Category Archives: Talent Acquisition

Maybe I’ve Been Wrong About Quality of Hire (QoH)

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I was at LinkedIn’s Talent Connect Summit this week, and I sat in a session on measuring the quality of hire delivered by Ana Recio, the VP of Talent at Uber. I’m a big fan of QoH, and I’m not alone. LinkedIn’s own annual recruitment data shows that QoH is the #1 priority for people leaders. I actually wrote quite a bit about QoH in my book, The Talent Fix, Vol. 2, but my take was a bit different from most people in our space, and although it pains me to say it, most people might be right, and I might be wrong!

My original belief is that QoH needs to have an industry standard measure to mean anything. If we can’t benchmark across industry, what are we really measuring? Or so I thought.

Ana at Uber and her team built a straightforward survey measure of QoH (You can download Uber’s QoH measure details here) that, after six months, asks the hiring manager simply, “Would you hire this person again, if given the chance?” They also ask the employee if this is the job they thought they would be getting. This is very similar to the approach CrossChq has taken in their QoH measure.

I like the simplicity. My struggle with QoH has always been it’s just too damn difficult to really measure it (in the way I thought it should be measured). I was stuck on the “quality” component and wanting data around quality. In my head, that meant performance data. How can we show this hire was better than another hire that previously worked in this job or many other hires that have worked in this job? That meant you had to wait a period of time to have real performance data. It all seemed like a lot.

Uber figured out, that “data” could just be a signal from the hiring manager. Simple, yet still valid.

Does this simplicity have issues?

Maybe.

I’m kind of stuck on us believing all of our hiring managers will have enough confidence to actually call our their own failure of selection, development, and performance management. That’s what we are asking them – “Would you make this same selection again if given the choice?” Meaning either you chose successfully, and this person has been great, or you failed in your selection, and this person sucks.

Also, if I’m confident, I come clean and say, “No, I would not choose this person again.” Will HR be coming down to put this person on a performance plan? Do I need to put them on a plan? I mean, if we are honest, and I don’t want to hire this person again, it’s probably time we move on and actually hire a person I would hire again, right?

This QoH measure and process are new to Uber, so Ana and her team haven’t really crossed that bridge yet. Since this is so new, maybe they haven’t run into this issue. I wasn’t able to ask her this question, but I plan on sending it to her as a follow-up to see how it’s going when they get some more data.

Still, I like what Uber is doing. Maybe we don’t need “one” measure of QoH to make it meaningful and impactful. Maybe each organization will figure out its own data and measure QoH in a way that makes sense to them. Maybe some organizations will have multiple QoH measures based on positions (Sales vs. Engineering, for example).

The data nerd in me would love one global QoH measure, but I also love that organizations are just trying to figure this out on their own and benchmarking against themselves. In the end, talent intelligence is about making your hiring better, period. Thanks to Ana and Uber team for sharing!!

Should you be checking the social media accounts of your candidates?

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I tackled this question today on video because I think it’s easier to discuss it that way versus writing about my reply. All of us are doing background checks, but rarely do we find anything on those. We have the potential to catch way more misconduct issues on social media.

Check it out and let me know what you think:

Some resources from Fama:

Let me know what you think! Are you checking your candidates’ social media accounts? Do you think you should be?

Michigan Recruiter’s Conference – Nov. 7, 2024! Tickets On Sale Now!

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It’s that time of year again! The Michigan Recruiter’s Conference is happening on November 7, 2024, and tickets are officially on sale. With limited seating, this event is going to fill up fast—so if you’re serious about attending Michigan’s only recruiter-focused event this year, now’s the time to grab your spot!

Event Details:

  • Date and Time: Thursday, November 7, 2024, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm EST
  • Location: MSUFCU Headquarters Building 2, 3899 Coolidge Rd, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA

What You’ll Get:

If you’re in corporate recruiting or talent acquisition, this conference is designed just for you. We know that HR folks have plenty of events. Talent acquisition often gets left out. That’s why we bring together TA pros from across Michigan for a day of learning, networking, and inspiration.

