Don’t be blinded by intangibles or bonus skills you think an applicant shares with the exiting employee. Instead, take a tiered approach, with the requirements to literally do the job and experience as the non-negotiables. After candidates pass that test, then you can look for those with special skills (or the potential to innovate in their own ways).
3. The last person didn’t work out
You know what’s harder than filling a position previously held by a rock star? Hiring for the person who came after the rock star, flopped, and unceremoniously left.
Frankly, the stakes are higher this time around. You had prepped your major stakeholders for the fact that the person they’ve dealt with for the past few years was leaving, you made the introductions to someone new, and you now have to tell them there will be another new face. Lots of turnover can make clients and co-workers feel antsy (especially if the interim hire messed things up), so it’s important you get the next hire right.
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You’re no longer looking for someone who can maintain the work of a stellar employee, now you need someone who can pick up the pieces after an employee who failed.
Before hiring for the position again, you need to do a 360-degree review of sorts—ask colleagues, supervisors, clients (and, if appropriate, the employee himself via an exit interview) what wasn’t working. What made the best applicant for the job fail?
Maybe it was something personal and unforeseen, in which case, you can run the hiring process the same way you’ve done in the past. But, if you realize that you ignored red flags (you let it slide that she was late to the interview, but then she was regularly late to client meetings and frequently called out), prioritized the wrong skills (yes, he was an expert coder, but he was beyond unpleasant to work with), or would be better off restructuring the role, it’s important you know that before you initiate the hiring process again.
It’s natural to be forward-focused when searching for a candidate to join your team. But, if you let the position’s history help guide the hiring process, you’ll have a better chance of finding the right person.
