Getting Results

There are several important points in the hiring process which require candidate's involvement.

1. Review research and source materials with the consultant on a periodic basis. You are a partner in the process.

2. Appoint one staff person to have responsibility for the entire search from beginning to end. Lack of continuity equals lack of accountability.

3. Set a timetable and closure strategy for the search at the beginning of the engagement. An open ended search is a search without an end.

4. Recognize that when you have special requirements for your candidate, e.g. a person of color, a woman, etc., you limit the prospect pool significantly. The candidates who meet your special requirements and who are willing to talk with you are even fewer in number.

5. Give the consultant direct and detailed feedback on each candidate following your interviews. Second hand reports do not allow for dialogue.

6. Listen to feedback from the prospects who decline to pursue your position or from candidates who withdraw. If there are issues about your organization, the position, management style, etc., be prepared to address them in a positive way.

7. Try to avoid interviewing candidates singly over a long period of time. This makes it more difficult to make a meaningful comparison, and it has a tendency to prolong the search indefinitely.

8. When time and diligent search efforts fail to identify the ideal candidate, consider being flexible on your requirements. What characteristics are essential to do the job? Which tasks could be delegated, if necessary, to an able subordinate?

9. Appoint an internal candidate champion for a good candidate. The longer a search goes on, the more unlikely it is that any candidate will be acceptable to everyone.

10. Use references throughout the search process to address issues or points of concern about a candidate. First impressions are not always totally accurate.

11. Act decisively and with dispatch when you have a good candidate. A top performer is a rapidly wasting asset. Either he/she will have other offers if you delay or he/she will lose interest if the selection drags on.

12. Talk to the search consultant often and allow him/her to consult with you, especially before you decide to make an offer.