01/06/14
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 30% of business failures are due to poor hiring decisions. Getting the right people is thus critical for both short-term success and sustained growth. Carr’s well-proven, client customized, selection model and competency based method of employee selection significantly reduces hiring mistakes and, in doing so, helps prevent companies from “eroding from within.”
The following are factors that can lead to an organization experiencing a “slow (or not so slow) death”:
Nepotism – Anyone who watches college football or basketball is very much aware that nepotism is alive and well. Head coaches often hire sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, etc. to key assistant coaching, recruiting, administrative, and staff positions. While larger companies have protocols in place to prevent this from occurring (for instance many do not allow relatives to be hired within a group or team) the hiring of family is still quite problematic in small, privately owned businesses. Placing people in key positions simply because they share your genetics is a very dicey way to build for the future.
Pseudo-nepotism – Another more subtle form of nepotism is the hiring of friends and former colleagues. The “good old boy/girl network” is still a main avenue for bringing others on board. However as many of us well know, mixing friendship with work does not always lead to maximum performance. Similarly, just because a previous boss, co-worker, or subordinate did well at a previous employer does not guarantee success in this role, setting, and culture.
Sevens often hire fives – A wise consultant once said that “If you put a seven in charge of hiring [as opposed to a nine or ten] he or she will often hire fives.” It is human nature for some individuals to feel threatened or intimidated by a new hire who might be so sharp that he or she eventually takes their job. Additionally, some doing hiring may simply hire to type – pick a person that they like and/or with whom they can get along with little thought being put into whether or not he or she can actually perform optimally with respect to the core roles, responsibilities, and demands of the job.
To avoid the hiring nonsense described above, turn to a neutral third party expert like Carr who can provide well-tested, highly proven metrics and assessments which identify best fit performers, in the short-term and over the long haul, thus better guaranteeing both immediate success and a bright and prosperous future for your organization.
