It’s spaghetti night -- you’re looking forward to whipping up a tasty meal for your family. You open the fridge for green pepper, mushrooms and salad fixings, then the pantry to grab the sauce and the pasta…where IS the pasta? Uh oh.
You almost have everything you need to make a delectable meal -- but you're missing something vital - spaghetti without spagetti is just sauce.
So you settle. What was going to be a hot meal turns into a salad supper for your family - you've made the best of what you had, but it's not what you intended, and it's not ideal.
Employers face this scenario every day in their hiring process. An unexpected opening in a key position means the rush is on to find a replacement. And just like our frustrated chef, the hiring manager may "make do" with what she finds.
Busy employers hire the person whose background sounded good and who was very nice and communicative in the interview.
But before long, they discover that the new employee is missing key ingredients: he’s abrupt with customers, lacks discipline, can’t follow directions and is defensive anytime his manager offers feedback. Things are not going according to the plan.
The candidate seemed great in the interview and the entire interview team liked him. How did everyone miss these key ingredients?
Back in the grocery store, you're usually in a rush, didn't make a list - and, if you're shopping with others - they are just as busy considering options and making selections as you are. The shopping experience is confused and harried. You leave the store with some things you don't need, you've spent more than you intended and you are missing some key ingredients. But you won't know that until you try to make dinner.
How can you make sure that you have the right ingredients when hiring someone new?
Follow this shopping outline:
- Start with the vision - create a ‘meal plan’. The ‘meal plan’ is essential and includes the five key results, summary statements of what must happen in the job, in order for the job to be successful. There's a sample list of key results for a Sales VP at the bottom of this article.
- Share the ‘meal plan’ with the interview team and with each candidate. Make sure the interview team agrees with and understands the key results the job must deliver.
- Create a ‘shopping list’ and share it with the interview team. Create a list of strengths required for success in the position.
- Train your interviewers how to ‘shop’ (interview). Nervous interviewers, who don’t have a ‘meal plan’ or ‘grocery list’, tend to talk too much, say illegal things and put all their personal preferences ‘into the cart.’ Train each interviewer how to do it right.
- Check the cart before leaving the store. Use validated-for-hiring talent assessments, detailed reference interviews and background checks on every new hire.
Make sure you have what is needed for success in the position before you ‘leave the store.’
The first step to hiring right is to start out right---have a clear vision of success for the position that can be clearly articulated to the interview team and your candidates -- you’ll never have to settle for just a salad again.
Sample Key Results
Sales VP at growing technology company
| #1 Priority |
Takes complete ownership, creation, management and communication of our sales strategy. |
| #2 Priority |
Brings a sense of urgency to ensure delivery of successful revenue results. (Position holder spends largest amount of time on this result) |
| #3 Priority |
Effectively manages, motivates and develops the sales team. |
| #4 Priority |
Brings significant software sales knowledge across multiple funnels and channels to the position to guide the executive team. |
| #5 Priority |
Institutes efficient and measurable sales analytics that tell us the what, how and why of the sales process, with a focus on shortening the sales cycle and increasing the conversation rate from lead to sale. |
Job Benchmarks - Creating the Shopping List
Priceless Professional Development
Priceless Points
June, 2006
