How to Hire Smart: A Creative Approach to Evaluating Potential Employees
By: Dotti Davidson
Having a brilliant team starts with hiring smart. So many times, we review resumes and gravitate to the level of experience the candidate brings. We make the hire based on their experience; despite not assessing other factors that are critical to success in the role. Hiring smart involves evaluating candidates through various creative and thorough methods to ensure the best fit for the role.
Using a Writing Sample to Evaluate Communication Skills
You may read the cover letter and wonder if the applicant can convey the complexities of financial aid to students. Stop wondering about potential candidates. If your hiring process allows for a writing sample, request one.
A written exercise allows you to determine if the potential hire can:
- Deliver content in a warm yet professional tone
- Provide adequate detail that simplifies a complex concept
- Convey systematic, concise, & clear information
Leveraging Personality Assessments for Informed Hiring Decisions
Is their personality a fit for the position in which they are applying? Two great personality assessments are the DISC analysis and Myers-Briggs.
I was hiring for a financial aid counselor on the customer service team. After the interview, writing sample, and personality test, it was clear to me he would fit better with the processing team. When I shared my recommendation, he balked. I asked him for two weeks of training with the processing team. If he still wanted to work in customer service, he could switch. Two weeks later, he agreed that I was right and was successful in the processing role
The Importance of Reference Checks
The last item to consider when vetting job candidates is references. Of course, the reference check should be pristine. I can count twice in my life when the reference check was less than expected. I ignored the red flag raised by the reference and proceeded with the hiring process. It was the one hiring decision that I regretted until the day that employee left the organization. I learned from that lesson, and did not hire anyone else whose reference check was lacking.
View their LinkedIn account and determine if you have any mutual friends in the industry. Those inquiries can be extremely insightful.
The Impact of a Well-Structured Hiring Process
Due to the “great resignation” and the staffing challenges in the financial aid industry, it is tempting to rush the hiring process. This can happen without thoroughly checking if they will succeed and fit the role well. You are doing them and your team a disservice by not hiring smart the first time.
As the great Lebanese writer Kahlil Gibran says, “Work is love made visible.” Put that extra effort into the work of hiring so you can show that extra love to your team.
