They say that “to err is human.” Indeed. Even the most experienced administrators make hiring mistakes from time to time. Here’s a story that a longtime Head of School told us about a recent hiring error she made. We share the story here to help others avoid similar issues.
Situation
The school was hiring for a staff position that had been held for several years by someone who, though competent and hard-working, was extremely contentious, consistently resisted changing or streamlining processes, and generally spread gloom and learned-helplessness throughout her department. Not surprisingly, the Head was determined to find and hire a candidate who brought none of these same deficiencies to the role. So, what happened?
Hiring Mistakes
- The perils of hiring “the opposite”—“I was right to focus on the candidates’ openness to change and general workplace attitude, given the shortcomings of the predecessor in this job,” the Head told us. “However, I was wrong to focus on these qualities to the exclusion of competence in the job.”
Unfortunately, this is a common error: trying to hire the opposite of the prior person and forgetting about all of the good and necessary skills he/she brought to the job. - Seeing what you want to see—When your assessment of the candidate’s answers is more hopeful than it is realistic, this is an indication that you’re over-reaching. “That’s exactly what I was doing,” the Head mused. “We dearly wanted the candidate to be a change-agent, let’s-fix-these-processes person … so that’s what we saw.” However, in retrospect, there was nothing substantive in the finalist’s answers that showed him to have change-agent skills at all.
- Having only one candidate—“We had been recruiting for the position for several months, with very little to show for it,” the Head noted. “When we came across a candidate who was (finally) at least in the ballpark in terms of experience, we were thrilled—and we pushed him through the process. Blindly—and more out of fatigue than anything else.”
When you have only one candidate (i.e., no other immediately viable options), it’s very easy to fool yourself into ignoring obvious deficiencies.
The End of the Story
The Head hired the candidate. He was a very nice guy. He tried hard. He fit in well with staff and faculty alike. And … he didn’t come close to working out. The school and he soon came to a mutual understanding that this wasn’t the position for him, and he departed.
“In the end, I’m sure it will all work out for the best (it always does),” the Head told us, reflecting on how the relationship came to a close. “He is freed up to pursue a position that plays to his strengths and we’ll find someone who better meets our needs.” Thinking out loud one more time, she added wistfully, “But I wish none of us had to go through this. We’ll see things more clearly next time. At least, we’ll certainly try.”
Moral of the Story
It’s hard to resist the temptation to “settle” on a candidate so that there’s someone filling the slot. Don’t let fatigue or despair overtake your instincts. In these cases, you always do best not to settle. Your school deserves an employee that you’re really excited about … and so do you … and so does the candidate. Patience (even if it means starting over again) will be worth it in the end.
Additional ISM resources of interest
ISM Monthly Update for Division Heads Vol. 7 No. 5 It's Hiring Season—Know What Not to Ask
ISM Monthly Update for Heads Vol. 10 No. 7 Characteristics (of Professional Excellence) Aren’t Just for Hiring
ISM Monthly Update for Human Resources Vol. 10 No. 6 Design All of Your Employee Systems Around “Characteristics” (The Zappos Example)
ISM Web site Six False Positive Indicators of Quality in Private School Teachers
ISM Web site What You Can Ask and What You Can't (Legal and Illegal Job Interview Questions)
Additional ISM resources for Consortium Gold members
To The Point Vol. 12 No. 7 Perfect Fit: Design a Safe and Legal Hiring Process Based on Your Mission and Culture
To The Point Vol. 13 No. 4 Employment Applications: An Essential Part of the Hiring Process
