Sitting outside my office door, a manager is interviewing a candidate in a meeting room. He is talking loudly and non-stop. The manager did not ask the candidate any questions. Even if a question was forthcoming, the candidate couldn’t get a word in edgeways. How the manager thought this technique was providing good information about a candidate, I’ll never know.

Other managers use the technique that anyone who shows up, can state their name, complete paper work, and pass the drug test gets the job. Just another warm body.

Still others don’t feel it’s necessary to prepare. They have a few stock questions they ask every candidate and if the answers are even close, the job is theirs.

Being in a job interview is not news. However, it seems that being a good interviewer just might make headlines! We’ve all been in job interviews. It’s sad to say, but most of the time, the candidate is better at interviewing than the interviewer. Having a career in HR brought this fact home to me as the opportunity to observe both candidates and the hiring manager puts me, and now you, in a rare position of sitting on both sides of the desk.

Do you think you’ve hired a superstar and a dud shows up to work? How does this happen? Sometimes, you may ignore the information you have because the candidate assures you, they are a good fit for the job. Sometimes you fail to do all the upfront work necessary to ensure a good job fit and attract a superstar. Sometimes even candidates can be good “sales” people and you fall for the “hype.”  Sometimes you’re desperate to fill a position so you don’ have to do the job and you hire a warm body. How can your organization prevent these hiring faux pas and always hire the best fit for the job at hand?

Ahhhh the good old days. Job seekers would send their resumes either by mail or post them online, you would select the best two to three candidates out of the 200 and call them in for an interview. Sometimes the choice was difficult because most all the resumes were good, and the three candidates you bring in to interview are stellar .Finally you make your decision, you hire the best of the best, they prove to be a great hire, stay with your organization for 15 or 20 years and become an top executive.  Well, you can toss that outdated VCR in the trash. Some readers will need to Google “VCR”. What’s different today?

Employers are “putting on the dog” to attract new employees. There are sign on bonuses, enhanced health benefits, flexible schedules, better development programs, and more. The lack of talent is driving this. According to the Department of Labor, there are 4.2 million fewer workers and 10.9 million job openings. This demand is also being driven by the demands of those that are available for hire. Is all this an innovative idea or just an expensive trend with no real ROI?

All too often managers rush the hiring process just to get a warm body in a seat to reduce the workload on current talent. Then the fun begins. All too often when rushing the hiring process, the new hire turns out to be a poor fit for the position, a mismatch for your culture, or they have a bad attitude. Oh, and since one time saving trick was neglecting checking backgrounds you find the individual has a gift for exaggeration in the interview and on their resume and does not have the skills required to do the job. Failing to take time to administer an assessment, you now discover that that this person is missing some important attributes and they come in late, leave early, need to take time off right away for some “personal” events that need their attention more than the job. Wait, what do you mean you do not think this is fun? No fun indeed. What is the cure for this hiring dilemma?