15 Apr
27 Jun
The Age newspaper, 27 June 2014, featured a story on an executive who was sacked from Myer on his first day on the job for allegedly presenting false information in his CV. He had been recruited through an agency and been vetted in interviews and was awarded the job. Only after some final routine follow up was it revealed that he had appeared to falsify his CV and for that he was sacked.
This incident highlights two of what I call The Seven Pitfalls of Hiring.
Pitfall No 4 - Hiring on likability
Resumes can be notoriously flaky as many people seek to embellish the information. In this case, the executive purportedly claimed work experience that he did not have. Relying on resumes is very common and when people come across well in the interview it is human nature to accept the information presented and to attribute skills and abilities that have not been demonstrated. This is called the “Halo Effect”. People become dazzled by form and just don’t make the effort to look for substance.
Pitfall No 5 - Skimming the surface
Very few people actively validate the key experience parameters by doing a through reference check. They may call one or two people that are listed as referees but in most cases these people are likely to be positive. Referees need to be both high value and high strength. Getting high praise from a relative as referee is an example of high value low strength. Many referees fall into this category. They may not be relatives but can be classed as low strength. You need to work at uncovering the real person by talking to ex-peers and subordinates. Find out from people who have dealt with the person, such as suppliers and customers. Many of these people are likely to know what roles the person has had and have a view on performance. The goal is to uncover a more complete picture of the person, performance and suitability for the role.
It is sobering to reflect on the embarrassment of all the parties involved and the cost to the organisations when this type of incident happens. We live in a trusting society however we do need to validate. The drivers for misrepresentation for commercial gain can be significant. It is wise to be sceptical.
While this incident has played out with a high profile position, every day the same is likely to be happening with the many more of lower level positions.
This can be avoided by applying an objective recruitment process. Where role requirements are clearly spelled out and the performance, style and culture of the individual is well defined before the search process takes place. Where the search strategy is well thought out and the potential personnel clearly vetted before the interview process starts. When the candidates are interviewed their background, skills and experience are well challenged against what has been revealed in the vetting process.
This requires experienced individuals who can be objective and have a hint of the forensic investigator about them. After all cost of getting this wrong is much more than the annual salary even for non-executive positions.
People are the greatest asset that a company has and we all want to hire the very best we can to help the organisation growth and prosper. Getting this right is one of the most important activities of senior management. This is where Jack Welsh former head of General Electric spent 50% of his time and when he was the leader General Electric did exceedingly well.
Every organisation can hire good people. It’s not rocket science. What you do need is an objective process, diligently carried out by people whose role is to get it right and be accountable.