Ever heard of a game called beanboozled? My kids brought it to my attention a few years ago. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a game created by Jelly Belly in which players have to choose between two identical looking jellybean candies. The challenge of the game lies in the fact that of each look alike pair of jellybeans, one is the traditional tasty Jelly Belly flavor and the other is truly nasty. Flavors like skunk, sweaty socks, stink bug and dirty dishwasher are all part of the game. Typically, you don’t know the flavor you’ve chosen until your taste buds sound the alarm. 

Unfortunately, that’s how the hiring process feels sometimes. You do your best to find the right fit for your organization…. someone who will really make a positive difference and a strong contribution. But it’s weeks or even months before you know whether you truly have that great employee or a challenge on your hands. 

I’ve gained a lot of experience over the years in recruiting and interviewing and there are a few things that I’ve learned along the way that may be helpful for you to know. My hope is that these ideas will help you make the best decision possible and increase your odds of a successful hire long term.

First, make sure that you have a very clear understanding of the responsibilities and requirements of the job before you begin accepting or reviewing applications and resumes. Job descriptions are extremely important but they rarely include all of the nuances that can impact the employee experience. Make sure that you are ready to accurately and candidly describe the role in both the job posting and interview process. It may be tempting to try to sugar coat some elements in hopes of finding better candidates but long-term, this is counterproductive. Provide a balanced view of both the opportunities and challenges. 

Second, ask the right questions…and avoid the wrong ones. Behavior-based interview questions in which you ask about how they’ve handled specific situations in the past are still (in my opinion) the best indicator of whether they have the experience and skills necessary to perform.  Yes, I realize that candidates are more prepared than ever for these questions.  The trick is to listen carefully to the answers and ask follow-through questions to ensure you're getting the full (and accurate) story.

Remember that it is not only ill-advised but illegal to ask questions related to their race, age, religion, national origin, disability, gender (including orientation) and even marital or family status. You can ask whether they are legally able to work in the U.S. but cannot ask where they were born. Focus on open-ended questions and commit to only speaking 20% of the time. Your goal is to enable them to talk as much as possible rather than dominating the conversation yourself. Also, prepare the questions ahead of time. Shooting from the hip is great in some settings but not in an interview. 

Third, expect the candidate to be prepared. They should be dressed appropriately based on your environment (or perhaps one step above). They should have knowledge about both the position and the company and be able to discuss how they feel they will be able to contribute to its success. They should also have questions prepared other than pay and benefits. Overall, they should give you the impression that they have done their homework ahead of time.

Fourth, make sure that you are considering the match between the candidate and your operating culture. While you may be tempted to hire someone with incredible technical skill, if there is a mismatch between their style and your culture and you hire them, you will soon be going through the process all over again. When you ask questions, do their answers give you the impression that they are aligned with not only the “what” of the job but also the “how” and the “why”. You can train on technical skill. It is far more difficult to train on behaviors.

Finally, remember that you are far better off being patient and finding the right candidate than you are rushing to simply fill a position with a warm body. If the candidate is a 90% match and can easily be trained on the remaining 10%, that’s great. But if they are only a 60% match, can be trained on 30% and have a disconnect with your culture, wait. It’s better to have a vacancy than to spend your time trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Today’s hybrid work environment and all of the nuances of Covid-19 make it even more important to make sure that you’re hiring smart. Your customer experience depends on it. And the next time your kids offer you a Jelly Belly candy with mischievous smiles on their faces, think carefully before proceeding.