TheProblemandthePromise
Thewarfortalentisover. Talentwon.
Ifyou’retheleaderofanorganizationorateam,it’saprettysafebet thattimeisprecioustoyou.Youwantpeopletogettothepointquickly. We’lldothatforyourightnow.Here’sthisbookinanutshell:
▪ Peopleknowthathiringisimportant.
▪ Theyknowthattheir“system”ofhiringisbroken.
▪ Theydon’tknowhowtofixit.
ThisbookisnotforHRprofessionals,thoughtheymaybenefit greatlyfromit.Instead,thisisabookforyoutheleaderofateamof anysize.Itwillgiveyouspecific,actionableadviceabouthowyoucan notonlyfixyourhiringproblems,buthowyoucanturnhiringinto anastonishingcompetitiveadvantage.Youwillimproveyourhiring quickly,substantially,andmeasurably.Ifyouwish,youcandoallof this without buyinganysoftware.Thetransformationwillnotbeeasy, butwewilllayoutforyouaprovenmethodtomakeitwork.
Thereyouhaveit.That’sthebook.
Ifyou’vereachedapointwhereyouhavehadenoughwiththepain andchaosofhiringandyouwanttogetreallygoodatit,thenyou’ve cometotherightplace.
TheSorryStateofHiring
We’llgetmuchmoredetailedlater,butlet’stakeaquick,depressing tourofwhathiringlookslikeinagreatmanyorganizations.We’lllook athiringfromseveraldifferentperspectives.
Candidates
Youmayhavespentalotoftimethinkingaboutyourbrand.Youmay evenhavedetailed,expensivecampaignsthatfocusonwhatyouwant tobeknownforinthemindofyourtargetaudience.
Thenthere’sGlassdoor.
Ithas50millionuniquemonthlyvisitors.Itonlytakesafewclicks toseewhatemployeesrightnowaresayingaboutyourbrand,andwhat candidatesaresayingabouttheinterviewingandhiringprocess.
Withinminutesofwalkingoutofaninterview,candidateswillpost reviewswithexplicitdescriptionsofhowtheyweretreated.Occasionally,thoseobservationsaregood;muchmoreoftentheysoundlikethis:
▪ “Isatinanemptyroomforahalfhour.Ithinktheyforgotabout me.”
▪ “Theinterviewerwalkedinandsaid,“Now,you’rehereforwhich job?”
▪ “I’mawomanandwasbeinginterviewedforatechnicalposition. Theinterviewersatdownandgoes,‘Maybeyou’dbeinterested insteadinthepositionwehaveinourdesigndepartment?’”
▪ “Ihaveanamethat’snotcommoninAmerica.Throughoutthe interviewtheybutcheredmynameandcouldn’tevensettleonone incorrect pronunciationevenafterIcorrectedthem.”
AnyonecanviewGlassdoorratings.ButweatGreenhousebenefit fromanadditional,eye-openingvantagepointbyvirtueofhavingmore than4,000organizationsascustomers.Wealsoliveandbreathehiring,
sowehearalotabouthiringpracticesatorganizationsofallsizesand stripes.Herearetypicalsituations.
Interviewers
Weregularlyhearwordstotheeffectof“ShortlybeforeI’msupposedto interviewsomeone,therecruiterwillhandmearésuméandsay,‘Spend anhourwiththisperson.Tellmeifshe’sanygood.’”
Interviewersareoftengivennotrainingorinstructiononhowto conductagoodinterview.Inaddition,theymayhavenoideawhat otherinterviewerswillaskorwhotheyevenare.Asaresult,candidates willhavethreepeopleinarowsaytothem,“So,tellmeaboutyour lastjob.”Untrained,cluelessinterviewerswillalsoaskirrelevantor evendownrightillegalquestions,like“Areyouplanningongetting pregnant?”
Whenthereisnointerviewingplan,it’scommonforinterviewerstoaskone-size-fits-allquestions.Theymayspendtimeduringthe interviewbrainstormingwhattheirnextquestionwillbewhenthecandidatestopstalkinginsteadoffocusingonwhatthecandidateissaying atthemoment.
