Introduction Staff Selection is an essential Management skill.
But you don't need key Performance Indicators, elaborate Job Descriptions or any other of the array of pop psychology parlour games.
You don't need to be a brilliant interviewer either.
But there's something you do need.
The Core Secret Question The core secret to successful staff selection is to find the answer to this question.
"If this job were being done perfectly, how would I know?" In other words, what on job performance would be achieved if the job were being done perfectly.
Notice that there's no mention of who's doing the job, their personal qualities, background, experience or qualification.
Realistically, you can't successfully consider those "who" type of questions until you answer the core secret question.
You must decide what the vacant job is designed to achieve and how you'll measure success or otherwise.
The purpose of staff selection is to get a job done; not to choose a person.
The Very First Thing And this must be the very first thing you do before you actually embark on the selection process.
Know what you're trying to achieve and how you're going to measure achievement is the foundation of successful staff selection: no magic, no mystery, no masterful manipulative management, no psychological parlour games.
The Conventional Wisdom Conundrums In the last 25 years or so staff selection has been bedeviled by elaborate interview processes, psychometric testing, rampant resumes and self fulfilling prophesies.
A candidate presents an apparently outstanding resume.
We subject the candidate to our so-called professional selection process.
In about 75% of cases the candidate with the "best" resume gets the job.
The process becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy which gives the "best" resume writer the inside running.
But we don't ask, "What are we trying to achieve?" and "How will we measure on job achievement?" Interviewing Incidentally, the face to face interview has limited value in staff selection.
Remember, you cannot tell what candidates can do merely by talking to them.
If you believe that you can, you're seriously misinformed.
Managers have been lead to believe that all those elaborate steps will provide successful staff selection.
They won't.
They'll just make you feel as if you're being professional by taking so much time.
What you'll really be doing is nothing more than favouring the "best" resume writer.
Take care not to be misled by selection agents and consultants.
These people generally favour long, complicated and cumbersome staff selection processes.
They'll tell you how thorough they are.
You pay for thoroughness.
You should pay only for results.
A last word on interviewing: the staff selection interview is a privilege not a right.
You should only grant interviews to those candidates who have demonstrated competence.
For example, never use the words "call or write for an interview" in a job ad.
Conclusion I specialize in helping managers in small-medium business to improve on job staff performance without using training courses.
Good staff selection is essential.
You need the "right people" to get the "best results" for your business.
But to find "the right people" you must answer the Core Secret Question first.
The purpose of staff selection is to get a job done; not to choose a person.
But you don't need key Performance Indicators, elaborate Job Descriptions or any other of the array of pop psychology parlour games.
You don't need to be a brilliant interviewer either.
But there's something you do need.
The Core Secret Question The core secret to successful staff selection is to find the answer to this question.
"If this job were being done perfectly, how would I know?" In other words, what on job performance would be achieved if the job were being done perfectly.
Notice that there's no mention of who's doing the job, their personal qualities, background, experience or qualification.
Realistically, you can't successfully consider those "who" type of questions until you answer the core secret question.
You must decide what the vacant job is designed to achieve and how you'll measure success or otherwise.
The purpose of staff selection is to get a job done; not to choose a person.
The Very First Thing And this must be the very first thing you do before you actually embark on the selection process.
Know what you're trying to achieve and how you're going to measure achievement is the foundation of successful staff selection: no magic, no mystery, no masterful manipulative management, no psychological parlour games.
The Conventional Wisdom Conundrums In the last 25 years or so staff selection has been bedeviled by elaborate interview processes, psychometric testing, rampant resumes and self fulfilling prophesies.
A candidate presents an apparently outstanding resume.
We subject the candidate to our so-called professional selection process.
In about 75% of cases the candidate with the "best" resume gets the job.
The process becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy which gives the "best" resume writer the inside running.
But we don't ask, "What are we trying to achieve?" and "How will we measure on job achievement?" Interviewing Incidentally, the face to face interview has limited value in staff selection.
Remember, you cannot tell what candidates can do merely by talking to them.
If you believe that you can, you're seriously misinformed.
Managers have been lead to believe that all those elaborate steps will provide successful staff selection.
They won't.
They'll just make you feel as if you're being professional by taking so much time.
What you'll really be doing is nothing more than favouring the "best" resume writer.
Take care not to be misled by selection agents and consultants.
These people generally favour long, complicated and cumbersome staff selection processes.
They'll tell you how thorough they are.
You pay for thoroughness.
You should pay only for results.
A last word on interviewing: the staff selection interview is a privilege not a right.
You should only grant interviews to those candidates who have demonstrated competence.
For example, never use the words "call or write for an interview" in a job ad.
Conclusion I specialize in helping managers in small-medium business to improve on job staff performance without using training courses.
Good staff selection is essential.
You need the "right people" to get the "best results" for your business.
But to find "the right people" you must answer the Core Secret Question first.
The purpose of staff selection is to get a job done; not to choose a person.