What Would Happen If Your CEO Interviewed Everyone?
A recent client asked us, what would happen if our CEO interviewed everyone? While it sounds crazy, this high growth company was afraid of losing their amazing culture if they hired the wrong type of people. Many leaders have a similar concern about hiring the wrong talent.
CEO’s Do Not Have Time — It is Not Scalable
We had never heard of a mid- or large-sized company where the CEO interviewed everyone. In large companies especially, CEOs typically rely upon their staff to interview and hire new, qualified candidates. CEOs typically do not have the time or the interest in getting involved in the interviewing process unless it is for a very high ranking or strategic position.
What Happened When the CEO Interviewed Everyone
Occasionally, however, a CEO wants a closer look at who is coming aboard and why. This happened at one high growth mid-sized company we were working with where the CEO interviewed everyone. And this is how things immediately changed.
Recruiters and interviewers were much more careful to filter through the candidates and present only the highest quality prospects for the CEO to review.
Were there more effective ways for interviewers to dig beneath the surface? Were interviewers being truly objective in the way they rated candidates? Were their questions still predictive and yet legal?
Would they be a fit with the company culture? Were their values in true alignment with organizational values? We know from assessing organizational culture that who and how you hire matters.
The Bottom Line
Even if it is crazy for your CEO to interview everyone for your organization, it may be worth your while to pretend your CEO is looking over your talent acquisition shoulder. The whole company and its culture depend upon the quality and attitudes of the folks you hire. Do it right, do not settle, and all will benefit.
To learn more about interviewing best practices, download 5 Steps to Defining & Attracting Top Talent
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