I've hired 100s of people and made plenty of costly errors along the way.
Here are my 12 worst recruiting mistakes & how to avoid them 🧵
Here are my 12 worst recruiting mistakes & how to avoid them 🧵
1/ Hired too fast
Solution: Don't hire
First, do the work with your existing team.
Worst case, you develop a deep understanding and will manage it better.
Best case: automate, streamline, or maybe even ignore it.
You’ll be shocked by how often you don’t need a new hire.
Solution: Don't hire
First, do the work with your existing team.
Worst case, you develop a deep understanding and will manage it better.
Best case: automate, streamline, or maybe even ignore it.
You’ll be shocked by how often you don’t need a new hire.
This new hire will:
- Add a small tax via new interactions
- Not add real value for 6 months
- Have a large recruiting expense, both is dollars & distraction
Add that all up.
That’s the value hurdle they need to clear to break even.
- Add a small tax via new interactions
- Not add real value for 6 months
- Have a large recruiting expense, both is dollars & distraction
Add that all up.
That’s the value hurdle they need to clear to break even.
2/ Hired from desperation
Solution: Grow your community
Today's network leads to tomorrow's hires.
- Build a pipeline w/ intention
- Run your hiring process w/ urgency
- Make your selection w/ patience
Find who you need well before you need them:
Solution: Grow your community
Today's network leads to tomorrow's hires.
- Build a pipeline w/ intention
- Run your hiring process w/ urgency
- Make your selection w/ patience
Find who you need well before you need them:
3/ Hired for today
Solution: Hire for a year from now
Try to predict the team you’ll likely need at year end.
Overlay:
- budget reality
- your current org
- forecasted demand
- efficiency improvement
Strive for richness in your vision not precision in numbers.
Solution: Hire for a year from now
Try to predict the team you’ll likely need at year end.
Overlay:
- budget reality
- your current org
- forecasted demand
- efficiency improvement
Strive for richness in your vision not precision in numbers.
Stress the map:
- Look for gaps in abilities, experiences, & diversity.
- Probability weight attrition for each person.
Even if you need to adjust to unforeseen detours, you’ll be better prepared with the GPS coordinates plugged in.
- Look for gaps in abilities, experiences, & diversity.
- Probability weight attrition for each person.
Even if you need to adjust to unforeseen detours, you’ll be better prepared with the GPS coordinates plugged in.
4/ Relied on my recruiter
Solution: Own it like it’s your job. B/c it is.
Best managers are always recruiting.
Yes, recruiters can bring their expertise and network in partnership.
But the candidates will work for you not them.
Delegate hiring at your own peril.
Solution: Own it like it’s your job. B/c it is.
Best managers are always recruiting.
Yes, recruiters can bring their expertise and network in partnership.
But the candidates will work for you not them.
Delegate hiring at your own peril.
5/ Hired for an unclear role
Solution: Be as clear as you can be with what you need
- Rank needs vs wants
- Name the archetypes that work
- Clearly define success for this role
Tip: No unicorns. Does this role exist in the world?
Now stress your role with actual humans.
Solution: Be as clear as you can be with what you need
- Rank needs vs wants
- Name the archetypes that work
- Clearly define success for this role
Tip: No unicorns. Does this role exist in the world?
Now stress your role with actual humans.
Name the 5 people in the world who are you dream candidates
- What would it take to get them
- Worried you don't know? Ask recruiters for their best examples.
Shortcut: Look to recently passed over lieutenants and protégés.
- What would it take to get them
- Worried you don't know? Ask recruiters for their best examples.
Shortcut: Look to recently passed over lieutenants and protégés.
Name the 3-5 best internal bets
- Compare the effort to close the gap vs getting & onboarding those dream candidates
- Run a test on the best fit internal candidate early in the search
Careful: Don't criticize the known (employees) & romanticize the unknown (candidates).
- Compare the effort to close the gap vs getting & onboarding those dream candidates
- Run a test on the best fit internal candidate early in the search
Careful: Don't criticize the known (employees) & romanticize the unknown (candidates).
6/ Accepted Applications
Solution: Craft a proactive sourcing strategy.
Post an ad on LinkedIn, expect to get 1000's of unqualified responses. Terrible leverage.
Two better options for your strategy: attract or search.
Solution: Craft a proactive sourcing strategy.
Post an ad on LinkedIn, expect to get 1000's of unqualified responses. Terrible leverage.
Two better options for your strategy: attract or search.
Attract - you're throwing a party.
You need:
- Strong vibe - culture, mission, role, people
- Awareness - not exactly invites, but signals
You're only limited by your own creativity.
Downside: unwanted guests.
You need:
- Strong vibe - culture, mission, role, people
- Awareness - not exactly invites, but signals
You're only limited by your own creativity.
Downside: unwanted guests.
Search - you're on a hunting expedition.
You need:
- Expert navigators - recruiters who know your market
- A keen eye to know where to look - crowded markets are no fun
You're only limited by your choice of recruiter.