Andbecausethereisnocoordinationbetweeninterviewersin termsofwhoaskswhat,gapscanoccurwherenooneaskedabout importantaspectsofthejob.
Ifthereisnodisciplinearoundwritingdownone’simpression rightafterinterviewingacandidate,thensoonallthosesessionsblur together:
“IthoughtChantellewasgood.”
“Wasshetheoneinthegreensweater?”
“No,you’rethinkingofwhat’s-her-name. … ”
Recruiters
Recruitersareextremelybusypeople,eveninthebest-runoperations. Theydoheroicwork,oftenwithlittleornocredit.Inmostorganizations,theystruggletokeepupandarealwaysputtingoutfires.
Ifthedayoftheweekendsina“y”,thenthepressurewillbe ontodelivercandidates.Recruitersareoftengivenextremelylittle
informationaboutthepositionsthey’resupposedtofillrightaway.At theseorganizations,recruitingistherecruiter’sjob—alargelyadministrativeonewithnorecognition.Foreveryoneelse,it’saburdenthat takesawayfromtheir“realjob.”
Arecruitermayidentifytencandidatesandsendthemtothehiring managerwithanote:“Here’sthelatest.Tellmewhatyouthink.Are thesethekindofcandidatesyou’relookingfor?”They’llgetbackan emailwiththishelpful,descriptivereply:
“No.”
Recruitersmaygotogreatlengthstopiecetogetherinterviewsfor asought-aftercandidatetofillakeyrole,onlytohaveaninterviewer showuplateornotatall.
Sometimesthepressureonrecruiterswillresultintheirnottaking thetimetousetheApplicantTrackingSystem(ATS)orothertoolsin thedepartment:“Hey,doyouwantmetofilltheseopenings,ordoyou wantmetofilloutforms?”Soon,thismeansthetoolsdonotreflect realityandtherefore,aren’tuseful,sowhybothertoupdatethem?A classicdownwardspiral.
HiringManagers
Hiringmanagersroutinelyfeelasifthey’reinthedarkandarefrustrated.They’retheoneswhorequestedthatarolebefilled.Theyare onthelinetofillthatroleinordertomaketheirnumbers,yettheyhave littlemeaningfuldata,notransparencyastowhat’sgoingon,andno predictability.Theyoftenfeelasifthey’reatthemercyoftherecruiter andareforeverasking,“Wherearewe?What’sgoingonwiththisjob?”
Justasrecruitersunderpressurewillignorethesystemsandtools, hiringmanagersunderpressurewilltakemattersintotheirownhands. Afewyearsago,weaskedtheheadofequityderivativestradingata verymajorfirmhowhehired.Hesaid:
HowdoImakeahire?Here’showitworks.Ineedtohireatrader inManhattan.ItellsomeoneinHR,andsomeoneinCincinnati emailsmeaWorddocumentwithajobdescription.It’sabsolutely meaninglessB.S.Ithasnothingtodowithmybusiness.It’sabunch ofjargon.SoIlookatit,okay,whatever.Andthentheygoawayfor
threemonthsandtellmethatthey’rerecruitingforthisrole.AndI hearnothing,Iknownothing.Manyweekslater,theystillhaven’t madethehireorevensentalonganycandidates.So,Igotakemy buddyoutforabeer.He’sanequityderivativestraderatmyoldfirm. Hehooksmeupwithacoupleofpeopleheknowswhoaresolid tradersandImeetwiththem.Ireallylikeone.IthenemailHRand say,‘Igotthisperson;here’stheirrésumé.They’reperfectforthejob, sohirethem.’HRputsthepersoninthesystemandtheygethired.”
Itturnedoutthattheformalhiringprocessatthefirmaddedzero valueandthemanagerswereleftontheirowntofigureouthowtohire. Thehiringofthenewtraderwasnotbasedonarigorous,structured processthatwouldhavehelpedtominimizebiasanddeliverthebest candidate.
