Hiring the Right Person

Getting It Right (cont.)...

Make sure the list has what your requirements really are.

Before you can say you have the minimum requirements, turn the question around and ask if a candidate showed up missing any one of those must-haves, but also has one of the nice-to-haves, would you still hire him? If the answer is yes, then one (or more) of those must-haves is really a nice-to-have. Adjust your list accordingly.

Now do a similar process on the nice-to-haves. The difference is that here you are asking if one of these is really a must-have. After you have determined that, then try to prioritize them from most-important nice-to-haves to least important. Since hiring is always a series of trade-offs (I have never met the ideal candidate), this will help you later when evaluating the candidates.

And what about the cannot-haves? Don't lose the list. It may be just a silent checklist you use as you craft the interview questions or conduct the interview. Sometimes it will be stated explicitly in the job posting ("no visible tattoos" might be one if the position is dealing with certain segments of the population). Just be sure that you don't run afoul of discrimination laws with your cannot-haves. Remember, too, that you can often craft these cannot-haves in positive language that accomplishes your goal without sounding or being negative.

What else do you need to think about?

Please turn the page ==> 

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