  • Expert Speakers: We’ve got some incredible national speakers lined up—stay tuned for the full list coming soon!
  • Networking: Meet and connect with over 150 other TA leaders and professionals. This is your chance to swap ideas and build relationships with people who get what you do.
  • Fresh Ideas: You’ll leave the day energized and full of new strategies to take back to your team.

Sponsors:

  • Main Sponsor: Paradox
  • Event Sponsors: Greenhouse and more!

And hey, if you or your company want to get involved as a sponsor, we’d love to have you! Just shoot me an email for more info.

So, are you ready to be part of Michigan’s top event for talent acquisition? Whether you’re looking to level up your recruiting game or just connect with others in the industry, the Michigan Recruiter’s Conference 2024 is where you need to be.

Register here!

Surprise! HR’s Secret Weapon Revealed

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If there’s one piece of advice I could give a new HR Pro, it would be this: no matter how prepared you think you are, you really only need to prepare yourself for one thing—being surprised.

You don’t really get judged on your daily stuff. Let’s face it, 99.9% of the time, your routine tasks go off without a hitch. Handling payroll, organizing training sessions, and managing employee benefits are important, but they usually follow a predictable pattern.

What sets you apart, and what you are truly judged on, is how you handle the unexpected.

Surprises make and break great HR Pro careers.

There’s only one way to prepare for surprises—you need to expect that a surprise will always happen. That one employee you can’t lose or the entire project will blow up? Be prepared to lose them. Talk about it, plan for it, and basically accept that it will happen. Conducting risk assessments and having backup plans can help, but mentally preparing yourself is just as crucial. Then, when it does happen, you’ll be the only one not surprised by it.

The best HR Pros I’ve worked with had this one common trait: they were unshakeable when surprised, almost like they expected it. They had a knack for staying calm and composed, no matter the crisis. Whether it was a sudden resignation, an unexpected legal issue, or a last-minute change in company policy, they handled it with ease.

Expect the unexpected, and you’ll not only survive in the HR world, but you’ll also thrive.

Hiring your first employee is a big deal!

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Do you remember your first hire? It’s normal to have felt nervous because you definitely didn’t want to make a mistake. You wanted your first hire to be amazing!

All of our new recruiters and hiring managers face the same issues when hiring for the first time. They’re not quite sure what to do. It’s kind of like bringing your first baby home from the hospital. Remember that? You get to the lobby with your baby in the car seat, and you’re waiting for someone to stop you like “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” They might as well put a sticky note on your forehead that says Hey I’m new to this!

That’s exactly how our managers feel when they hire for the first time. You’re letting me make this decision? Are you sure?

To help out, I’ve put together a list of the Top 7 Rookie Hiring Mistakes to avoid. Here they are:

  1. Letting HR Control the Process
    This is your hire. You’ll probably be working with this person every day, so get involved from the start. Don’t just sit back and let HR handle everything.
  2. Looking for the Perfect Candidate
    No one is perfect, not even you. Find someone who can do the job well and fit into your team, rather than holding out for perfection.
  3. Hiring Someone Just Like You
    You might think someone like you would be great, but it’s often better to hire someone who complements your skills and brings something different to the team.
  4. Moving Too Slowly
    If you find a great candidate, don’t wait too long to make an offer. Good candidates are often snapped up quickly by other companies.
  5. Taking Too Long to Fire a Bad Hire
    First-time managers often think they can fix a bad hire. Don’t drag it out—if it’s not working, let them go quickly.
  6. Thinking Recruiting Isn’t Your Job
    As a manager, finding the right people is part of your job. Take ownership of the hiring process and work with HR, but remember that you know your team’s needs best.
  7. Worrying About Leadership Judging You
    Leadership isn’t going to judge you on one hire. They look at your overall hiring track record. One mistake won’t define you, so don’t stress too much about it.

