10 Pieces of Low-Hanging Fruit

Follow this checklist to scan for “low-hanging” fruit at your company’s hiring process, covering everything from role definition to closing the deal.

1. Using Generic Job Descriptions

Problem: Those boilerplate job descriptions won't tell you anything useful. They’re too focused on responsibilities (rather than outcomes) and use tired, vague language that makes quality decision-making difficult.

Solution: Create role-specific descriptions that focus on outcomes and unique competencies for the company/role and ditch the fluff.

2. Over-Reliance on Qualifications for Role Definition

Problem: Focusing solely on qualifications can lead you to miss great candidates. And in many cases can lead to adverse selection where you get increasingly mediocre candidates (those who are willing to settle for lateral moves).

Solution: Prioritize skills and attributes directly linked to job performance. Remember that “5 years as a Product Manager” is actually just a proxy for the outcomes and competencies that you seek.

3. Lacking Diversity in Sourcing

Problem: A monocultural sourcing pool stifles innovation. This can happen when people simply hire their friends and don’t make diversity a proactive element of network-based sourcing strategies.

Solution: Use multiple channels to reach a diverse set of candidates. Reach out to the high performers who represent the diversity you’d like to create.

4. Love at First Sight During Interviews

Problem: Being charmed—or impressed by an answer—within the first five minutes can cloud your judgment. You may then start changing the questions (and follow-ups) that you ask in an effort to confirm your initial judgment.

Solution: Use a structured interview process to remain objective. Follow an interview guide where you know your initial questions ahead of time and you have a clear understanding of what you’re hoping to find out when you ask your follow-ups.

5. The 'We Clicked' Syndrome

Problem: Mistaking good rapport for candidate suitability. Just because it was a very enjoyable conversation doesn’t mean that the person will be a strong performer in the role.

Solution: Measure candidate fit in terms of specific results and competencies and pay attention to the data underlying your judgment, not conversational vibes.

6. Interviewer Monologues

Problem: You’re talking more than listening during the interview.

Solution: Structure the interview so candidates do most of the talking. You should be in there frequently but your questions should be short and simple.

7. Asking “How Would You…”

Problem: Asking hypotheticals about how someone would handle a given scenario (i.e. “How would you deal with a difficult co-worker?”). These questions are too easy to answer well, have no burden of proof, and consistently produce false positives. You end up hiring someone who gives a great intellectual answer but has an emotional blocker to actually getting the job done.

Solution: Choose your initial questions wisely. Swap out hypotheticals in favor of questions about someone’s past performance. Bonus points if you can avoid telegraphing what you’re looking for (i.e. conveying the “right” answer in how you phrase the initial question). If someone has a history of struggling to deal with “difficult” bosses, you’re likely going to be the next data point in that saga.

8. Failing to Follow Up on References

Problem: Neglecting this step can result in hiring the wrong person. Especially someone who is willing to exaggerate or lie in their responses. And if you stop doing references, word will get out.

Solution: Always check references to verify past performance. If you follow our advice on conducting references you can get a lot of information in 30 minutes.

9. Going with Your Gut for Decision Making

Problem: Relying solely on instinct during the decision-making process. Especially problematic when used to justify a hire (i.e. “I can really just see them working out here.”)

Solution: Use a standardized method to assess all candidates uniformly. Make sure that all ratings for all candidates across all dimensions are primarily backed by real data gathered during the interview (process). Be suspicious of mere impressions that have no evidence beyond how the candidate acted during the interview itself.

10. Failing to Sell the Role Properly

Problem: You’ve found your candidate but do a poor job of selling the offer. Most common when you try a one-sized-fits-all selling message. Or simply assume that the candidate will join the company for the same reasons that you joined the company.

Solution: Make the candidate an offer they can’t refuse, which is more than just the numbers. Pay attention to what questions they asked throughout the interview process and the implicit motivators that you uncovered (i.e. why they left previous roles). Then emphasize the part of your unique selling proposition that most resonates with them.

Adapt your process to avoid these common pitfalls and encourage team members to keep each other honest. This is how you reduce bias and maximize accuracy in hiring your future teammates.