Any of these mistakes resonate with you and your company on-boarding practices?

Posted byedstillmanPosted inMy perspective
Do your retention rates compare to our members?

Hiring Top Talent – 10 Mistakes to think about…

Where can you improve?

Barry Deutsch Impact Hiring Solutions July 2022

  1. Inadequate Job Descriptions
    • List “success” expectations vs minimum qualifications
    • Measurable behaviors
    • When possible tie it back to company objectives
  2. Superficial Interviewing
    • Have probing questions
    • Validate candidate claims
    • When possible pay them well for a day, week or a month – trial employment
      • See if they meet & exceed expectations
      • See if they are a culture fit
  3. Inappropriate Prerequisites
    • Education level, years of experience is misleading for future success
    • Look for Humble, Hungry and Smart candidates (Patrick Lencioni’s book – The ideal Team Player, a must read)
  4. Snap Judgments
    • Possible 1st impressions may not deliver expected results
    • Negative 1st impression is not a valid way to dismiss a candidate
  5. Historical Bias
    • Basing selection on past performance or behavior interviewing
    • Focus on potential performance vs past performance
    • Gaining a commitment from candidates that I can and will do that is critical
  6. Performance Bias
    • Does the best actor get the job?
    • Prepared 20 minute presentation is not indicative of future job success
  7. Fishing in shallow waters
    • Job boards most of the time are full of the best of the worst
    • Focus in the deep end of the pool and excite candidates about your opportunity
  8. Lack of Probing Questions
    • The depth of the questioning will minimize embellishment and possible lies
    • “Tell me a time…” and “what would you do…” questions are difficult for the applicant to make up false or fake examples of performance
  9. Ignoring Candidates Needs
    • Performers want the opportunity to learn and have a strong impact
    • They want to become something greater for their time in the role
    • Working for an excellent boss and company with a strong culture and core values adds to the success factor
  10. Desperation Hiring
    • Cutting corners with the above best practice discipline will on average not yield an ideal candidate or long term employee
    • Define success and focus on selecting the right candidate

Related Resources

The CEO Pulse: Hiring Resource Center

If you are part of the Austin Business Community, we have 7 group chairs in Austin and 180 small to mid size business owners and senior executives developing their skills in becoming better leaders, making better decisions. Individual coaching sessions along with monthly meetings enables our CEOs to sharpen their ability to look around the corner before it’s too late.

In closing, after 16 years chairing in Austin Texas, it’s my belief our members have a significant advantage over their competitors that encourages me to encourage you to investigate becoming a Vistage CE member. There’s still time for you to meet and exceed your end-of-year expectations and set yourself up for greater success in the years to come.

Thanks for your time, Ed

ed.stillman@vistagechair.com

Published by edstillman

I grew up in Carlsbad, north San Diego County, lost my dad as a teenager, went into the USAF for four years and hired on with 3M in 1969. Received my AA from Santa Barbara City College, BA and Masters from Redlands University and after 33 plus years, I retired from 3M in 2002. As I look back on my life, I have been creating myself and developing my skill sets to be a business coach and a Vistage Chair. I am president of SEOT, a "personal improvement" consulting firm spending most of my time working with Central Texas executives running small to medium size for-profit companies who are focusing on improving their profitability greater than their competition. My area of interest is assisting senior executives in creating a better balance between business commitments and personal relationships. I also facilatate three leadership labs each consisting of a dozen owners, presidents and CEOs. We meet monthly both in a group setting as well as in a 1-to-1 coaching session. Our focus is to sharpen each others' skills in becoming better leaders, making better decisions and taking ourselves and companies to that next level. Who are we? My members are experienced top executives who recognize that they don’t have all the answers and who actively seek the company of successful peers—both to give and receive insights and ideas. My members mine the 200 plus years of chief executive experience that comes together in our monthly meetings and members are eager to offer their own experience and insights in the process. As a group, we spend our time exploring topics members can't discuss anywhere else. My members have many other places where they can engage in idle, "cocktail party" chatter. Our mission is to provide the setting for discussing the "undiscussable." Where or who can you go to for confidential, honest feedback to assist you in minimizing your personal "Worry List"?