Wishing a Guy Into a Position
Common Hiring Mistakes: Part 11
He Really Isn’t Qualified, But You Like Him.
Joe Taylor needed a program manager for a key development project. He started searching for candidates, but was unsatisfied with what he was finding. Later that day he saw his old friend Steve Morgan. Steve had just been laid off and was looking for a new job. Joe only knew Steve socially, but thought he was a good, solid guy and always enjoyed seeing him.
Joe invited Steve to interview for the open position.
It became quite clear during the interviewing process that though Steve had industry experience, he had never led a project before. This job would be a stretch for him, but he was eager to try and very enthusiastic about the job. Joe decided to give Steve a try.
It is still early in the game and unclear whether Steve will be able to manage the project, but what is clear is that Joe put himself and his company in a risky situation. Joe has maybe a 50/50 chance of Steve working out. If he does work out, then it will be a win for Steve, Joe and the company. But if it doesn’t work out, then the company will have lost valuable time on completing the project, Steve will have “egg on his face” and Joe may lose a friend when he has to fire Steve.
Of course, even the most qualified hiree can fail and a good personality often wins the day. However, the best situation is a qualified hire with a good personality. If you settle for less than that, you are taking a risk with the project and the company’s finances.
Continental excels at finding you the right person for the job, with the skills you require and the personality that fits your corporate culture. Cut your risk with new hires and call Continental.
