Transcript Picking Winners*
PICKING WINNERS KEVIN C. EICHNER
Picking Winners…
There is nothing more important to your success than hiring (and developing) great people. You can either hire smart or manage tough… but I’ve never met anyone who can manage tough enough. No matter how hard you try, you can never atone for a weak hiring decision.
Hiring can represent as much as 95% of a manager’s success
Strong & Weak Interviewers
Strong Interviewers:
Recognize two aspects of interviewing 1.
Info gathering – analytical, fact finding method 2.
Hiring decision – intuitive component reinforced by 8-10 factors of success
Weak Interviewers:
◦ Too emotional – 1 st impression/personality ◦ ◦ Overly intuitive – short cut the process (use a few factors/traits) Too technical – good at info gathering but weak with decisions (analysis paralysis)
95% made bad hiring decisions 95% said hiring is #1 or #2 in importance 95% don’t like the hiring process Everyone felt the interview process was inaccurate (57% accuracy in actuality) No decisions are made in 30 minutes or less (interviewers are confident, but not always accurate) Confident yes decisions are made in 1 – 3 hours # of different assessments = # of interviews 3 wks to 3 months to assess new hire competency
Hiring Attitude Survey
“Companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to reengineer a flawed process with error rates of 5 – 10%. One with a 20% error rate would be considered out of control and shut down! Yet the one process that is considered most important (staffing) has a 40+% error rate and we persist.
Process Reengineering & 6 Sigma
Hiring Accuracy
Hiring Accuracy
Hiring Accuracy
The accuracy of the hiring decision depends directly on whether a candidate is being measured on their ability to get the job or on their ability to do the job…
Get the Job
Personality 1 st impression Handshake Affability Confidence Assertiveness Appearance Extroversion Boss match
Do the Job
Initiative Team skills Competence Management Org skills Intellect Leadership Staffing Accomplishments
Type I & II Errors in Hiring
Very Good Not Very Good Very Good
Hired
Great Decision
Not Hired
Error II – Good Performer Not Very Good
Hired
Error I – Falls Short
Not Hired
Great Decision
Think of your last hires both internal and external.
Was there a difference in the process used?
In general, what process do you follow for external hires?
Are decisions made on a candidate’s ability to do the job or get the job?
Exercise #1 – Reflect on Your Hiring Practices
Objective – to develop a method for outside hiring that closely approaches the accuracy of internal hiring decisions.
Internal decisions – “doing” oriented; past performance dominates the decision External decisions – “having” oriented; based largely on the candidates background Some “have” but can’t “do”; others can “do”, but don’t “have”
Picking Winners
Having vs. Doing
Predictability Primary Hiring Decision Criteria Outside Hire
55 – 70 % Past Experience Skills & Academics Personality & 1 st Impressions Heavy Experience Globalize S&W
Underlying Difference
Having of Skills
Internal Move
80 – 90 % Past Performance Talent, Energy, Team Skills, Leadership, Potential Light Experience Balance of S&W Doing of Activities
“We must redefine job descriptions and postings to reflect what needs to get done rather than what a candidate needs to have.” Outcome-oriented rather than input oriented Better predictor of future performance
Having vs. Doing
More hiring mistakes are made in the first half-hour of an interview than at any other time. (delaying decisions by 30 minutes can eliminate 50% of hiring mistakes) First impressions are based on emotions, biases, chemistry, personality and stereotyping.
Staying objective is hard work!
Emotional Control
1
st
Impressions
When you think you’re going to enjoy the interview, you’re in trouble….
The relaxation response causes us to ignore negative data, globalize strengths, begin selling, and stop listening If we like someone, we don’t push hard enough.
Positive “Yes” Response
Some candidates bother you from the start.
You must fight through this initial characterization. Recognition is the first step to emotional control.
Keeping the emotional switch open is the key to an accurate, unbiased assessment.
The Negative Response
YES
◦ – we become relaxed & comfortable Ignore negatives ◦ ◦ Maximize positives Globalize strengths ◦ ◦ Stop listening Start selling
NO
◦ – we are bored, uncomfortable, uptight Ignore positives ◦ ◦ Maximize negatives Globalize weaknesses ◦ ◦ Stop listening Undersell the job
Emotional Switch
Performance (Doing the Job) Initiative, drive, talent, leadership, management, team skills, decision making, focus, results, intelligence, skills, vision
+
Character (Doing the Job Right) Honesty, commitment, integrity, responsibility, goal orientation
+
Personality (Working with the Team) Attitude, warmth, style, pace, affability, poise, social confidence, presence, dress
Basic Hiring Formula
The Top Down Approach
Reflect on your interviewing style. What emotional behaviors do you demonstrate?
How do you feel those behaviors are functional or disfunctional (how does being emotional work for you?) What are some ways that you could keep yourself more objective?
Exercise #2 – Staying Objective
Recognize your emotional state 20 minute phone interview Don’t start the interview right away Use a preplanned structured interview Measure 1 st impressions after 30 minutes Change your frame of reference Listen 4x more than you talk Treat the candidate as a consultant Talk about real work Use panel interviews
10 Ways to Stay Objective
Assessing past performance & job competency…
Performance = Talent x Energy (squared) + Team Leadership + Comparable Past Performance +Job-Specific Problem Solving
Performance-Based Interviewing
◦ Getting at the Performance Equation… Q1: Motivation (talent x energy) – Please think of the most significant accomplishment of your career Q2: Team Leadership – Please think of the most significant team significant accomplishment accomplishment of your career Q3: Past Performance – Please think of the most of your career Q4: Job-specificity – If you were to get this job, how would you solve this job-specific problem?