Becausehiringmanagersfeelsuchpainaroundtheprocess,they mayholdontounderperformingemployeesmuchlongerthantheyotherwisewould:“MaybeI’llsufferwiththispersonandmakedo;afterall, whoknowshowlongitwilltaketogetthatrolefilledagain?”
TheC-Suite
Aventurecapital(VC)firmputonaconferenceforCFOsandinvited ustospeakabouttheROIofgoodhiringpractices.Theseweresome tough,numbers-drivenfolks.Attheendofthepresentation,oneguy said,“Okay,okay,Iacceptyourpremise.Iacceptyourframeworkfor howtothinkabouthiringandIthinkyou’reright.That is howwe shouldthinkaboutit.ButthisisHR!IfIgivethemthatmoney,Iwon’t getanyoftheresultsyou’retalkingabout.”
Thattypeofcommentisindicativeofabreakdownincommunicationsbetweentherecruitingandbusinesssidesoftheorganization. Thatleadstothedownwardspiraloflackoftrustandlackoffunding. TheC-suitecanbeaplacewheremaximumpressuretodeliverresults meetsmaximumdistancefromdetailedinformationaboutthestatus ofhiring:
▪ “We’retryingtogrowandit’snotworking.”
▪ “We’vespentatonofmoneyonsystemsandIcan’tgetanydecent reports.”
▪ “Weknowthatwehaveanissuewithmeetingourdiversity,equity, andinclusiontargets,yetallIheararegeneralitiesabout‘It’sa top-of-funnelproblem;therejustaren’tenoughengineeringapplicantswhoarewomen.’”
▪ “Wehaveasagoaltoincreasethenumberofpeoplewepromote fromwithin,andwepostallthepositions.Whyisitthatwealways havetolookoutsidetogetthekeyrolesfilled?”
EmployeesWhoReferFriends
Evenpoorlyrunorganizationsrecognizethecostsavingswhenemployeessuccessfullyreferfriendsforjobs.Aswe’lltalkaboutinChapter6 aboutfindingthebesttalent,internalreferralsareindeedagreatthing.
Whenemployeesrefertheirfriends,theirpersonalbrandorreputationisnowatstake.Ifthehiringexperiencegoeswell,thenfriendsstay friends.Buttoooftenit’sacasewheretheemployeehearsabouther friend’sterribleexperience—orneverhearsanything—andisembarrassedforherselfandfortheorganization:“Ohmygosh,I’msosorry. It’sactuallyagoodcompany,butthatwasanawfulexperiencetheyput youthrough.”Thathasawayofquicklydryingupthereferralchannel.
WhatHiringLooksLikeattheBestCompanies
Youshouldknowrightupfrontthatwhenwereferto“thebestcompanies,”wedonotmeanthecompaniesthathavethelargestlistof amenitieslikegourmetchefs,dogwalkers,anddry-cleaningservices. Thosemaybenice,butinsomecasestheycanbepoorinvestments,as we’llseeinChapter3whenwediscusstheROIofhiring.
Instead,we’rereferringtothecompaniesforwhomhiringhas becomeahugecompetitiveadvantage.It’sbecomewovenintotheir culturesothatpeoplesupporteachothertodotherightthings,and pressureeachotherwhensomeonerevertstotheoldways.
Speakingoftheoldways,it’scommonforpeopletospenddecades beingemployedinmultipleorganizationsandforthemnevertosee hiringdoneright.It’salwaysbeenamesswherevertheyworked,so theyjustkindofassumethat“itiswhatitis”everywhere.Hereiswhat greathiringlookslike.
Candidates
Whenpeoplecomeacrossyourjobposting,thefirstthingthey’llnotice isthatit’snotthisdry-as-dust,bureaucratic-soundingdocumentwith specifications.Itsoundsmorelikeanenticingadvertisementthanajob posting.
