The Secrets Behind Hiring the Right Person

Adam Bryant, in an article for The New York Times, discloses the insights that he has acquired over the years from business leaders and executives, pertaining to the secrets of hiring the right person for a job. He lists certain approaches that might aid in making the right decision while recruiting people suitable for certain roles and positions.

To begin with, Bryant writes that a conventional job interview, structured around stereotypical questions and often confined within the traditional set up of a conference room, may not lead to the proper assessment of a candidate. Therefore, he suggests that adopting a dash of creativity in the process of recruitment might help an employer better analyse whether an applicant is indeed suitable for the role that they seek to take up. Secondly, Bryant proposes that in order to truly analyse the personality of an applicant and for hiring just the right person, the most effective method would be to put them in scenarios outside the conference room. Letting the candidate interact with other employees will address key questions – would they be invested in the job, would they be able to properly communicate and coordinate with co-workers, and do they exhibit genuine curiosity and respect towards their fellow counterparts. He also mentions that an employer should ask them questions that would bring them out of their comfort zone to truly understand them and how they would deal with different situations and crises that they might face while on the job.

Bryant further suggests that before making the final call, taking into account the opinion of others pertaining to a particular candidate, is extremely important. Multiple viewpoints will ensure that any error in judgement is duly avoided. He reminds us that it is also important to make sure that our prejudice never comes into play while hiring and recommends techniques such as phone calls before a face-to-face interview and to imbibe a willingness to hire people with uncommon past experience. This will help avoid any such bias when it comes to recruitment. Adam additionally designates that the most appropriate way of hiring just the right person and of adjudging an aspirant’s capabilities would be by assigning him a real issue as a task so as to see how he acts on it and that there should be no watertight deadline attached to the same. This, he writes, would enable the employer to assess the candidate’s time management skills as well and will help in hiring the right person for the job.

In conclusion, Adam states that most importantly, instincts should be one of the determining factors when it comes to hiring and it is always wise to pay heed to the voice of reason. The process of hiring just the right person is no less than a skilled and balanced craft, therefore, these approaches, often employed by renowned executives, will surely help when it comes to hiring the right person.