The Hiring Process that will get you A-players!
If you ask me which one should be the main priority of any leader out there: it is 10/100/1000 times hiring.
Having a solid hiring process is crucial for early-stage startups, especially right now.
Today I’m outlining a hiring framework that I’ve personally used to successfully hire over 50 people.
Before beginning the actual process is important to write down your A-Players competencies. This will help you ensure that you're looking for the right skills and qualities in candidates. Ensure to align with the other stakeholders (recruiter, founders, CEOs, etc.).
More about the A-Player scorecard👇
Let’s get down to the process.
Remember to create a Slack private channel with #role-name and share it with the recruiter or anybody involved in the process.
Interview Process:
Recruiter Alignment / A-players competencies
Recruiter Interview
Screening Interview
Hiring Manager Interview
Role Play / Task
Peer Interview
Final Motivational Interview
For a managerial position, I would suggest adding a step where the candidate meets with the CEO or Founder to discuss their vision and goals for the role. Additionally, a more comprehensive role-play or task could be added too.
Recruiter interview:
This is the first step, the recruiter needs to take the time to understand the candidate's cultural fit, salary expectations, and notice period. Additionally, they should assess whether the candidate meets the A-player scorecard criteria.
Screening Interview:
As the hiring manager, your goal for this interview is to screen the candidate's soft skills, including cultural fit and motivation. The interview should be no longer than 30 mins and should not cover technical skills. By the end of the interview, you should be able to answer one simple question: "Do I want to work with this person for 8 hours every day for the next several years?”.
If you want to dive deep into the screening interview check this out 👇
The Screening Interview Framework
Hiring Manager interview:
If you know me, you know I’m a huge fan of the Chronological Interview.
The best way to conduct it is to pick 3-4 of the candidate’s most relevant job experiences and start from the earliest job until the most recent. Ask the following questions:
Why did you take the job?
What were your roles and responsibilities?
How were you measured, and how did you perform?
What was your favourite thing, and why?
What was your least favourite thing, and why?
What was your boss’s name, and what would he/she say about your strengths and areas of improvement?
Why did you leave?
Let the candidate know it may seem repetitive, but it’s normal. Assess the candidate’s current job last, and be fast but don’t skip the questions.
Look for patterns, behaviours, and personalities. The candidate may work through the first round of questions, but after 2-3 questions, their true self will come out.
I always look for two main personalities: blaming vs proactivity and fixed vs growth mindset.
If the candidate is a blamer, the third time you ask the same question (i.e., what was your least favourite thing?), some blaming will likely arise.
Similarly, if somebody is a team player, you will see the behaviours coming through their answers.
If you want to dive deeper, check out my previous blog post on this topic 👇
Role Play / Task:
When building an effective role-play for the role you are hiring for, focus on the future and what the candidate can bring to your organisation.
Pick one part of your sales cycle you want to role-play (i.e. discovery call, demo, proposal).
Here are some ground rules to follow:
Provide limited information to the candidate.
Offer sources and a deck template if needed.
If necessary, provide a demo account for the candidate to use.
Role-play live during the interview, you are the customer/prospect and the candidate is the salesperson. After the role-play, ask the candidate how they think they did and provide feedback. If the candidate is defensive or lacks an understanding of their performance, it may be a red flag.
Peer Interview:
We are getting closer to the end and It is important to start getting real. Choose one of your best team members and invite them and the candidate for a chat.
This is an opportunity for the candidate to not only ask uncomfortable questions but also to gain a deeper understanding of the team dynamics and culture. This can help the chosen team member (interviewer) feel more comfortable and valued, and can also give the candidate a better sense of whether or not the team member is a good fit for the company culture.
Final Motivational Interview
This is the moment when walls should come down and conversation should flow freely, rather than feeling like an interview. At this point, you should be comfortable enough with the candidate to have a relaxed chat about their motivations.
Challenge them on topics that may not have been covered previously, and try to gain a deeper understanding of their mindset before extending a job offer.
Finally, document the hiring process using a recruitment tool or Google Sheets. Use templates for each interview, as shared in my previous newsletters.
To make the final decision, gather all decision-makers, review all notes and score each candidate against your A-players scorecards. Use your gut feeling if needed.
With all the necessary information at hand, you should be able to make an informed and clear decision and hire your A-player!
