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Making good hiring decisions is one of the most challenging tasks for an organization. There is a lot of uncertainty and unpredictability involved in bringing new people into the company. Even the most impressive candidates during the interview process can turn out to be an absolute nightmare costing the company time, money, and even customers. So, in the absence of a magic 8-ball to select the right employees, how can firms make good hiring decisions?
Some companies do not have a methodical approach to hiring while others use off-the-shelf expensive recruiting processes and software that may not even be the right fit for them. To be effective, companies must implement a robust hiring process that meets the specific needs of their organization. The process does not always have to be elaborate and expensive.
The 360⁰ Recruitment process is a holistic yet practical employee selection method that provides a rigorous and reliable structure to meet the hiring needs of a company of any size. The process can be customized to meet the unique hiring challenges of any business or industry. The primary objective is to get a more complete picture of the candidate being hired. This process is described below.
A lot of companies use standard cognitive ability tests and personality assessments during their hiring process. But what use are these assessments if they don’t accurately predict the job performance of the specific job they are hiring for? So, it is important that companies first identify the criteria that would predict job success. For this, companies should first conduct a job analysis to identify the Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviors (KSBs) that impact job performance. Once a thorough job analysis is completed and KSBs are identified, pre-employment assessment and interview questions should be developed to assess these specific attributes.
Companies don’t have the time and resources to interview all candidates. Preliminary screening enables companies to shortlist the pool of candidates. For this, a checklist based on the identified KSBs can be used and perhaps even embedded in the employment application. This way recruiters can quickly evaluate candidates and decide on who moves to the next round.
Those who pass the initial screening can be further evaluated using standardized assessments. In addition to being standardized (meaning the same assessments must be given to all candidates considered for the job), these assessments must also measure the specific KSBs identified as important for job success. If companies are unable to develop their own assessments, there are paid and free assessment options that can be customized to measure the specific KSBs of the job.
Candidates shortlisted through the assessments should be invited to a panel interview. A panel of interviewers, rather than a single interviewer, reduces individual biases in making hiring decisions. According to research, the most effective interview technique is the behavioral interview. This is where the interviewers ask candidates to give an example of how they have demonstrated the KSBs necessary for the job. To make apples-to-apples comparisons, it is important that all candidates are asked the same set of questions and the interviewers must use a standardized rating scale to rate the candidate answers to each question.
It is very important that the new employee is a good cultural fit for the company and has good chemistry with the rest of the team they will be working with. One way to measure fit is to have the candidates who are further shortlisted through the panel interviews meet with a group of co-workers. This will help both the current employees and the candidates to understand if it’s the right fit for them. For an accurate comparison, the team interviews must be standardized in terms of both the questions asked and the rating scale used to rate candidates.
Some hiring managers think of reference checks as a formality to complete after a hiring decision is made. This is a big mistake. Reference checks, if done correctly, can be very useful in determining if the candidate is a good fit and identifying any red flags. The 360⁰ reference check method is a technique that provides a holistic view of the candidate. It starts with a self-evaluation done by the candidate and several references are contacted to understand the candidate from different perspectives. For example, the candidate’s supervisor, their supervisor’s supervisor, co-workers, subordinates, customers, and personal/community references should be talked to. This method seems time-consuming, but the benefits far outweigh making the wrong hiring decision.
Job applicants are typically at their best behavior during the interview process. For both candidates and employers, it’s relatively easier to manage impressions during the short interview process. So, it would benefit both parties to allow the finalists to experience the job for a day (or even half a day). For the employers, this offers an on-the-job appraisal of the candidate. For the candidate, this helps them to get a real picture of how it is to work for the company. It is fair to compensate the candidate for the time worked and employers will be wise to restrict access to sensitive information.
Finally, the chosen candidate should be thoroughly vetted through background checks to verify educational, employment, and other records as applicable to the position.
References:
Vincent, V. (2019). 360⁰ recruitment: A holistic recruitment process. Strategic HR Review.
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/SHR-02-2019-0006/full/html