A couple of years ago Lori Davila wrote a great post for the LinkedIn Talent Blog on hiring advice from successful entrepreneurs and CEOs. The advice from business greats Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and Tony Hsieh has stood the test of time. She shares their recommendations in her post. Here’s a summary of that advice:
Collaborate with key team members when hiring. Good managers don’t hire in a vacuum; they involve key staffers to interview and talk with top candidates. Some even do group interviews, or interview multiple candidates at the same time.
At Apple, for example, interviewees speak to at least a dozen people across different departments. This is helpful because staff in various positions will have unique perspectives, contributing to a multi-faceted evaluation of a particular candidate.
Hire people you need, not people you want. Virgin Group’s Richard Branson advises against hiring friends. While you may enjoy working with them, they are hard to let go if it isn’t a good fit. Instead, hire strong candidates that have the skills, habits and characteristics that will meet the position’s requirements.
Consider the culture. Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh says hiring managers should pass on potential employees if they don’t fit the company culture, even if they are smart or talented. Use behavior-based questions to help identify the candidate’s fit, including questions that drill down to the company’s core values.
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Thanks for reading,
Diana Albertson, CEO
MyHealthRecruiter.com