she was terminated. What went wrong, and could we have avoided it?

Looking back, one thing sticks in my mind: The problem started at the interview. We needed a particular job filled, and we concentrated on finding the right skills and skill level. That’s all I looked for. Her character, her personality, her behavior — those didn’t seem important.

There is an old saying that “you hire people for ‘what they know’ and fire them for ‘who they are.’” That was obviously the case here.

Getting a fix on “who people are” is the hallmark of an HR professional. Most of you are better at this than I am, but at the risk of being presumptuous, here are a few practices that have helped me.

Looking for Life Skills

When reviewing résumés and interviewing, I try to pose questions and create scenarios that look for evidence of “life skills.” For example, does the candidate:

* Possess clear direction and focus? If they can’t stay focused in the interview, expect the same on the job.

* Take responsibility for choices? If someone has always “had a bad boss” or “lazy co-workers,” don’t expect change.

* Have a commitment to lifelong learning? People who keep abreast of changes and implement new things are plusses.

* Invest time wisely? Candidates good at setting personal priorities will probably have the same skill at work.

* Have good thinking skills? No further comment necessary on this one!

* Manage emotions? People with savage tempers are obvious problems. But so, too, are Pollyannas.

* Listen twice as much as talk? Written and verbal skills are important, but listening skills are twice as important in most jobs.

* Enjoy productive relationships? This is an important indicator of a person’s ability to work effectively with team members.

Questions to Ask

Probing for life skills is not as difficult as it seems. Construct questions that probe, but don’t give away what you are looking for. I always try to find out if candidates have long-term relationships with past bosses, peers, teachers, etc. I also concentrate on if they listen to my questions. If you do this, you will find it easier to get a fix on “who people are” before you’ve wasted thousands of dollars hiring and training them, only to have to let them go.

See you next time. Have a great HR week!