During the final round of the recent Player’s Championship golf tournament, Webb Simpson had an unprecedented 7-shot lead. All he needed to do to win the nearly $2M purse was play a solid round of golf and focus on the process – play his game one stroke at a time. Fortunately for Webb, he was able to complete a consistent round and win his first major tournament in four years. His ability to “trust the process” yielded impressive results.

When it comes to hiring well, the ability to create and follow a consistent, structured and comprehensive process will most often produce new hires who are successful and productive. Like Webb, when we have a fully-developed process, it’s in our best interest to follow it. In today’s competitive job market it’s easy to feel pressured to make quick hiring decisions. We may feel compelled to scoop up candidates before someone else does. We may be tempted to make hiring decisions based on our “gut instinct.” Or, we may simply be overwhelmed by ill-defined or drawn-out hiring policies that take longer than they should.

In his most recent vlog, Roger North describes hiring well as both a science and an art. The science of hiring well lies in having a process that is predictable, repeatable and consistent. It begins by identifying exactly who and what you are looking for in a new hire, understanding what is needed for them to be successful within your organization’s culture, and adhering to each step of your process along the way. The art of hiring well occurs as you evaluate human behavior and determine whether the candidates in front of you meet the needs that were identified at the beginning of the search.

How would you describe your hiring process? What could be improved? How well do you stick to each phase?

For over a decade, North Group Consultants has been helping companies hire well. Our proprietary, comprehensive Hiring & Onboarding Services provide our clients with increased productivity and greater organizational health. We bring expertise in both the art and science of hiring well.