Is the Hiring Process the Key to Competitive Advantage? Print E-mail
Written by Steve Moulton   
Steve MoultonThe success of any company hinges on having the right people, with the right skills in the right positions, doing the right things - well. In fact, this can be a significant advantage. Almost every company interviews its candidates at some point prior to making hiring decisions. Yet, the results they achieve often are less than desirable when interviewers and managers make selection decisions based solely on their intuitions, gut feelings, and pet theories.

The current trend is to combine the best of competency and behavioral based interviewing processes to objectively measure candidates. "I’m a strong supporter of this process due to the success that I have experienced as a user of this tool," said Tangee Gibson, Coors Brewing Company, director of Human Resources. "What I like most about this process is the focus on key job competencies. As a result, we eliminate subjective and bias questions during the interview process."

Using a such a system means that companies are looking at more than technical skills, they are also looking at such soft side aspects as work habits, attitudes, and behavioral competencies. More advanced companies regularly conduct a job analysis prior to filling positions to ensure an accurate and reliable profile of the competencies necessary for success in the position. The focus becomes matching the candidate to the position requirements to maximize success.

These interviewing systems are now being used for more than just hiring new employees. Many companies are taking the time to interview candidates for promotion, to be part of a team, or in the feared 3R’s, reorganization, redeployment, and rightsizing.

Promotion. Depending on the culture of the company, internal candidates are either at an advantage or disadvantage. Employees may be at an advantage if the company culture favors promoting from within or at a disadvantage if there is a bias because the weaknesses are much more apparent. Either way, leveling the playing field by assessing a consistent set of competencies and criteria in a verifiable manner can ensure that positions are filled with the right kind of talents and skills.

Teams. Often project teams are created by lumping a group of technical experts together and expecting results. Project teams are often like the special operations commando teams where each member brings a different expertise necessary for a successful mission. Project teams require members with leadership, administrative, group facilitation, innovation, and other skills to achieve exceptional outcomes.

The key to building successful teams is selecting the right members in advance.

If you are going to select the right team members in advance you need to know what skills and competencies are going to make a difference, and build profiles in advance in order to select team members based on their skills.

Reorganization, Redeployment, and Rightsizing. The feared 3 R’s. In the past organizations faced with the unpleasant responsibility of making such changes, made fairly subjective decisions about who was assigned a new job or combination of jobs, or who was to be let go. Today, companies who care about their employees and the results they get, are taking time to interview and assess people to ensure that they get the best fit for both the company and the employee in the new positions.

Having the right people in the right positions doing the right things – well, doesn’t just happen, but when it is achieved, everyone wins. The result is that employers have a competitive advantage and employees are placed in positions they can enjoy and excel in.