Old-school vs process-oriented hiring

I’ve been promoted to oversee recruiting after a major reorganization, even if I don’t have the experience other than hearing oft-repeated interview questions. What’s the first thing to do? — Northern Bridge.

The first thing to do is to treat recruitment like a production line. Recruitment is often less about finding talent and more about creating a dynamic process to get maximum results at minimum cost. Any step that doesn’t add value to the hiring process is wasteful and should be eliminated or reduced.

You can do this by reviewing the current process and adjust the policy with management approval. That’s the essence of Lean HR, which applies waste elimination techniques. As a neophyte on the job, I recommend you follow the first few critical steps:

One, review the job description. Analyze and compare it with model form and substance you can find on the internet. Don’t just dust off an old description. Be critical about the role by asking the following questions: Could you outsource the job?

What are the “must-have” technical skills and the “nice-to-have” attributes? What are the key performance indicators? What important things should be done in the first 45 to 60 days?

Two, create a process map. Draw the simplest workflow of the screening process. Focus on digital review of every CV and do online interviews of candidates who passed it. Not every applicant deserves to be interviewed face-to-face.

Limit asking for a truckload of certificates only from shortlisted candidates. Then, define the general timeline when the “time-to-hire” is to be made.

Three, maximize the current manpower structure. When somebody resigns, becomes seriously ill or decides to retire, be the first one to look for an internal replacement. Spread the gospel of “promotion from within.”

Without you knowing it, there could be high-potential people ready for promotion. If none, then that’s the only time to tap outsiders.

Four, reflect on every candidate’s experience. Treat applicants like the company’s valuable customers. In a competitive market, your function is as important as those of sales and marketing. Respect applicants by ensuring they receive a timely response, even if it’s a rejection.

If you can’t do it manually, include a disclaimer in your job ad or use a free version of applicant tracking systems like Dover, BreezyHR, and Giig Hire.

Five, be transparent about the salary range. This saves you and the applicants a lot of time. Not only that, be open about your company’s background, its people, and the process. Include them in the job ad as well.

Clarity builds trust, filters mismatched expectations early, and attracts candidates who value honesty over guesswork and corporate mystery.

SOME OLD-SCHOOL
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Now that we’re done with the hiring process, be mindful of oft-repeated but are now considered ineffective or outdated interview questions and the reasons why modern HR professionals avoid them. Here are some:

One, “tell me something about yourself.” This is too broad and vague. It invites candidates to talk about irrelevant life stories and creates imbalanced answers across all candidates. If you want to establish rapport, the best option is to talk about neutral topics like the weather, sports or traffic.

Two, “what is your greatest weakness?” Almost all applicants have already memorized their script on this. Besides, that question encourages exaggerated performance rather than the applicant’s honesty. It’s better to ask the applicant’s recent mistakes, lessons learned, and how they overcame such adversity.

Three, “where do you see yourself in five years?” Nearly all people don’t know their future plans and programs, except when you’re interviewing executive applicants. One approach is to ask about skills they want to develop, problems they want to solve, or milestones they want to achieve.

Four, “why should we hire you?” It encourages scripted sales pitches. Even if you ask follow-up questions, some candidates may resort to strong self-promotion that could overshadow quiet but talented applicants. One solution is to ask for specific examples of results achieved and the reward they got from their employers.

DYNAMIC HIRING PROCESS

Modern hiring processes focus on behavioral and evidence-based interviewing. Instead of asking hypothetical or self-promotional questions, companies these days ask candidates to describe actual past behavior, show measurable results, and demonstrate potential ability.

Look for past work behavior that could predict future performance better than scripted answers. Past behavior predicts future performance better than rehearsed answers.

To do this, dynamic hiring managers use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) model to measure the applicants’ response. Ditch rehearsed brilliance; only proven behavior separates real performers from polished but empty interview talk.

Consult REY ELBO for his free insights on people management. Send your workplace questions to elbonomics@gmail.com or DM him on Facebook, LinkedIn, X or https://reyelbo.com.