Hire Faster by Interviewing Deeper with Kison Patel of MAScience & DealRoom

As an entrepreneur, we all share one thing in common. Every single one of us has made a bad hire.

Let’s define what a bad hire is. A bad hire is what happens when our need to fill something quickly overrides our logic. The interview process gets rushed, red flags get overlooked, and… Just like that, you have hired a person who is nothing more than a seat filler. We all hope that the person will work out but we know deep down we just made a bad hire.

Here’s the truth: You can still hire quickly when you slow down your interview process. Less steps, more quality time. Going deep is the only way to uncover the fit of the individual into the culture of the organization.

Today we discuss:

• Why we continually make bad hires & when to break the cycle
• How to go deeper while moving faster

Kison’s Hiring Story:

• Hired the first 5 people who responded to his craigslist ad
  • Flannel shirt, BO guy who sent video rants. 
  • Went through a year and a half of harassment. 

Challenge today?

• Hiring across functions
  • Organic vs outside leaders 
  • Be proactive about letting people go
  • Talent you need with goals your trying to achieve
  • 1 of 8 hires was a bad hire in 2021
  • Development function & Marketing is really mature, low attrition

Why is this important to the company?

• Learning
  • When to take a passive hiring approach
  • Knowing key roles, CFO, Demand Gen… get to know those people and courting 
  • Centralizing the hiring 

Rick’s Nuggets

• My bad hire story
  • Friend no more - The relationship ending was on me!
    • Expectations Alignment document (write it down!)
• Root of the issue: expectation alignment
• Not sharing the same values
• Process allows people to take you seriously
• Interview: less questions, more depth

How do we solve the problem? 

• Accountability
  • Shifted from founder hiring to leaders
  • Stepping back and optimizing leads
  • One person that didn't work out came through a search firm
• Being systematic
  • Pragmatic in having a comprehensive scope
  • Do more passive recruiting
  • Test project 24 hours
• Closing people
  • Ended to end in 10 days 
  • Keeping things compressed
  • *** Write the offer letter on the phone with the person
    

Rick’s Nuggets

For critical hires:

• Create an expectations document (Positioning & Accountability)
  • Why (pain)
  • Desire (do we both want the same thing?- positioning)
    • “Positioning is the single largest influence on the buying decision.” -Geoffrey A. Moore, Crossing the Chasm
  • Impact (growth plan)
• Outline & communicate your process
  • People check out with time & poor communication
  • Provide active feedback
• Timing
• • Time + communication + feedback = Hire
  • Less time, more depth
  • Empower each person to be a decision maker

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!  -Value:

• Identify and build your company's core values
• Utilize your referrals and be proactive with recruiting

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kisonpatel/
Company: https://www.mascience.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mascience/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dealroominc?lang=en
Website: https://kisonpatel.com/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Episode Sponsor: Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/