On Hiring

When hiring, I’ve found that there are only three criteria that really matter; can the candidate perform the job, can I see myself working successfully with the candidate and does the candidate really want the job. Oddly, the “can the candidate do the job part” is often the one that gets the least scrutiny. Once a resume is reviewed and that person is called for the interview, their ability to actually perform is generally a given. To counteract this presumption, it is useful to have candidates perform simulations, scenarios and testing- in the context of a legal hire, reviewing a contract or conducting a simulated negotiation. Awards, honors, and professional trade association activities can act as a measurement by proxy for this criterion.

The second standard- “can I see myself working successfully with the candidate” is, by definition, largely subjective. Key areas where a compatible working style matters most are in- how does a candidate like to be communicated with, how does a candidate make decisions, and how does a candidate deal with adversity. This is the area where the art of a good interview pays dividends and is important to have questions prepared in advance and asked in the same way of all candidates. While I largely trust my judgment on compatibility issues, I do like to solicit feedback from other interviewers to triangulate my intuitions. This also helps me fight the tendency to blindly trust my first impressions.

Often the least considered aspect is whether and why the candidate wants the job. The trick is to suss out what motivates a candidate and will this motivation lead to a continuing passion to improve on the job and a continuing happiness with what an employer has to offer. In my opinion, a mismatch of motivations is the primary reason for most job dissatisfaction and performance issues.

There are of course, other factors that get baked into a hiring decision including budget, location, timing, the state of the business, and the like. This post is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of my hiring strategy, but does provide some insight into my general philosophy. I’d be interested in hearing about yours.