Matching the Roles with the People

Match strengths and talents with roles.

No one can be successful when their skills and interests don’t match their role. Many fine people look like “poor performers” because they are in the wrong role. Rather than force people to persevere in a role that doesn’t fit, find a role that does fit.First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently [BC99]

Provide feedback.

Sometimes people aren’t doing a good job, but no one has told them. Without that information, they not only don’t know what to change, they don’t know they need to change. Before you decide someone is a poor performer, examine how well you’ve done at setting clear expectations, setting reasonable interim deliverables, and communicating your satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with the quality of results. See ​Guide to Giving Effective Feedback​ for more details.

Hire the best.

Ideally, you start with a good fit by hiring the right person for the job. Hiring is the most important decision a manager can make.Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies, and Nerds: The Secrets and Science of Hiring Technical People [Rot04a] When hiring, the greater the span of influence for the position, the more critical the decision. We think hiring is so important that even though we told the story of hiring Patty’s replacement in a few paragraphs, we’re going to present the steps for you here. For an in-depth treatment, see Johanna’s book.Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies, and Nerds: The Secrets and Science of Hiring Technical People [Rot04a]

Analyze the job.

Before you start advertising for any candidates, understand exactly what it is you want them to do. “Management” is not an adequate job description. Prepare for hiring by analyzing the job and writing a job description. Make the description as specific as you canHire with Your Head: Using Power Hiring to Build Great Companies [Adl02] but not so constrained that HR filters out good candidates.

Here’s an example of an overconstrained job description: “Expertise in multi-threaded applications, real-time embedded systems, transaction processing systems, managing twelve-to-fifteen person development teams, leaps tall buildings in a single bound.” You are not likely to find someone (anyone!) who can do all of these tasks well.

Source candidates.

Use a variety of sources to find qualified candidates. Your company’s website, other job boards, personal networking, advertising, and job fairs are great places to find candidates. If you are having trouble finding candidates, use an external recruiter—people who know how to look for the sort of candidate you seek.

Winnow the candidates.

As résumés arrive, read and screen for the people who are the mostly likely fit. We sort résumés into three piles: Yes, No, and Maybe. Phone screen the people in the Yes pile right away. If you don’t have enough candidates after the phone screen, move to the Maybes. Let people in the No pile know you aren’t interested.

Develop behavior description questions.

Behavior description questions such as “Tell me about a time when…” help candidates explain how they’ve worked in the past rather than how they wish they work.Behavior Description Interviewing [JHG86] Hypothetical questions such as “What would you do if…” don’t uncover how people really act.

Phone screen before in-person interviewing.

Especially for management candidates, consider the dirtbag phone screen:Hiring for a Collaborative Team [Der04a] have an administrator or other nonmanagement person call to confirm basic data such as employment dates and availability for a more in-depth phone screen. Good management candidates will be pleasant to everyone they speak with in the interview process, not just the hiring manager.

Develop an audition.

An audition gives you a chance to see a candidate in action, performing a small piece of the job.Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams [DL99] Management auditions might include negotiating for resources, changing a schedule, hiring, facilitating a meeting, providing feedback, delivering unwelcome news, or some other aspect of management.Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies, and Nerds: The Secrets and Science of Hiring Technical People [Rot04a] Auditions are particularly useful to see skills in action.

If the position has substantial technical content, a “vague design question” is a useful technique. Listen for the candidate to ask clarifying questions. Watch for the candidate to defend a poor design in the face of feedback or new information. Probe for the candidate to understand and acknowledge trade-offs.

Interview candidates with an interview team.

Set up one-on-one interviews between the candidate and each member of the interview team. Avoid having the candidate answer the same question several times, unless you are looking for consistency in the answers.

Panel interviews seem like they will save time, but they require substantial coordination and practice to be effective. Further, panel interviews feel like the Inquisition to the candidate.

Involve as many people as possible when selecting new team members and team leaders.

The more people who interview the candidate, the less likely you and your group are to make a mistake in hiring. The fewer people involved, the more likely you are to miss aspects of a candidate.

Listen to the interview team’s assessment.

Once interviews are complete, gather the interview team for an evaluation meeting,Hiring for a Collaborative Team [Der04a] where each can share his or her impressions of each candidate. As a manager, you have final say on who is hired. Listen to the opinion of the group. Override their opinion at your peril.Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies, and Nerds: The Secrets and Science of Hiring Technical People [Rot04a]

Check references.

Once you’ve identified the candidate you want for the job, check references. Take the reference opportunity to confirm the wonderful information you’ve heard from the candidate (and to discuss possible red flags).Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies, and Nerds: The Secrets and Science of Hiring Technical People [Rot04a]

Extend an offer.

Work with HR to develop an appropriate offer, including salary, benefits, bonus, vacation, and other particulars as defined by your company. Make your offer with an expiration date so you aren’t left hanging as the candidate mulls over his options for weeks.