What do you think? What are some of the biggest hiring mistakes you see new hiring managers making? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Hiring on a New Level

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Did you know that a whopping 80% of hourly workers live within a 5-mile radius of their workplace? Another study found that 70% of individuals avoid commutes over 30 minutes.

It’s obvious: proximity matters.

No matter if you wear a blue collar or a white one, most people prefer living near their workplace. Who wants to waste time stuck in traffic or on crowded buses or trains? Commuting, even if it can be productive, usually throws off work-life balance.

I created this idea of “Hyperlocal Hiring” years ago. Imagine if companies exclusively recruited individuals to reside within a 1 to 3-mile radius of their premises. The idea is simple yet transformative – making a community of employees who can conveniently walk or bike to work, minimizing commute stress and maximizing efficiency.

The benefits of Hyperlocal Hiring:

  1. Enhanced Work-Life Balance: Hyper-short commutes translate to happier, more balanced employees.
  2. Stronger Bonds: Being close to each other helps coworkers form stronger relationships, making the work environment more unified.
  3. When employees live and work in the same area, they become essential members of their communities, which boosts their involvement and job retention.
  4. Cultural Cohesion: Being close together helps everyone share the same beliefs and values, making the company culture stronger.

Skeptics might have good points, especially about how doable and big we can make Hyperlocal Hiring. Sure, it could be tough for huge companies with thousands of employees. But for smaller and medium-sized businesses, it’s a great chance to get and keep awesome employees, especially younger ones who really want to be part of a community.

Now, you might be thinking about how limiting the candidate pool could work. But that’s the great thing about Hyperlocal Hiring – it’s not about having lots of options, it’s about getting the right people. When you bring in folks who believe in creating lively little communities, you build connections that go beyond just working together.

So, should we give the Hyperlocal revolution a shot?

How Long Should Candidates Take

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When it comes to candidates accepting job offers, how long should candidates take? Should they say yes right away or take some time? Let’s talk about why waiting might be a good idea.

In the past, it was common to expect an immediate answer. Just say yes or no. But things have changed. Now, it’s more about whether the candidate fits well with your company’s culture and values.

So, why suggest giving candidates 72 hours to decide? It’s like giving them time to think after the initial excitement wears off. This helps them consider all aspects of the job and compare it with other options they might have.

What’s meant to be will always be, right?!

What if they get another offer during those 72 hours? It’s not a big deal. If they accept another offer, it probably means your company wasn’t their first choice to begin with.

What about the fear of candidates changing their minds? In today’s job market, it’s understandable. But if a candidate hesitates because of a short wait, it might mean they were never really sure about the job.

In the end, there’s no one right answer to how long candidates should take. It depends on your company’s culture and what feels right. Whether it’s asking for an immediate response or giving candidates time, the important thing is to create a process that’s fair, respectful, and right.

What do you think? How long should candidates take to decide?

Is Anyone Really Fully Staffed?

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If you’re in HR or talent acquisition, you know the frustration of never quite hitting that ‘fully staffed’ mark. Whether it’s in retail, manufacturing, healthcare, or any other industries, the constant struggle of hitting that ideal number of employees—like aiming for ’37 nurses’ but always hovering around 34 or 35—is all too familiar.

So, why does it seem impossible to reach full staffing capacity? There are three key factors:

Unrealistic Projections: The idea of being ‘fully staffed’ is based on a perfect scenario where everything aligns perfectly. But in reality, that never happens. Budgets set the numbers, breaking them down by the day or even the hour. But here’s the problem: these plans often don’t consider the actual staffing needs.

Reluctance to Over-Hire: Many HR pros are hesitant to hire more than they think they need. They worry about what’ll happen if the demand suddenly drops after they’ve hired extra people. God forbid they be over-staffed! This caution makes them play it safe and avoid hiring more, even when it might help reach the right staffing levels.

Comfort with Understaffing: Some companies actually feel okay with not having enough staff. They use it as an excuse to keep average workers around and justify paying for overtime. It’s like they’re subconsciously avoiding the responsibility that comes with having a full staff, because it means they’d have to deal with performance issues and manage more closely.

