Added August 24, 2006Discovery #1
It is your job to discover, learn, all you can about the candidates prior to offering them a position. The more you know, the greater the likelihood of success for both of you. The less you know, the greater the likelihood of failure and a mis-hire. Work hard to discover all you can in advance. After the hire it is too late.
In Proverbs 12:1 it is written, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge.” Success with a hiring system requires discipline. Discipline, without knowledge is simply a set of rules and order with no results. Your hiring system must produce positive results. The system must be designed so that you have time and opportunity to discover all you can prior to the job offer. Also in Proverbs 18:15 it is written, “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.”
In order to effectively discover all you can about your job candidates, you have to have planned methods and activities. You also have to be excellent listeners. It never ceases to amaze me how much time interviewers waste in an interview by talking too much. I will never understand this compulsion on the part of interviewers to continually sell their company to the candidate. How can you learn about the candidate when you are talking? The hiring process is not a sales process. You are not charged with the responsibility of making a sale. You are charged with the responsibility of finding the right fit and match. The only way you can do that is to ask questions and listen. And unfortunately, the higher the person’s position in the company, the more they feel a need to talk.
I recall a time when a person tried to justify his time spent selling his company to the candidate. He sincerely believed they needed to know the whole story. I told him I agreed with him. But, you do not use interview time to talk about your company. Give the candidates printed packets of information along with your web site address. It is then their job to discover about your company not your job to tell them or sell them. Candidly, if you have to sell them then you need to take a hard look at your company. You have some issues that need to be resolved before you hire any more people.