Downside: great guides know their value & aren't cheap
You need:
- Expert navigators - recruiters who know your market
- A keen eye to know where to look - crowded markets are no fun
You're only limited by your choice of recruiter.
Downside: great guides know their value & aren't cheap
7/ Recruited solo
Solution: Be Gary Kasparov
You have a goal and you need to use all the pieces available to you
- Recruiters
- Your team
- Managers
- The CEO & Board
- Alumni
Don’t assume you’re always the right person at each step.
Solution: Be Gary Kasparov
You have a goal and you need to use all the pieces available to you
- Recruiters
- Your team
- Managers
- The CEO & Board
- Alumni
Don’t assume you’re always the right person at each step.
Examples:
Senior Hire -> Insist your board makes first contact
Top Developer -> Invite them to give a talk to your company
Conflicting Assessments -> Tap a high empathy manager for a read
Closing -> Bring a colleague with the closest experience to dinner
Senior Hire -> Insist your board makes first contact
Top Developer -> Invite them to give a talk to your company
Conflicting Assessments -> Tap a high empathy manager for a read
Closing -> Bring a colleague with the closest experience to dinner
8/ Hired for experience
Solution: Hire humble & hungry
Here's the thing with people who've been there, done that:
They're often overconfident and undermotivated.
Instead:
- Aim high but be realistic
- When in doubt, stretch vs shrink
- Look for alignment, ambition & agiliy
Solution: Hire humble & hungry
Here's the thing with people who've been there, done that:
They're often overconfident and undermotivated.
Instead:
- Aim high but be realistic
- When in doubt, stretch vs shrink
- Look for alignment, ambition & agiliy
9/ Relied on useless data
Solution: Real work
Projects >> Portfolios >> Interviews >> Resumes >> School
- Craft a way to work with them -> internship, projects, freelance.
- Have them present their most relevant work.
The signal quickly fades further from real work.
Solution: Real work
Projects >> Portfolios >> Interviews >> Resumes >> School
- Craft a way to work with them -> internship, projects, freelance.
- Have them present their most relevant work.
The signal quickly fades further from real work.
10/ Lame interviews
Solution: Magical moments
On interview day, defy expectations:
- Thoughtful, unbiased, sharp questions
- Curated tour of your business for them
- Operationally efficient & respectful of their time
Want amazing candidates to say yes?
Details matter.
Solution: Magical moments
On interview day, defy expectations:
- Thoughtful, unbiased, sharp questions
- Curated tour of your business for them
- Operationally efficient & respectful of their time
Want amazing candidates to say yes?
Details matter.
This list of questions from @theryanking checks both boxes:
- Help you get a clear read if you use them consistently
- Inspires the right kind candidates by not being boring retreads
- Help you get a clear read if you use them consistently
- Inspires the right kind candidates by not being boring retreads
11/ Made a bad offer
Solution: Do your homework
Offers & negotiation don't have to be awkward:
- Triangulate the offer w/ market research
- Address their objections in the offer
- Expect negotiation
As the manager, the real offer is you. That's what they're buying.
Solution: Do your homework
Offers & negotiation don't have to be awkward:
- Triangulate the offer w/ market research
- Address their objections in the offer
- Expect negotiation
As the manager, the real offer is you. That's what they're buying.
12/ Skipped references
Solution: Make references relevant
- Use trusted resource to find backdoor references.
- Learn how to optimize you new hires first 90 days.
- You're also likely talking to another good candidate.
- Use @amandanat's questions:
Solution: Make references relevant
- Use trusted resource to find backdoor references.
- Learn how to optimize you new hires first 90 days.
- You're also likely talking to another good candidate.
- Use @amandanat's questions:
Insider tips
- Intangible “sparkle” is dangerous, a breeding ground for bias. But it is also a source of genius. Don’t settle, but assess thoughtfully.
- Clear writers tend to be clear thinkers. The outreach email or cover letter often holds more clues than the resume.
- Intangible “sparkle” is dangerous, a breeding ground for bias. But it is also a source of genius. Don’t settle, but assess thoughtfully.
- Clear writers tend to be clear thinkers. The outreach email or cover letter often holds more clues than the resume.
Cautionary Tales
- There are few things more destructive than an ambitious person with nothing to do. You’d rather be lean than fat.
- Until they show up on Day 1, you haven't hired them. Bridge the gap by treating them like part of the team immediately.
- There are few things more destructive than an ambitious person with nothing to do. You’d rather be lean than fat.
- Until they show up on Day 1, you haven't hired them. Bridge the gap by treating them like part of the team immediately.
TL/DR
Want a team with 1/10,000 talent:
1) Don't hire
2) Curate community
3) Hire for next year
4) Own it like it's your job
5) Clear roles
6) Proactively source
7) Use the team
8) Hire hungry
9) Assess real work
10) Magical moments
11) Show the work
12) Relevant references
Want a team with 1/10,000 talent:
1) Don't hire
2) Curate community
3) Hire for next year
4) Own it like it's your job
5) Clear roles
6) Proactively source
7) Use the team
8) Hire hungry
9) Assess real work
10) Magical moments
11) Show the work
12) Relevant references
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