Performance-Based Interviewing
Assessing Past Performance:
◦ Develop a trend analysis to judge increases in performance and responsibility
Performance-Based Interviewing
Determine Job Competency
◦ ◦ Anchor Objectives: accomplishment” “We would like to accomplish {objective} during the next year. Tell me about your most significant related Visualize Objectives: accomplish this objective ?
“As we’ve discussed, {objective} is an important aspect of this position. If you were to get the job, what additional information would you need to know and how would you
Performance-Based Interviewing
Funnel Your Questions
Observing good visualization: Job-specific problem-solving Verbal communications Reasoning and thinking skills Adaptability and flexibility Self-confidence Insight and job knowledge Creativity Organizational skills Logic and intellect
Performance-Based Interviewing
Unlock Character/Values
◦ “Tell me about a time that you were totally committed to a task.” The ability to persevere under difficult conditions is an essential characteristic of top performers. It’s the character component of energy.
◦ Determine if commitment is to an individual, team or company.
◦ Much of this is revealed in the other portions of the interview
Performance-Based Interviewing
Personality and Cultural Fit
◦ ◦ ◦ Personality is, in an absolute sense, unimportant. How candidates used their personality in achieving results is what’s really important.
“What three adjectives best describe your personality? Give me examples of when these traits have aided you in performing your job. When have they hurt?” (Sizzle alert!) Look for change, growth, and candor.
Performance-Based Interviewing
Think of an important position in your organization that needs to be filled.
What are the specific competencies that drive performance for that position?
Develop some specific questions that can be asked to determine a candidate’s job competencies for that position.
Now funnel to the next level.
Exercise # 3 – Selecting Performance Objectives
Hiring is not at the top of the list of fun things to do…so there is a natural tendency to “short-cut” the process.
Completing the 10-Factor assessment doesn’t take any extra time, especially if you become familiar with it and integrate it with the interview.
All 10 are important…don’t make a decision without considering each factor.
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Energy, Drive, and Initiative
◦ Don’t compromise here….universal trait of success.
◦ ◦ ◦ Key to personal success is to do more than required.
Low-key candidates do not necessarily lack energy and enthusiasm.
Look for special projects and extra effort in those with little experience
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Trend of performance over time
◦ Examples of major accomplishments and org changes for the past 5-10 years ◦ ◦ Excellent candidate has had comparable jobs and is showing upward growth Also look at staff size, complexity of issues, standards of performance, rate of company growth and level of sophistication
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Comparability of past accomplishments
◦ Anchor the SMART objectives ◦ ◦ Use work-type profiling to ensure a good match Make sure each interviewer has a copy of the SMART objectives with them during the interview
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Experience, Education, Industry Background
◦ Strong experience and education can sometimes offset a weaker accomplishments rating ◦ ◦ Examine experience in the context of the environment Direct industry experience and education deserve some extra credit
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Problem solving and thinking skills
◦ Understanding the work, solving job-related problems, anticipating needs ◦ ◦ Ability to use previous knowledge and experience in solving problems Quality of questions asked ◦ Use the visualization approach
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Problem solving & thinking skills
(cont..) ◦ Candidates should exhibit high intelligence..
Technical intelligence: strong analytical skills, processing of detailed info and systematic thinking Tactical intelligence: marshalling resources, getting team results, practical solutions, bottom line focused Strategic/Creative intelligence: thinking/planning future, understanding long-range consequences, conceptualizing ideas, big picture, out-of-the-box.
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Overall talent, technical competency and potential
◦ Represents candidate’s ability to grow, develop and take on bigger roles.
Thinking skills: job specific problem-solving Business understanding: holistic view of organization Technical skills: ability to apply or learn job specific skills
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Management and Organization
◦ Managed, built and developed groups of similar size (to job) and achieved similar results ◦ ◦ ◦ Use project to get at organizational skills Use org charts to find a pattern of building, developing and managing strong teams Beware of candidates who complain about team, talk about management success in general terms, or who have lots of team turnover
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Team leadership – persuasion & motivation
◦ Ability to tap and harness the energy of others.
◦ ◦ ◦ Two dimensions The subordinate team Peers/subordinates in other departments/outside Extroversion vs. introversion Attitude and confidence
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Character – values, commitment, goals
◦ Summarizes a persons integrity, honesty, responsibility, openness, fairness in dealing with others and personal values ◦ Adler recommends saving for last Ask basis of personal values system Ask why they want to change jobs Look for goal setting/achievement pattern Ask how candidate is getting ready for promotion Look for frank and open responses
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Personality and cultural fit
◦ Look for accomplishments and flexibility in a variety of contexts ◦ ◦ Use ABC to determine the preferred relationship pattern Personality should be used for disqualification (ie: conflict, ego, inability to work with others)
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Fatal Flaws…
◦ Management role doesn’t seem to be growing ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Too assertive Dominant or stern personality Extremes in behavior –too analytical, too friendly, too persuasive Answers that are too general (sizzle) Too many I’s or we’s (balance)
10-Factor Candidate Assessment
Interviewer Professionalism
Weak assessments can be a result of a bad interviewer rather than a bad candidate Candidates judge the quality of the company and the quality of their potential supervisor by the quality of the interview and interview process Be prepared, be aware of emotions, train and assess interviewers, get written assessments of candidates, use at least an hour of discussion
Benefits of Strong Staffing
To the Company
Short Term
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Reduced turnover
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Increased Productivity Efficiency
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Legal Long Term
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More responsive
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More innovative
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Competitive advantage Flexible workforce
To the Manager
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Short Term
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Save time
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Natural transition Clarify expectation Basis of PM Long Term
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Become better mgr Stronger staff More promotable More effective team
Everyone involved in the hiring process needs to build competencies in staffing. How will you embed the skills and processes for “picking winners” into your organizational culture?