How not to hire people

Hiring good people is important. It's so important that it's amazing how bad most companies are at locating and hiring top talent. Today, an example from Northrop Grumman:

 
Nope.


Wrong.

With regards to this specific case, it's stupefying that a company would admit, on social media, that their hiring process is so bad that they can't even tell you what their hiring strategy is, much less how much time you can expect to spend waiting for a call from HR. Stupefying.

Unfortunately, this is not unique. Larger corporations are typically the most egregious offenders, but most companies post a job listing which includes incredibly specific skill requirements and experience metrics.  That makes sense, right? The company has a specific need and they're looking for someone with a very particular skill set to fill that need. But I've got some bad news: that person doesn't exist, and if he does, he's not going to work for you.


Top talent is in high demand. All the time. By the time a company has gotten around to interviewing candidates for a position, debating salary brackets with the finance department, and mailing (?!) an offer letter, the best candidate will already have received and accepted an offer from someone else. An interview should be used to determine three things, in this order of importance:

1. Culture fit
2. Problem-solving mindset
3. Existing skills

Truthfully, existing skills don't really matter. Past experience is a useful, but dull, tool, but if the candidate is not a culture fit with an organization,  nobody will want to work with him and his time at the company will be a failure. I have seen many so-called "ninjas" and "gurus" and "rockstars" endlessly stumble because they can't pour some coffee without bothering someone. Interview for culture fit and willingness to learn and you'll quickly find yourself with a staff that performs much better than a staff composed of experts.

Goodness, be expedient with  offers. In 2012, particularly in engineering and computer science, there is no reason why a candidate shouldn't be made an offer immediately following an interview. Before the candidate even shows up, you should already have reviewed his portfolio, be it a github page or an assembly of Solidworks drawings. Once you've made sure he's a fit, in the interview make him an offer, and if you're serious about hiring top talent, make him an offer at market value.

A litmus test: if you have to ask candidates to review your "application process," you've most definitely strayed from the path.