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I callback interviewing personification for a position astatine Square years agone erstwhile I was an engineering head there. This campaigner had each soft accomplishment needed to excel successful nan role, but they weren't acquainted pinch our tech stack.
Not knowing nan exertion utilized astatine a awesome tech institution seems for illustration a beautiful bully logic not to prosecute personification — but 80% of nan exertion we usage now wasn't moreover astir then. In hindsight, nan biggest correction I could person made would person been not to prosecute them, and it was sheer luck that made maine recognize it astatine nan time.
Below, I'll explicate a fewer different awesome hiring mistakes — including immoderate I've narrowly avoided and others I've made personally. Use this accusation to guideline your ain hiring decisions truthful you tin beryllium assured successful nan group you take for your team.
Related: Why You Have to Let People Fail Now So They Can Succeed Later
1. Don't prosecute talent complete character
"How acquainted are you pinch javascript?" is 1 of nan slightest valuable questions you tin inquire successful an interview. Don't get maine wrong; there's a spot for method screening during nan hiring process. But arsenic a lead, location are amended uses of your time.
At nan extremity of nan day, I tin thatch Javascript to almost anyone — aliases astatine slightest anyone apt to make it acold capable successful nan hiring process that I'm having a face-to-face speech pinch them.
I can't needfully thatch a campaigner really to get on pinch me. Compatibility tin beryllium nurtured to a definite extent, but overmuch of it is innate. It's either location aliases it's not.
Your clip successful an question and reply is acold amended spent asking questions that speak to nan characteristic of your candidate. I've written an wholly abstracted article astir that, which you tin publication below.
Related: I've Interviewed Thousands of Candidates — Here Are nan 2 Questions I've Asked All of Them
2. Don't presume pedigree is nan aforesaid arsenic value
The truth that a campaigner went to a prestigious schoolhouse aliases worked astatine a awesome institution mightiness get them successful nan door. But it should ne'er beryllium capable to onshore them nan occupation outright.
Not everyone who went to Harvard aliases Yale is simply a genius, and not everyone who worked astatine Microsoft is simply a visionary. An institution's estimation mightiness propose thing notable astir nan group associated pinch it, but it guarantees nothing.
In fact, galore students who be Ivy League schools are strangely awkward astir it — because they want their activity and characteristic to speak for themselves. Having large names connected a resume could mean that personification is exceptional, but it mightiness besides mean that they're counting connected those names to do nan dense lifting for them.
You tin (and should) use nan aforesaid reasoning to a candidate's circumstantial experience. They whitethorn person managed a large squad astatine their past job, but that doesn't needfully mean they could do it astatine your company.
What's connected their resume lands them nan interview. It's what they opportunity during nan question and reply that lands them nan job.
3. Don't prosecute personification to turn into nan role
This one's astir apt a small confusing because it seems to alert successful nan look of accepted wisdom. Aren't you expected to put group successful positions wherever they'll create amended skills complete time?
Of course, you are. However, your company culture and activity style will thief nan correct campaigner grow, moreover if they're overqualified erstwhile they start. And it's overmuch amended to prosecute personification who tin slam-dunk their position from time 1 than personification who will request their handheld.
Don't prosecute personification who needs to turn into nan role; prosecute personification wherever nan domiciled tin turn into them. If you judge that your institution will turn (and hopefully you do), past nan domiciled should beryllium capable to turn into their skillset.
Let's spell backmost to nan illustration I presented astatine nan commencement of this article — nan campaigner who wasn't comfortable pinch our tech stack astatine Square. That campaigner ended up thriving successful their role, moreover though nan exertion it required is now wholly different. In different words, nan domiciled yet adapted to their soft skills and character.
Related: Avoid Costly Hiring Mistakes With These Five Essential Tips
The measurement you prosecute a campaigner sets nan reside for your master relationship
Too galore group look astatine whether to prosecute personification arsenic a elemental yes aliases nary question, but it's overmuch much than that. Hiring a campaigner becomes nan first relationship you person pinch a caller employee, truthful nan measurement you do it colors nan remainder of your master narration pinch them.
Technical skills, beardown references, and maturation imaginable are each valuable qualities successful a candidate. But a person's character, accomplishments, and expertise to excel are each overmuch clearer indicators of really successful they tin be.
And remember: hiring personification isn't erstwhile you extremity learning astir personification — it's erstwhile you start. You tin prime up immoderate much tips connected really to build beardown relationships pinch your squad below.
Related: Be a Coach, Not a Referee — How to beryllium a Good Mentor and Manager from a Coaching Perspective