Often as I attend panel discussions, speak directly with senior leaders and track individual performance, the topic of “gut feel” in hiring crops up. Unfortunately in many cases their “gut feel” has let them down and lead to an organizational nightmare. It’s not to say instinct and gut feel are totally ineffective but consider the following interview with Jack Welch (former CEO of GE) in an interview with Business Week magazine.
“Relying on your gut during hiring isn’t always a great idea. The reason: Our gut often makes us “fall in love” with a candidate too quickly. We see prestigious schools and great experience on a sparkling resume. We see a likable candidate who says all the right things in the interview. And even though we don’t admit it, too often we see a person who can quickly make a problem go away-namely, a gaping position we need to fill fast. So we rush to seal the deal.”
“So when it comes to hiring decisions, doubt and double-check you gut. Go beyond the resume. Dig for extra data, and don’t just make reference calls; force yourself to listen, especially to mixed messages and unpleasant insights.”
Additionally the use of multi-dimensional assessment tools to formulate questions for the references calls can further validate behavior, performance, fit and organizational strength.
For additional information on hiring top talent and building high performing teams, contact Peter Capodice at peter@capodice.com or 941-906-1990.
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