12 Hiring Tips

Making crucial decisions based on a "gut feeling" is a time-honored tradition that is used in many different fields. Whether it's a baseball manager making a pitching change because he "likes the match-up" or choosing an ice cream flavor based on what it looks like, many people make gut-based decisions.

When it comes to hiring an employee, however, it's best to be a little more careful.

In their book "Being Buddha at Work," Franz Metcalf and B.J. Gallagher wrote that hiring managers pay too little attention to a job applicant's work history, ability to learn and grow, and ability to work well with others. In addition to these skills, Metcalf and Gallagher suggest 12 other tips to enhance your hiring process:

• Don’t limit your search to obvious candidates.
• Be clear about what is required in the job.
• Consider what it takes to be successful in your particular organization and/or department.
• Involve many people in the interview process.
• Ask behavioral questions. The best predictor of future performance is past performance. 
• Don’t use hypothetical questions.
• Hiring is a two-way process. Make sure the candidate has an opportunity to ask lots of questions.
• Don’t be in a hurry to hire. Haste in the beginning can be costly later.
• Use job tests when you can, whether it’s a typing test, a computer simulation, or a role-playing scenario.
• Be sure to consider the candidate’s future potential.
• Be honest with the candidate about the nature of the job as well as future growth potential.
• Look especially careful at someone who interviews well or tries to get away with glib answers to questions. This individual may be good at interviewing, but make sure he/she has other skills to back up those interviewing skills.