Gallup’s data shows that 82% of managers are ‘wrong hires’.
As CEO, you are ultimately accountable for that error, aren’t you?
The HR department can only go on what is given them and they are often so risk averse that they’ll not effectively challenge key assumptions that lead to the wrong hire.
Untested role description, ineffective selection process, inadequate onboarding are the main factors leading to the very costly experience.
If you use an agency, you become dissatisfied with them, they then have to expend energy in replacement and worst of all there is damage to productivity, culture and profitability.
Just putting ‘bums on seats’ is totally unacceptable.
As CEO you are accountable for this arcane practice, aren’t you?
In this world of rapid continuous change, you can honour your accountability by following this practice:
- Properly review and describe the role in great detail – key results areas, cultural and values requirements, essential competencies, key relationships and future expectations.
- Do not accept what has occurred in the role before – it will have been distorted by past incumbents and the worst aspects of the culture.
- It is now time to define the role for what it SHOULD be for the next two to three years. There is a rigorous process for this.
- That rigour that needs to be fulfilled BEFORE you search for the right candidate.
- Once you are satisfied with how the role should be, only then are you ready to search for the right person.
- Once you have chosen your shortlist of three to five possibilities, they need to be scientifically profiled to identify the order of preference.
- How well do they fit the detailed role descriptors?
- What are their behavioural traits?
- What are their work motivators?
- What is their attitudinal competency?
- What are their operational competencies?
- What are their acumen attributes?
- How do they respond to stress testing in realistic situations that fit the role?
- How can they be supported/coached for best performance?
- How well do they fit the detailed role descriptors?
- Once you have appointed the best candidate, it is essential that you thoroughly onboard them over a three to six-month period that ensures, in that time, they have earned trust and respect and delivered a return on investment that matches or exceeds the cost of hiring.
This sounds quite onerous doesn’t it?
You’ll be relieved to know that there are experts who can can deliver this service, protect you with guarantees and deliver a return on investment that matches or exceeds the cost of the hiring.
Now what will you do?
