6 Tips to Avoid Costly Hiring Mistakes

In the second scenario, Candidate B arrives in town early one evening and well-rested for her meeting with the VP of nursing the following morning. They discover that they are both from the Midwest and graduated from the same university. In this case, the VP delivers an effusive report to the CFO when she speaks with him, setting a markedly different stage for the CFO’s interview with Candidate B. Clearly, chemistry and travel circumstances have already assumed major roles in the process, potentially overshadowing the actual qualifications and accomplishments of the candidates. Similar scenarios are repeated daily during executive interviews.

2. Move from the Subjective Toward the Objective

No assessment process can be purely objective, nor is complete objectivity necessarily desirable. After all, chemistry and “fit” does matter, even if it does not guarantee on-the-job success. But rather than carry an inappropriately heavy weight in the final decision, the positive connection that an interviewer feels with a candidate should merely form the starting point for a more in-depth, substantive selection process.

Before initiating an executive search, organizations should develop a comprehensive success profile that incorporates critical experiential, cultural and personal elements. Key components include prior experience, attributes, leadership style, education, and the competencies required to succeed in the job. Most importantly, these descriptors should be detailed and thorough—not broad and general. This profile should be used to drive a more objective assessment process, with the goal of identifying the candidates who bring translatable experience from an environment of similar size, scope, and complexity.

Ideally, the profile should utilize input from human resources management, executives the new hire would report to, subordinates, and, depending on the responsibilities and level of the position, the board of directors and physician stakeholders. Some organizations find it valuable to involve a third-party source such as an executive search consultant to help them evaluate and define their needs.

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