STOP with the Bad Hires: Get the Right People on the Bus

Have you ever made a bad hire? If so, you know it can drain time, energy, and morale from your team. And it's also quite expensive! Hiring the right people isn’t just important—it’s essential to business success. Jim Collins said it best:

If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the right seats, and the wrong people off the bus, then we’ll figure out how to take it someplace great.

Why We Struggle with Hiring

I read a statistic that 2/3rds of organizations do a poor job of hiring. Can't remember where this was from, but sounds about right! The most common reasons are:

• Being too busy to do it right

• Lack of proper interview training

• Undefined hiring strategies

• Lack of a clear job description

• Poor planning

• Getting a warm body in the seat

  
  

The Keys to Effective Hiring

To minimize biases and maximize success, you need a clear strategy and well-trained interviewers. A structured process tailored to each position will result in the greatest odds of a successful hire. Do the following:

• Define What You Really Need:

   Identify the specific skills, traits, and qualifications crucial for the role. If you don't really need a bachelor's degree and 5 years of experience, then don't require it. Doing this will open up your candidate pool.

• Train your Interviewers:

  Interviewing doesn't come naturally. It is a skill that must be taught and cultivated. Here are some areas where I recommend training interviewers, and I have a workshop for that (just sayin'):

  Running an interview - all of the components of an interview (putting candidates at ease, opening, closing the interview, etc.) Biases that may impact decisions and how to minimize them

  Listening well and using body language and tone to their advantage Asking good questions and knowing what not to ask

  Red flags that indicate they probably shouldn't hire someone

• Ask Good Questions:

  Use behavioral and situational questions to uncover a candidate's true potential.

• Involve the Right People:

  Include at least three interviewers to gain diverse perspectives and reduce bias.

• Communicate Clearly:

  Ensure candidates understand the role and your expectations so they can assess their own fit.

• Prioritize Culture Fit and Team Dynamics:

  A great hire aligns with your organization’s values and culture. Patrick Lencioni’s Ideal Team Player model highlights three key traits that his firm uses in hiring team players:

  Humble: Values others’ contributions and avoids seeking personal attention.

  Hungry: Demonstrates a strong work ethic, reliability, and self-motivation.

  Smart: Shows good judgment in dealing with people. Communicate your organization's values and expectations early and throughout the interview process. Craft questions that reveal whether candidates embody these values and observe their behavior closely.

By taking a thoughtful, strategic approach to hiring, you’re not just filling seats—you’re building a cohesive, high-performing team. And if you do get the wrong person on the bus, manage them out quickly before you invest too much time and money.

If you need help training your leaders and developing a recruiting and hiring process, reach out to leslie@influencehrconsulting.com #recruiting #hiring #employeeengagement #corevalues #interviewing #hr #hrconsulting