The views expressed by the business participants are their own.
I remember interviewing someone for a position at Square years ago when I was an engineering manager there. This candidate had all the soft skills needed to succeed in the role, but they didn’t know our technology stack.
Not knowing the technology used at a big tech company seems like a pretty good reason not to hire someone – but 80% of the technology we use now didn’t even exist back then. Looking back, the biggest mistake I could have made would have been not hiring, and it was very fortunate that I realized that at the time.
Below, I’ll outline a few of the biggest hiring mistakes – including some that I’ve narrowly avoided and some that I’ve made myself. Use this information to guide your hiring decisions so you can have confidence in the people you select for your team.
Related: Why You Should Let People Fail Now To Succeed Later
1. Don’t hire talent over character
“How familiar are you with javascript?” is one of the most important questions you can ask in an interview. Don’t get me wrong; there is a place for technical examination during employment. But like earning, there are better uses of your time.
At the end of the day, I can teach Javascript to almost anyone – or at least anyone who might make it far enough in the hiring process to have a face-to-face interview with them.
I can’t really teach a candidate how to live with me. Consistency can be fostered to a certain extent, but most of it is natural. It is there or it is not.
Your time in the interview is best spent asking questions that speak to the candidate’s character. I wrote a completely different article about that, which you can read below.
Related: I’ve Interviewed Thousands of Candidates – Here Are 2 Questions I’ve Asked All of them
2. Don’t think pedigree equals price
The fact that a candidate went to a prestigious school or worked at a large company may get them in the door. But it should never be enough to give them a job directly.
Not everyone who went to Harvard or Yale is a genius, and not everyone who worked at Microsoft has an idea. The reputation of an institution may suggest something significant about the people associated with it, but it does not guarantee anything.
In fact, many students who attend Ivy League schools are incredibly shy about it – because they want their work and character to speak for themselves. Having big names on a resume can mean that someone is unique, but it can also mean that they rely on those words to do their heavy lifting.
You can (and should) apply the same reasoning to the candidate’s unique experience. They may have managed a large team at their last job, but that doesn’t mean they can do it at your company.
What’s on their resume gets them an interview. It is what they say during the interview that gets them the job.
3. Don’t hire someone to grow into a role
This one is probably a little confusing because it seems to fly in the face of common sense. Shouldn’t you put people in positions where they will develop better skills over time?
Yes, of course. However, your company’s culture and leadership style will help the right fit grow, even if they are the best fit when they start. And it’s much better to hire someone who can dunk their position from day one than someone who will need their hand holding.
Don’t hire someone who needs to grow into a role; hiring someone where the role can grow into him. If you believe your company will grow (and hopefully you do), then the role should be able to grow into its own skill set.
Let’s go back to the example I presented at the beginning of this article – a candidate who was uncomfortable with our technology stack at Square. That candidate ended up succeeding in his role, although the skills he needed were now completely different. In other words, the role ended up getting used to their soft skills and character.
Related: Avoid Costly Hiring Mistakes With These Five Important Tips
How you hire a candidate sets the tone for your professional relationship
Too many people consider whether to hire someone as a simple yes or no question, but it is much more than that. Hiring a candidate is the first interaction you have with a new employee, so how you do it colors your entire work relationship with them.
Technical skills, strong references, and potential for growth are all important qualities in a candidate. But a person’s character, accomplishments, and ability to do well are all clearer indicators of how successful they can be.
And remember: hiring someone isn’t where you stop learning about someone – it’s where you start. You can find more tips on how to build strong relationships with your team below.
Related: Be a Coach, Not a Referee – How to Be a Good Mentor and Manager from a Coaching Perspective
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