Try Before You Buy; Two Ways to Put The Candidate in The Position Before You Hire Them

I was a co-founder of a company called IMCOR (Interim Management Corporation.) We placed senior executives into interim line management roles and to complete high-level projects.

Our original model was to create a large database of senior executives who were in transition and then provide these executives to companies when they needed executive talent quickly and on flexible terms. We figured maybe 10% of the executives might stay on and be hired full time by the company. We were way off. In our initial years, the conversion percentage was over 30% and by the time we sold the company it was over 60%. Why? Looking back, I think there were two reasons. First, companies saw executives “under fire”. They saw them day-to-day and could witness the “cultural fit” in real time. Nothing like time in a fox hole to find out what a person is really like. Second, deliverables were very clearly defined. What did “success” look like in 3, 6 or 9 months? Because these were “interim” positions, companies clearly defined what they needed accomplished and by when. By doing so, they also defined what top quartile performance looked like. There was no ambiguity. It wasn’t a list of things they wanted in someone’s background, it was specific as to what they needed done and by when. When the candidate accomplished what they needed done, they knew they had found a top quartile candidate.

Hiring a candidate on a tryout basis is not always practical. (Although with so many candidates in transition today, it is easier to do.) If you can’t use a tryout, having a hiring process that will put the candidate in the job before you hire them is the next best thing. Start with a job spec that defines expectations. Define what success looks like in the next 12-18 months. What needs to be accomplished  and by when? Look at your current specs. Do they define expectations, what top quartile will deliver, or do they just list the duties, tasks, responsibilities and background? Then, interview candidates against those deliverables. Have they done this before? Where? How? What were the results? What worked well? What didn’t? When you narrow down your candidate list to the finalists, ask them to tell you how they would accomplish what you need done at your company. Do they understand the differences? Can they articulate how they would adapt to your culture, resources, and processes?

Lesson: The best way to see if a candidate is right for your company is to try them out in the position. If that is not available, then make sure you clearly define expectations and only advance candidates who have had similar accomplishments in like environments. As a final step, have them articulate how they would adapt to your culture/environment to accomplish your goals. Put them in the job, before you hire them.

Assess the effectiveness of your hiring process. Download our free 8 Point Hiring Methodology Assessment Scorecard. Find out if you have a great hiring process. CLICK HERE to download.

Cultural fit is why most hires fail. Do you know your company’s culture? Would everyone in your company describe it the same? To find out, download our Cultural Assessment Resource. CLICK HERE to download.

Author’s Bio

Mike Hagerthy is the founder of Hagerthy & Co, an executive search, training and consulting firm. For information on how to arrange for their complimentary Hiring Process Assessment please go to www.hagnco.com/page13.html#HiringProcess

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