Managers know the bedrock of a great team is hiring driven people who have the appropriate background, subject matter expertise and cultural fit. Many managers also realize that finding the perfect team member is often a long process that can be fruitless for months. I remember starting a role a few years ago where there was a VP of Marketing requisition open for the prior 12 months and the CEO had already interviewed everybody in the city for the role. Whether the requisition was not specific enough or there was actually nobody on the entire eastern seaboard to fit the role is a discussion for a different day.
With the challenges of hiring, it is no wonder that managers sometimes take a gamble on a hire. Sometimes they even settle when their gut says the candidate doesn’t fit. They quickly regret the hire and more often than not, realize their gut was right. This may be a self-fulfilling prophecy or they may have been clairvoyant, but either way, it won’t work out.
To avoid this, I now clearly outline the needs in advance of any interviews and then trust my gut for the final decision.
The Daily Digest of Marc Grabowski 