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Common hiring mistakes

The Art Critic. Snap decisions based on gut instinct.
The Sponge. Lots of interviews where everyone asks similar questions.
The Prosecutor. Attempting to trip candidates with trick questions.
The Suitor. Selling candidates on the role rather than rigorously interviewing them.
The Animal Lover. Asking pet questions that lack relevance or a scientific basis.
The Chatterbox. Engaging in small talk while neglecting the interview itself.
The Tester. Allowing psychological and/or aptitude tests to decide for you.
The Fortune Teller. Asking too many forward looking questions.

Hiring well is a skill, but few people are taught how to do it well. Following are some common approaches to hiring that are used instead, with poor results:

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Heuristics for hiring: our principles on a postcard

Only hire if they’re better than you (keep the standard high!)
Scorecard, Source, Select, Sell (meaning: define the role clearly; cultivate great candidates; interview rigorously; create great candidate experience)
Cultivate great people all the time
Look for hungry, humble and smart
Hire with a team: clear roles, one decision maker
You’re biased; we all are. A team mitigates bias
If something's off, slow down and investigate
Diverse teams are smarter - add diversity at every opportunity
No jerks. EVER!

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Overview of the Avenues interview process

Each interview is a puzzle piece: assemble them for the full picture. Combine different assessments for best results.

Application + Phone (or WePow) Screen: screen for key experiences, mission alignment, signs of high performance
Work Sample or Demo Lesson: see how candidate performs on actual work of the role
Career History Interview: reveal patterns of performance, learning & relationships over time
Valued Behaviors Interview: explore values alignment with behavioral questions
Reference Checks: multiple bosses confirm (or disconfirm) our judgment; insight on how to support the new hire

emphasize the quality of thinking is when defining a job
your responsibility as an interviewer, regardless of where you fit in in the process: really understand the job and the scorecard very clearly.
the scorecard is how we put the puzzle together. We systematically collect evidence throughout the process and map that evidence to the scorecard. That thorough accumulation of evidence is what gives us high confidence in making the hire.

Here is a picture of the 5 essential components of an Avenues interview process. Think of this as assembling a puzzle. When you as a hiring manager/as a hiring team

keep our vision for hiring top of mind
use your best interview skills which we'll spend today practicing
ensuring that you're organized and aligned as a team,

then this puzzle approach is the most consistent way to make strong hiring decisions. (If you've read the article on Google's secrets to hiring, it lays this case out in detail, so check that out.)

The process works like a puzzle: notice how they are different kinds of assessments, that test different things. Each component is a unique piece. A Work Sample and a Career History test very different things - and you want to know what each of them will tell you.

You're in the best position to fully judge someone's fit for a role with Avenues when you've got all the puzzle pieces. Otherwise, it's like trying to finish a puzzle with a missing piece.

A major error that we've seen pop up, is treating the steps in the process as a sequence of hoops, without coming back and actually putting the pieces together, looking at the whole picture of the candidate.

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Hire people at the bullseye of these qualities

Mission Aligned

Valued Behaviors

Transformative Impact

Adds to Team

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Application Screen

What?

Key experiences
Mission alignment
High performance

How?

Resume
Cover letter
Referrals from trusted sources

Why?

Only advance potential top candidates
Selectively screen to spend more time w/ best

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Phone Screen

What?

Determine whether candidate is high potential for advancing in process
WIth strong candidates, build relationship and sell Avenues and the role in an authentic way

How?

30-45 minutes via phone or video (preferably video)

Why?

Strong phone/video screens are KEY to good process and candidate experience
Careful screening allows you to go in-depth with the most promising candidates

Resource: Phone Screen Guide

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Work Sample and/or Demo Lesson

What?

Candidates simulate an activity similar to what they’d be doing on the job

How?

Depends on the role. It should be a sample of real work of the role.
Can be done on-site (ie a demo lesson) or sent as a take-home test, depending on the task
For teachers, it's a demo lesson, in-person or virtual

Why?

It shows how the candidate actually does the work, not just how they talk about doing the work
It shows how they approach a "real-life" situation
Gives lots of evidence quickly about their skills and mindset

Resources: 1) Instructions to candidate for pre-recorded video - 2) Demo lesson guidance for interviewers - 3) Tips for arranging virtual demo lessons

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Valued Behaviors Interview

What?

Focused interview on selected valued behaviors that we want to probe more in depth: Collaborative, Learning, Resourceful, Courageous, Adaptive, Accountable

How?

60-minute interview (preferably in person) that explores values alignment with targeted behavioral questions

Why?

We’re looking for the trifecta: hungry, humble and smart
We don't hire jerks. EVER.
The valued behaviors interview helps us assess how a candidate behaves & gets results

Resource: Interview Guide: Valued Behaviors

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Career History Interview

What?

Chronological career review to understand accomplishments, challenges, how s/he dealt with challenges in each job, and job transitions.

How?

60-90+ minutes (video or in person) with hiring manager

Why?

A clear pattern of high performance in the past is the best predictor of future performance
Gather insight on patterns of behavior: around tackling challenges, achieving goals, relating with leaders, etc.
Shows learning and growth over time and areas of growth or likely challenge to keep in mind for future

Resource: Interview Guide: Career History

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Reference Checks

What?

Phone calls with former managers, colleagues, direct reports

How?

~30 minute phone calls
For teachers, three reference checks are recommended
Former direct supervisors are the most important references to talk to

Why?

Get honest and specific information about your candidate’s past performance – both strengths and areas for improvement – from people who managed him/her to inform your hiring decision
Understand the candidate’s areas for growth so that if you hire this candidate, you can start supporting him/her effectively on day one

Resource: Reference Check Guide