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Hiring a leader? What are the 5 fatal mistakes you want to avoid?
You finally got rid of the boss that was causing all the challenges and now you have an opportunity to seek out a new candidate. Or maybe your business is expanding and you are looking for that additional leader to help you elevate the success of a new division. Or maybe you see a superstar in the front line who you’re considering promoting into leadership. These are great opportunities, but how do you make the most of them without committing one of the five fatal mistakes of hiring a leader that might put you in a position of damage control instead of producing great results?It’s easier to do than you might think. Avoid these five fatal mistakes and you should be in business. Commit one of them and you could be in trouble.
Mistake One: Hire someone who will get the job done, but sees people as a barrier instead of priority 1.
Mistake Two: Assume that being a great employee takes the same skills as being a great manager.
Mistake Three: Ask questions that lead the candidate to say “the right thing” in an interview
Mistake Four: Overlook their ability to handle stress if your organization is going through change of ANY kind
Mistake Five: Limit yourself to only internal hires
We’ll talk more about each of these in the month of October, in celebration of Boss’s Day. In the meantime, make a list of the key criteria you would like to see in the ideal candidate. (For example: someone who is firm AND fair with employees) Also, make a list of the kinds of things you’d like to avoid. (For example: someone who lacks follow through, perhaps) From these lists, you can develop the types of questions you’d ask in an interview. Ask them for examples of how they have handled the situations they might be faced with in your organization and pay attention to the answers, as well as what they don’t say in their answers.
Stay Contagious!
Monica
