The Biggest Hiring Mistake I Ever Made

And how you can avoid it!

When I first started hiring employees years ago, nobody taught me how to interview, much less how to know if the person I was hiring would be the right fit for our company.

I remember sitting across the desk from a bright and interesting candidate and being MORE NERVOUS than the person I was interviewing. I could hardly remember what I was planning to ask them next, much less make a good decision!

But the biggest mistake I ever made happened when I did the ONE THING you should avoid doing at all costs: hiring someone based on how I felt (EMOTIONS) rather than what skills I needed (FACTS). When you finally get the courage to take the hiring plunge, it can trigger a lot of feelings and questions.

Where do I find someone who will work for me?

What will I ask them in the interview?

Do I really want to manage another person when I can barely keep up with my own schedule?

Will I like spending time around another person, and will they even like me? Interviewing can feel like entering the world of dating and finding that right fit can feel emotional and overwhelming. But hiring is not only about feelings, it's first and foremost about the fact that you need someone with the right skills to support your business!

When hiring, the most important thing you must do is to walk into every interview with a clear picture of what skills the person you are looking for needs to do the job well. Every person you speak to will likely be putting their best foot forward. It IS like a first date- all smiles and impressive behavior. But your questions should lead you past all the outside shine and into the truth about what they can (or can not) demonstrate competency towards for the exact role you are hiring. It's all too easy to get swept up into a situation where you realize partway through an interview that this person could be your BFF in real life. You will be tempted to hire the person you like the most over the skill set you need the most. Don't be fooled! Most of the time the person you would love to grab happy hour with on Friday night is the last person you need managing your schedule.

So what can you do to avoid getting duped into making an emotional decision while still ending up with someone you can enjoy being with year-round? Screen for competency first and connection second.

I'm not saying you can't like your employees. You should enjoy the people you hire! The real trick is to have a screening process to eliminate your own personal bias when interviewing and then allow the feelings to enter once you are confident your crop of candidate are all on a level playing field of competency. Then, once you have a few solid options, let all the feelings into the process!

Not sure how to do that yourself? I've got you covered! Download my interview question template, complete with questions to ask for standard job interviews and tips on each question about what you are asking and why you are asking it so you can screen like a professional!

Don't let the feelings drive you into a bad hiring situation! Use your head first and then let your heart take you home.

Join me next week when we talk about the magic of the part-time employee to change your business life.