For those of you who just joined us we’ve been talking about the difference between process (good) and bureaucracy (bad) and how open communications is the basis of good process (easy-to-use and flexible). I thought I’d finish out the week with an example of how a process that is common to every company should work, but is often one of the first to ossify into bureaucracy

It’s the hiring process—every company needs one that is transparent and painless for the interviewEE, while being easy to use and painless for the interviewERs.

But why a process? Why take the chance on creating something that so often turns into a bureaucratic nightmare? Why not just grab ‘em when you find ‘em?

Because you need a repeatable procedure that allows for the orderly acquisition of people so the company can plan for and support growth, as well as land the candidates you want!

A good hiring process removes chaos and allows speed in staffing. The best hiring process is flexible and, although based on a set of fixed principles, constantly re-invents itself based on changes in the real world.

Speed. Without question speed is the most effective, least expensive of all hiring practices. This means there must be speed at all points of the process—any delays should only originate from the candidate.

People tend to judge what it will be like to work for a company/manager by how they are hired. If the process is fast, smooth, and enjoyable, they will assume that decisions are made speedily, the company has little bureaucracy, and that working there will be fun—and they are usually right.

Here are the basics of a good hiring process:

• The company’s operating plan and budget are the basis of the staffing plan.
• Know exactly what the job entails, what authority it has, and how it interacts with the team and outside departments, customers, vendors, etc.
• Based on number two, write a complete req and hire the first person who meets its minimum requirements.
• Be flexible and creative when sourcing.
• Involve your people.
• Interviews should be as culturally-relevant as they are work-relevant.

Do’s:

1. Do create a positive experience for both the hire-ees and hire-ers.
2. Do use multiple interviewers—they are harder to con
3. Do have a well-understood set of components including: media spending, headhunter use, relocation, sourcing, resume evaluation, scheduling, interviewing, negotiating, cutting and extending offers, closing candidates, deflecting counter offers, and pre-start actions in your hiring process as well as a flexible way to deal with each.
4. Do make sure that sourcing and headhunter policies reflect both company needs and the current labor market.

Don’ts:

1. Don’t “figure out” what you need by interviewing multiple candidates.
2. Don’t keep interviewing candidates in the hopes of finding one who embodies your entire wish list.
3. Don’t assume using a headhunter will automatically reduce your time and work.
4. Don’t have a start and stop hiring process—whether from whimsy or human bottlenecks.

When all is said and done, the true purpose of a hiring process is to help the company compete for people which, in turn, allows the company to compete for customers.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 21st, 2006 at 5:42 pm and is filed under Business info, Communication, Culture, Hiring, Retention. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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