Your new hire sailed through the interview process. He "wowed" HR, hit it off with the department manager and--based on his stellar resume--is more than qualified for the position.
So why is he failing on the job?
It could be because he's a great interviewee--but not a high performer. In fact, there is very little correlation between a candidate's interviewing skills and his ability to become an outstanding employee.
Some hiring processes fail at distinguishing between those who interview well and those who will actually perform well on the job. This leads to two problems:
Simply put, top candidates don't necessarily equal top employees. So how can you tell if your potential new hire actually has the "right stuff" to become a great employee? You need to do these three things:
Good interviewees are:
The traits of a top employee are (in many cases) completely different from the traits of someone who simply interviews well. Top employees are:
Well-versed interviewees make great presentations, but presentations do not always correlate with top performance.
The reverse is true, too--great employees don't always interview well. They are usually more discriminating, less eager to please and unwilling to waste time--characteristics that don't necessarily make the best first impressions.
So how do you identify top performers--and weed out "wannabes?" Use these tips: Attract better prospects
Improve your evaluation process
Teach interviewers how to develop behavioral questions that break through a candidate's interviewing facade and evaluate actual job performance. To lessen the bias caused by first impressions, require interviewers to cite specific candidate statements that back up their evaluations and/or conclusions. Train them to support their ratings with examples--rather than opinions, impressions, or hunches.
Critically examine your entire process--from the moment a candidate contacts your company through onboarding--identifying and eliminating process bottlenecks that cause delays.
The best interviewees don't always make the best employees. To consistently attract and hire great people, you must learn how to tell the difference between the two. So train your interviewers to evaluate performance--not likeability. Refine your branding and recruiting to attract higher caliber candidates. Streamline your hiring process to keep the best prospects interested in your company. And offer them what they're worth. Do these things and you'll hire top employees, every time.
Top Candidates do not equal Top Employees!