In reality, managing 37 open nursing jobs, means you’ll need more than 37 hires due to turnover, varying levels of experience, future vacancies, etc, etc. Yet, we never hire 40 or 41 nurses.

Ultimately, the reluctance to fully staff comes from being too comfortable with having too few people. This leads to making excuses and not holding anyone accountable. But shifting to full staffing means facing performance issues head-on and striving for excellence.

You’ll never become fully staffed because deep down in places you don’t talk about at staffing meetings you like to be understaffed, you need to be understaffed.

Hiring is a Black Hole

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Let’s be honest, the process of hiring is a black hole. Despite our best efforts (and all the fancy technologies we use), predicting how a candidate will perform within our organization will always be an unknown. We may think we have it all figured out until they fail, then we blame them, not our inept ability to select the right talent for our organizations.

I have two quotes from Seth Godin regarding expertise. 

1. “It’s easy to pretend expertise when there is no data to contradict you.”

    This rings true for many HR pros and hiring managers who boast of their hiring powers without evidence. We’re quick to dismiss inconvenient data that doesn’t align with the narrative we wish to make. “Well, Ted is one of our best managers, he’s been here a long time. Sure his 90-day turnover is twice as high as the next hiring manager, but that’s not Ted’s fault, he has high turnover positions.”

    2. “Relying on the ignorance of a motivated audience, isn’t a long-term strategy.”

    These two quotes align perfectly. Often, hiring decisions are made by people who are rushed and under pressure to find talent quickly. When these factors come together, it doesn’t cause an immediate disaster, but it can lead to problems in the long run.

    While many claim to be good at hiring, true expertise comes from listening to data and resisting pressure to make bad decisions. It’s not easy work. If you listened to me at SHRM Talent this month you heard me loud and clear… Recruiting is hard. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

    Mastering effective hiring isn’t just a goal; it’s essential for long-term success. Challenge the norm, use data wisely, and avoid the pitfalls of poor hiring decisions. Your organization’s future—and your career—depend on it.

    There’s No Stupid Questions (said no one ever)

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    When it comes to interviews, the questions you ask as a candidate can make or break your chances. Instead of providing you with stellar questions to impress your potential employer, I’m here to give you three questions that could send your interview spiraling downhill in just seconds. And believe me, these questions aren’t hypothetical; they’re straight from the playbook of real candidates we’ve encountered.

    1. “Do you conduct drug tests?” We do now! You might as well be waving a red flag. It screams I’m going to fail a drug test, and I’m convinced it’s a tactic to ensure they won’t be hired. Their loved ones probably just wanted them to interview. Trust me, I’ve seen it happen. Other question on this path – Do you do background checks? Do you do credit checks? Do you hire felons?
    2. “When can I start using sick time?” This question should set off alarm bells for any HR pro. It signals a potential attitude or attendance issue. Let’s be clear: if someone is already planning sick days before they’re even hired – you aren’t going to be happy with that hire. Other questions on this same path:  When would I get a raise? How soon can I use my health insurance?  What happens if I’m late to work?
    3. “Is dating coworkers allowed here?” *raises eyebrows. While it may seem innocent, it implies either ulterior motives or a lack of professionalism. Or I’m-still-a-frat-guy mindset. I once had a candidate ask this question and my immediate follow up question to this, without answering his question, was – “Are you dating one of the employees here?”  To which he said “No” – but that he ran into this at another employer and didn’t want to ‘have any problems’ again.  So, you’re assuming we have folks here who are just not going to be able to hold themselves back and must date you!?  Is what I’m hearing!  Which by the way, totally fine with work place romance, but don’t ask about it before you’re even on the team! Other questions on this same path: Can you drink alcohol on the job here?  Can you smoke pot in the work bathrooms?  Can you steal office supplies?

    What’s the most cringe-worthy question you’ve ever heard in an interview?