Hiring Decisions – Quality Source Inc.

Hiring managers, heads up! This one’s for you … whether or not you’re working with a recruiter!

Finding the “perfect candidate” is a difficult task, to say the least. There are times when I can talk to 100 people just to find one person that is a “solid” fit for a client when it comes to skill set. Then let’s add in the “it” factor (soft skills) … personality, communication skills, chemistry, etc. Finding good people is SERIOUS business, folks! When we get a candidate that is stellar, we need to hustle! Sometimes it takes weeks, maybe even months just to find one!

So, let’s talk about some of the possible reasons for the “let’s see additional candidates” syndrome that we are faced with all the time. And, let’s be real about it. What is preventing you from pulling the trigger when the solution to your problem is right in front of you? Here are some possible reasons.

1) You’re simply indecisive
Okay, if this is you, be honest. No offense intended! If you can’t get past being indecisive, then you need to pull someone else into the process and keep it moving. Otherwise, you could cost the company a great candidate. Chances are you look for candidates that are decisive, so be an example!

2) Fear of failure – you’re averse to making an independent decision
Fear of failure is a bit different than being indecisive. If your managers have you involved in the interview process, it’s because they believe in you and value your input. Every hiring manager has made a bad hiring decision at one time or another. It happens. Don’t be paralyzed by it. You have far more to lose by being fearful than you do by pulling the trigger on someone that your gut is telling you is the right fit.

3) You don’t have confidence in the job description hence, hesitation on the “right fit”
There could be a couple of reasons for this. Either you started out with a bad job description (shame, shame), or you saw a candidate that made you rethink the job description. My advice is that if it’s the latter, HIRE THEM! Anyone that is good enough to make you rethink the structure of a position is someone that you want on your team. Pull the trigger!

4) You didn’t complete your own internal processes before opening the position to external candidates
Pet peeve here! This isn’t fair to anyone. The best thing you could ever do for employee morale is to have a policy of promoting from within. My advice, NEVER turn to external resources until you’ve exhausted your internal evaluation of talent. If you don’t have someone on staff that is qualified (for whatever reason), then, and only then, expand your search.

5) Something is going on internally that you cannot discuss and you’re trying to buy time
Okay, this is a tricky one. Of course, you never want to give any candidate an uneasy feeling about your culture. But, delay tactics are already giving candidates an uneasy feeling. You need to have a plan, something that is agreed upon internally. Share this information with those already in process, and / or with your external resources.

6) Someone on the “panel” is waffling
While I understand the need for panel interviews in certain situations, some companies take this way too far. The old adage, “you can’t please 100% of the people 100% of the time” rings true. (A) If you have people on your panel that are really not going to have much to do with the person you’re hiring, you need to reevaluate the panel. (B) Another thought would be to assign a point value to each panel member’s input. The closer they will work with the candidate of choice, the higher the point value. Determine a “passing” point value to help you reach decisions on your finalists.

CONCLUSION: I’ve touched on just a handful of reasons why the “let’s see additional candidates'” syndrome happens. And, if your working with a recruiter (internal or external) I understand the thinking. It goes something like this; “WOW, she found us a GREAT candidate. If she found one, she can find more.” Now, as a recruiter, I’ve suddenly risen to superstar status and you want to compare a handful of stellar candidates. After all, I did find you one that is perfect so there have to be more, right?!?! Trust me, I love being your superstar. I really, really do. But I’m not going to maintain that status very long if I have to talk to another 100 people in hopes of finding TWO perfect candidates. By the time we “might” find an additional “perfect” candidate or two, that 1st perfect candidate has moved on to another company that recognized their value and snatched them up before anyone else could. You lose!

Hiring managers, for the sake of all involved, stop being a weak manager and doing this….

Do you have career or life questions?

If so, comment below and I’ll be happy to respond!

Thanks for sharing your time with me and reading my BLOG!

Warm regards…. Debra

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