LESSON 2 of 6

Hire Right
Want to increase the odds that a good employee will stay? Make sure the person was the
right hire in the first place.

Hire for interests

An employee who is a good fit from the start is an employee who is infinitely easier to keep.
To choose people who will thrive in your organization, hire for interests. Good qualifications
matter. However, research shows a strong "interests match" generates a greater likelihood
that the employee will stay than a perfect "skills match."
Why interests matter:

 Jobs that satisfy people's deepest interests will keep them engaged and inspire them
to achieve.

 People may have the perfect skills for a job, but if the position doesn’t address core
interests, they won't feel satisfied over time.

 You can teach people the skills for a job. Passion for the work, however, is intrinsic.
EDITOR'S CHOICE

5 Ways to Better Leverage Your Referrals to Hire Top Talent

Connect with people whose interests align with your mission. Here are some unexpected
places to look.
Read More
Understand core interests
Researchers have identified eight common core interests. Most people are motivated by one
to three of these: *

 Core Interest

People with This Interest…

 Technology application
 Like to figure out how technology can be used to make life better. They are curious about how things

work.

 Quantitative analysis

See data and numbers as the best, and sometimes only, way to figure out business solutions.

 Conceptual thinking

Enjoy developing theories, thinking, and debating abstract ideas.

 Creative production

Love to turn original ideas into something tangible. They flourish in seeing and acting on possibilities.

 Counseling and mentoring

Find nothing more enjoyable than teaching and helping others.

 Managing people and relationships

Thrive on dealing with people and enabling them to produce results.

 Enterprise control

Prefer to be the “one in charge” and the decision maker. They like to have the final authority in a

situation.

 Influence through language and ideas

Flourish in communication—whether written or spoken. They love to express ideas and to persuade

others

Discover core interests

It can be difficult to recognize a person’s core interests. Customarily, a job-seeker’s résumé
focuses on experience and skills, rather than on interests. When you interview a job
candidate, you’ll need to listen carefully and ask lots of questions to determine whether your
prospect’s deep interests match the position.
Try these open-ended questions to uncover core interests. Ask:

 "In other jobs, what have you loved doing the most?"

 “What have you liked least?”

 “What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?”

 “What stage of a project excites you the most?”

Pay attention to when job candidates speak eagerly and convey energy—that’s a clue to
where their passions really lie. After the interview, take notes on your impressions. Compare
the results to the daily functions of the job you want to fill.
You are interviewing an attorney for a litigation position in your law firm. In discussing what the
candidate liked most about her previous job, you discover that she has a strong interest in counseling
and mentoring.  So you decide to consider the candidate for a different position—leading your firm’s
professional development program.
EDITOR'S CHOICE

Companies Are Hiring Based on Personality Instead of Experience

With the fast pace of business, discover why it’s more important to have the right attitude
than the “perfect” set of skills.
 
Read More
Clarify expectations

When you hire people, make sure they fit not only your expectations but also those of
potential colleagues and coworkers. An employee who meets a broader set of criteria than
your own is more likely to be successful over the long haul.
Before you hire, clarify two things:

 What you need in a new hire.

 What others who would work with this person expect.

Suppose you need to hire a product designer. In this case:

 The executive team might want an individual who has experience working in
South America because they want to launch a new product line there.

 The head of finance may prefer a more affordable junior person.

  The marketing director might press for someone who has worked with one of
your competitors and is savvy about the products your company offers.

 Other designers on your team, who feel overburdened by long hours, may
advocate for someone who is willing to travel several days a month to do market
research.
It’s valuable to surface these different organizational priorities. Too often, talented employees burn
out because they feel caught amid conflicting requirements. 

To get everyone aligned before you interview a candidate: 

 Ask each person who will regularly work with the new hire to send you a list of
attributes the ideal candidate would possess.

 Gather to discuss the differences and similarities in the various wish lists.

 Decide together which requirements have priority.

 Create a list of requirements that everyone agrees on.

Factor in these requirements when evaluating candidates. That way, when your new hire arrives, your
colleagues will have positive and realistic expectations of this person.
S TA T

47%. The percentage of managers who make hiring decisions in 30 minutes or less. *

Recruit great prospects

The first step in retaining employees is to find top-level talent who are worth keeping over
the long haul.
To attract strong candidates:
 Study prospects. Familiarize yourself with their goals before you make contact with
them.

 Sell “growth.” Talk to them about interesting projects they could find at your
organization (that they might not find elsewhere), advancement opportunities, and
potential career paths. 
 Review your company’s track record. Let candidates know about your company—its
successes, values, reputation, and vision for the future. 

 Introduce them to colleagues at your company. During an on-site visit, partner

prospects with other positive, talented employees so they can get a sense of the
office culture. Encourage prospects to ask candid questions.
 Emphasize total compensation. When you make an offer, list all forms of
compensation, including base salary, bonus, all forms of equity, and benefits.