Hiring Effectively – Throw out The Laundry List

Most hiring authorities use an extensive list of criteria such as: certifications, years of experience, responsibilities, education, etc. I have known managers to have more than 15 separate criteria. Having such rigid criteria often will eliminate professionals that may be the best fit.

A more effective approach to hiring is to develop three or four non-negotiable “must haves” that represent success in the job. Example: I worked with one of my clients to develop a list of non-negotiables for a Tax Partner and we came up with the following:

• Technical proficiency in corporate income tax
• Ability to teach, coach, mentor subordinates
• Ability to generate new business

Defining a small number of attributes and experiences is a challenging task but it is time well spent. It is a process that causes you to narrow down what makes for a successful employee.