It is not just a question of whether you feel compatible with the person or that they will fit into your team but rather a marriage of the positions’ requirements with the experience and attitude of the applicant.

This is where an accurate position specification is worth its weight in gold. You start with a great benchmark against which to measure the compatibility of the applicant to the position you are trying to fill.

Many poor decisions are made and don’t last because either the applicant is trying to sell the employer on employing them because they need the money or the employer is trying to sell the applicant because they are finding it difficult to obtain staff.

Something to consider – “There is nothing such as bad staff only bad bosses” It is the boss who employs the staff member, directs their activities and monitors their performance. Some call it selection – direction – control. When I hear bosses complaining about the performance of staff members and over a long period I know who the company should de-hire ( The Boss)

If you own the company or are the most senior executive those staff and their performance are both a reflection of you and the methods of selection you use.

If you are a mid tier executive the same applies to you but you have the added challenge of also operating in a position where somebody is observing your choices and possibly critiquing your selections.

One of the greatest challenges is where a mid tier executive has two people compatible with the position and has to make a choice between the two and if one has greater educational qualifications than the other. You are now at the stage of attitude and compatibility with your team. They easy way out is to choose the one with the greater educational qualifications because if they don’t work out then those above will admit anyone could have made that mistake but if you choose the one with less educational qualifications and they fail the question becomes how could you choose that one over the other. For me attitude is the separating criteria -to the task, to life, to responsibility, to being a part of a team was how I would finally make my selection. In life you will make some good decisions and some not so good but it is about percentages and you must minimise the bad decisions.

Ken