Hiring can be a tricky process. I have found some principles that work for me.
We don't have to like each other, but we must respect each other. A lot of leaders make the mistake of hiring people they like rather than people they respect. They end up choosing individuals just like themselves, duplicating their own strengths and weaknesses.
Hiring is often a disagreeable chore because it comes at a bad time. We are disappointed that someone has just left; we're short-handed and eager to fill a vacancy before the roof falls in. So we do not select carefully; we rush things.
Actually, the higher the position to be filled, the more time we should spend filling it. We have a responsibility to the persons we choose, because if they don't work out, we will have to replace them.
The hiring person should be the buyer, not the seller. If the interview does not result in a hire, the interviewer has not failed — it wasn't a sales situation. I refuse to hire a person who does not say something along the way that makes me hire him. I assume this person will not make it until I am convinced otherwise. When it comes to hiring, I am not trying to be benevolent; I am on a search for outstanding qualities.
The search takes time. The right person may not convince me in the first twenty minutes. If I am hiring a man, I like to travel with him. You can find out so much on a three-day trip. You gain insight into the person's physical energy. You find out whether he has a large intellectual cup or a small one. A person with a small intellectual cup is quickly satisfied; he listens to a ten-minute sermon or presentation, and he's set for the week. No curious questions, no asking for proof of your statements, no ongoing dialogue; his cup is already full. It is important to know the level of intellectual curiosity and mental capacity.
On the road, I also notice how courteous a person is. I watch how he treats doormen, taxi drivers, and waitresses -tipping is a big indicator. I see how careful the person is about being on time. I simply cannot work with someone who does not respect a schedule. Perhaps I learn the most by riding with the person as they drive. An automobile magnifies the average person's sense of power. I see the thinking pattern. If he drives in a constant state of emergency, slamming on his brakes, speeding up to get out of some body's way, or wandering from lane to lane, I make a mental note that this person is not a good planner. He doesn't look ahead and watch the patterns form in advance.
If he berates other drivers for creating a problem, or if he constantly harps against the city for how it maintains the streets, this tells me something else. It tells me this person has a hard time accepting problems and circumstances beyond his control. Successful people work within the limits of what they can control and don't waste their energy on other things.
In the car, I also notice the person's respect for property. The way he or she treats an automobile tells me how he will treat my company's equipment in the future. I'm amazed at the people who will run right over a chuckhole; either they are not watching the road way, or they don't want to make the effort to avoid the hole. Again, this is not a good managerial mentality. Do you think I am too exacting? I simply want to know what to watch out for. My philosophy is to utilize a person's strengths and buttress his weaknesses. But until I know the weaknesses, I cannot do anything to buttress them.
The whole idea of evaluation is to be objective. Hence, prejudice is out—but so is tolerance. The art of good management is to avoid being surprised. If I do not evaluate people to the best of my ability, I will face constant surprises.
I believe in going all the way back to check school records, because winners start winning very early. They form good habits, they show a sense of responsibility, they respond well to authority, they are able to organize themselves. A Harvard study of business people showed that, actually, there are very few late bloomers. The things that make for professional success are usually apparent in student days. I also believe in running a credit check. I'm very interested in whether a person pays bills promptly or not.
Furthermore, I have learned that multiple interviews are helpful, using other people who have good intuition. Some people have a knack for asking very clear questions that seem to plumb the depths of a person. I also want the immediate supervisor and colleagues to interview the prospect. They should help make the decision—it is good to get them on record recommending the newcomer. They will accept him or her with a great deal more grace; they will help him along and create a good environment, because they have a stake in his success. When a new person starts having problems, I have been known to challenge those who helped me interview as to why—and then watch them work very hard to get him out of his problems!
We must always be careful, and we must not be arrogant about our own ability to choose people. Most of us can be conned. Most of us tend to want to sell the job and make everyone happy. We must force ourselves to be deliberate and objective.
