The Brothers Grimm would have something to say about paying the piper if bad hires infiltrate an organization today. Too often companies of all sizes suffer from poor hiring practices that adversely impact retention and, more unfortunately, overall organizational performance.
+ `. `6 I$ I. {3 B/ q5 LMany chief people officers stay awake at night mulling over one critical issue: how do they improve the quality of hires, develop them, and retain them to meet their chief executive officers' goals for building high-performing organizations?5 R5 U6 R" N# t2 Q/ {( i
Since hiring is an inherently subjective process, improving the quality of hire and choosing the right candidate are not easy tasks.
/ R( a7 ?5 S' E9 z: u) HIn fact, three of the most important questions that hiring managers tackle include:
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• Can the candidate do the job?
• Will the candidate do the job?
• How will the candidate do the job?

However, the hiring process can be improved by applying a more structured approach to defining job requirements.& n! O" _7 _0 u, f* c" Z1 Z
It is this detailed requirements-profile that is often neglected in most hiring processes. Many organizations see talent acquisition as simply a search problem, but forward-thinking companies recognize that hiring is both a search and selection issue. Hiring right starts with clearly defining what it takes to be successful on the job and matching the best candidates to those criteria.% n3 b! ^1 {) ~  A* \% i2 F
Heading in the Right DirectionHiring is often regarded as a painful means to an end: search through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of resumes, then screen, interview, and make a gut decision about the candidate you think is best.' |! ?# ~8 e( o* N% i
With demand planning and hiring management defined as top priorities within many organizations, best-in-class employers are focusing on successful hiring fundamentals. First, they develop the job requirements, then evaluate candidates both quantitatively and qualitatively against the criteria to determine the best match.
) T9 S# L: R* J8 a5 w' oTo do this, there are six sure-fire steps that successful organizations employ:) R+ T. m1 C3 ^+ A  t+ I) ~

• Clearly define the job profile. It sounds simple enough, but most organizations rely on antiquated job requisitions with basic responsibilities and qualifications in order to match candidates. Best practices among leading organizations reveal that true "job profiles" go far beyond the traditional job description to outline behaviors and performance metrics. Hiring managers must take the lead in identifying not just what a person will do, but also the specific characteristics a candidate must possess to be successful. Clearly defining a job profile and what it takes to be successful can often reveal hidden requirements that never get captured in a job description. A job profile designed to hire right includes the necessary experience, skills, competencies, behaviors, and organizational fit criteria to assess candidates and will enable the hiring manager to answer the three previously listed important questions in the hiring process (Can the candidate do the job? Will the candidate do the job? How will the candidate do the job?).
• Source internally, then externally. Before expending time and money on external sources, always begin by sourcing from within. This includes posting jobs internally, promoting referral bonus programs, and searching an internal skills inventory. The best hires are usually the ones you've already hired, trained, developed, and nurtured.
• Automate applicant screening. Automate the applicant screening process with online surveys. Screening questions should focus on the most critical requirements, such as specific technical or domain expertise. The questions should provide multiple-choice or yes/no answers to quickly filter out individuals who do not meet the basic requirements.
• Prepare interviewers. A key step in the hiring process is to coordinate the interviewing team. Select team members for their particular expertise; next, assign specific focus areas for each interviewer. Too often interviewers are grabbed at the last minute and sent into an interview without knowing the position the candidate is being considered for or understanding its specific needs. Top candidates often will judge a company based in part on how they are treated during the interview process. If four interviewers all ask the same mundane questions, a candidate is unlikely to be impressed or even accept an offer.

• Use behavioral-event interviewing questions. Behavioral-event interviewing focuses less on the skills or knowledge base of candidates, and more on how they have handled job assignments in the past. The premise behind behavioral-event interviewing is that past behavior can predict future performance. Behavioral-event interviewing involves asking the candidate for specific examples. Questions begin with "Give me an example of when you…" or "Describe a situation in which you…," or "Tell me about a time when you had to…"
• Assess candidates based on criteria. When evaluating candidates against job profile criteria, first ask what evidence the candidate provided for specific requirements. You cannot assess someone if you never got an answer to the question. Then using those criteria with evidence, rate each on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = low, 5 = high), as well as giving a general overall rating. This will provide the quantitative assessment needed to make more informed decisions. In addition, qualitative notes on candidates' strengths and weaknesses can help guide both ratings and the final decision.
• Make qualitative and quantitative decisions. Finally, make decisions on more than just gut instinct. Weigh both the quantitative and qualitative information. Take ratings from all interviewers and average them for a total rating. Comparing all candidate ratings will provide the high-level answer to who best matches the job requirements. Then you can drill down into each interviewer's assessment to find out why candidates were rated the way they were.

A Holistic ApproachHiring best practices look beyond just tracking resumes to seek well-matched candidates. Understanding how a position fits into the broader organizational structure enables organizations to speed their hiring processes, increase accuracy in choosing the right candidates, and improve the overall quality of each hire. ' o9 P4 C3 R7 p3 ?$ X% I. X
Converting top candidates into top performers requires an integrated approach to people management. Consider each component's role (workforce planning, hiring, competencies, performance metrics, succession, learning, compensation, and rewards) in enabling an organization to attract, retain, and develop the best of the best.: a( `% V4 P& w
Even when all of these things are taken into consideration, each hiring decision will still have some level of subjectivity. However, a more structured hiring process with clearly defined selection criteria can greatly improve employee retention and a company's ability to manage its people and their development.