New Managers: Hiring Process

The bug to write has bit again. 

There aren’t a ton of quick resources nor do many orgs place a lot of emphasis on training for new managers. I’ve done a good bit of candidate prospecting and hiring over the last year so I’ll write through a bit through that lens across a few posts. I’m no expert but do have some thoughts on the subject.

You’re at a point where you must hire someone. What does that process look like and where do you even start?

I’d begin by contemplating the following

• Who you hire represents a $500k - $1M investment assuming they will be with you for several years. Make sure you give the process appropriate time & energy.
• “We hire people based on what they know and fire them for who they are.” Unknown original source but really like it. Don’t be so focused on skills that you miss warning signs of cultural fit and work ethic.  

After giving those a good think, here are some additional framework-y things to do some mental gymnastics on before you start. You will inevitably have to adjust as you go but limit how much of the plane you are building after it is in the air.

• Define what your process will be. How many rounds of interviews will you do, what will each emphasize, how many people and who will be on each, etc. What are your selection criteria?
• Connect with HR. Every org is different. The HR folks can clue you in on what’s in place and potential pitfalls. Make sure you have a good understanding of the entire process through their lens from position posting to anything they need coming out of interviews (ie notes, scorecards, etc) to how and how fast offer letters are processed. Who is handling communication and scheduling – you or them? Sync with them periodically while you are actively hiring.
• Many HR teams will offer to do phone screens for you. I’ve always done my own. Even candidates from recruiters. The more specialized/technical the position is, the more likely you’ll want to do your own as well would be my guess.
• See if a recruiter is an option. I wouldn’t use more than 2 or 3 though. Walk them through what you are looking for and check in with them on status of the folks they send your way. If you didn’t move forward with a candidate let them know why so they can try to adjust their screening process.
• Be calendar time aware, especially if you do several rounds of interviews. I’m a fan of multiple interviews (more later) but know your candidate is likely evaluating several opportunities simultaneously. Don’t let your process drag out forever. Convey this thought to your team if they are handling any scheduling.
• On that note let your candidates know what your process is. You might say something like “assuming we move forward at each step, our process looks like…” I’ve had several candidates say this was the first time they’ve had that happen. Crazy. Gives you a leg up on your competition.
• Time moves differently for candidates vs hiring managers. Make sure to keep in contact with them. If you’ve done an interview but have several more candidate interviews lined up, let the person know it will be a few days/a week before they will hear from you again.
• Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. What happens if you’ve selected your top candidate, you’ve cut the others loose, and your candidate doesn’t accept the job offer?
• Recognize that a candidate doesn’t really turn into an employee until they’ve been in the job for 2-3 months. It could be they were interviewing with several orgs and while yours was the offer they accepted first maybe other offers have come in.
• Don’t be afraid of or discount a candidate if you can’t pronounce their name. Seriously. Look at them with the same lens as everyone else. This could warrant its own post of course but…there be dragons.

I plan to write at least a segment on position descriptions and conducting interviews. What’s missing from the items above though?