Real Leaders

Your Hiring Manager May be Your Weakest Leadership Link

Serious man talking to his employees in office

Does this sound familiar?

  • You have a “B” manager trying to hire “A” players.
  • Managers make their hiring decision based on the first impression.
  • Manager and candidate bond because of similar likes (i.e., sports, college football, etc.), rather than the candidate’s qualifications.
  • Manager says: “Please sit down while I read your resume.”
  • Manager hires based on “I’m a good judge of character.”

This happens every day – even in the best companies. Too often, well intentioned managers are the weak link in your hiring process. And the cost is enormous – lost sales, poor customer service, safety issues, lower employee engagement, etc.

Training, while important, may not be the solution because most managers resort back to their old habits.  How to help hiring managers:

  1. Job descriptions are sooo yesterday! Essential, but not strategic. They provide only basic info – work history, education and the job’s duties and responsibilities, etc. Have the manager complete a Job Outlook form. Prior to starting the hiring process, capture the hiring managers’ strategic thoughts about the open position in writing and with their signature.
  2. Review your pre-hire assessments. Are you using yesterday’s tools for a vastly different business model (i.e., remote workers, Zoom meetings, work/life balance issues, etc)
  3. There are two types of onboarding. The formal one is where the candidate learns about the company’s’ vision, mission, procedures, benefits, and products. The informal onboarding is where the current employees teach the new person “the ropes.” If not aligned, it will directly affect the new employee’s success with the company.