Recruiting the right talent is essential to the success of a business, while bad hiring decisions are exceedingly expensive in terms of both time and money. Additionally, high employee turnover lowers morale and creates discouragement within a company. These hiring disasters could have been avoided and the lost resources could have been invested in the right candidate.
To that end, companies like Google have adopted the “law of three” for interviewing candidates. This recruiting technique and ones like it are designed to avoid costly hiring mistakes. The “law of three” encompasses the following rules:
(1) Always interview a minimum of three candidates. Managers are tempted to end their search early when a suitable candidate is found. Discipline yourself to continue interviewing. The more people you interview, the greater the pool you can select from and the greater your chances of finding the right person.
(2) Interview candidates in three different settings. Changing the venue of the interview can have a powerful effect on the interview process. Interviewees are accustomed to an office setting and the demeanor that it requires. An interview in a casual setting, like a coffee shop, can reveal a candidate’s true personality. Additionally, it will be an opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate that he or she can adapt to new settings.
(3) Engage at least three people to interview the candidate and participate in a post-interview meeting. The benefits to this rule are twofold. This allows for several opinions of the candidate from a company culture standpoint. It also ensures the success of the candidate should he or she come aboard. Those who interviewed the candidate will have a vested interest in helping him or her succeed.
In interviewing these candidates, the SWAN formula can be a valuable tool. This formula, named after John Swan, an executive recruiter, is an acronym for Smart, Works hard, Ambitious and Nice. Although simplistic, it is a very practical and useful recipe for success. Even the most diverse team can be highly successful if they have these four characteristics in common.
(1) Smart – Smart people are successful when they have mastered job-specific skills and competencies. Those who have a talent for their job work more productively, more efficiently and with fewer mistakes. These candidates tend to ask many questions, demonstrating a passion for the position.
(2) Works hard – To be successful, a smart candidate must be accustomed to hard work. Your supervision alone will not create that level of motivation.
(3) Ambitious – A candidate should be ambitious about this specific job, not the future benefits it may present. An employee who is only ambitious about future benefits will lose focus of his current duties. The right candidate is one who excels in the current position, and, as a result, naturally moves ahead.
(4) Nice – In this context, “nice” means those candidates who are a nice fit for this particular position. These are the candidates who fit within your company culture. They are positive, supportive and easygoing. Their beliefs and values are consistent with that of the company.
Here at NexusCW, we understand the elements of the “right” candidate and the importance of your company’s culture in the hiring process. Our expert team is passionate about building your team. Hiring mistakes can be devastating to a business. To help you avoid a significant loss of time, money and resources, let NexusCW get it right for you the first time, every time.