Iftheygetaninterview,they’llgetadetaileddocumentgivingthem allthatinformationtheywouldotherwisesweatabout:wheretopark, whatdoortoenter,whattowear,andwhatwillhappen.
Thecandidatewillhaverecordedhisorhernameinadvance,so everyonethatdaywillknowexactlyhowtopronounceit.
Theinterviewexperiencewillbefriendlyandcrisp,witheach interviewermeshingwiththeotherinterviewers,sorelevantquestions getaskedonceandallthebasesgetcovered.
Attheendoftheinterview,thecandidatewillknowexactlywhat thenextstepsare,andwhenthey’llhappen.
Whencandidatesaretreatedthisway,it’snotuncommonforthem toleavepositiveGlassdoorreviews evenwhentheydidnotgetthejob. Perhapsmostimportantofalliswhathappenswhenyou’reafter themost-sought-afterpeopletojoinyourorganization:Youcanbet thatthey’reweighingmultiplejoboffersandcheckingoutGlassdoor. Youcanalsobetthatmostofthoseotherhiringexperienceswillsuck.
Interviewers
Assoonasyougetscheduledforaninterview,there’salinkinthe invitethatsaysyou’regoingtogointerviewRobbieMacGregor.You clickonitandaretakentopagewitheverythingyouneedtoconduct agreatinterview:
▪ Thetasksthatareexpectedofyou
▪ Thelistofquestionsyouwillask
▪ AlinktoanymaterialwehaveonRobbie,likehisrésuméand supportingdocumentshesentin
▪ Thescorecardthatyoumustfilloutrightaftertheinterview.It’s gotallthecriteriathathavebeenagreeduponasimportantforthis particularjob.Itisbynomeansaone-size-fits-allscorecard.
WhenyoumeetwithRobbie,youarerelaxedandattentivebecause you’refollowingaclearandeffectivesystem.Afteryoumeetwithhim, youmakeapointtofilloutthatscorecardpromptlyandcompletely becauseyoudon’twantarepeatofthatonedaywhenyouwerecalled outbytherestoftheteamforwastingtheirtime.
Recruiters
Inthebestcompanies,recruitersarestillextraordinarilybusypeople. Butit’sagoodbusy,becausethey’retreatedaspartnersbythehiring managers.Theyknoweachother’sroles,andthere’samutualrespect betweenthem.
Beforeanyapplicantsarescreenedorinterviewed,therecruiters willbebroughtuptospeedaboutwhatthisjobinvolves,howit’sdifferentfromlastyear’spositions,whatthekeyrequirementsare,and whatphrasesorlingotousesothatcandidatesknowthey’respeaking withapersonwhoactuallyknowssomethingabouttheposition.
Recruitersliveinthedepartment’stools,meaningthattheyuse thosetoolsandsystemsratherthancreatetheirownspreadsheetson theside.Betterdisciplinearoundtoolsandsystemsresultsinmorereliabledata.
HiringManagers
Hiringmanagersstillhavethestressfulchallengeofmeetingdeadlines andgoals,butthebigdifferenceisthey’renotdoingsointhedark. Systemsarenotonlycontinuallyupdated,buttheyworkinconcert witheachother,andthatbringsalevelofregularawarenessaboutthe currenthiringtrajectoryinrelationtogoals.
Whenthetimecomestomakedecisionsaboutfillingpositions, thosedecisionsaremadewithdataandconfidence,andnotmerely bythepreferenceoftheloudestpersonintheroom.Also,because thehiringmanagerandrecruiterworkedcloselyfromtheoutseton whatwerethekeycharacteristicsneededtofilltheposition,decisions happenfasterandwithoutthefalsestartsthatpoorcommunication causes.Thosedecisionscanalsostandscrutinybecausetheprocess reducesbias.
C-Suite
Thereallybigdifferencehereisyouhavealevelofconfidencethat you’llbeabletohirethestaffyouneedinordertomakeyournumbers.
Youhaveadetailedunderstandingofthetalentplan,howtheorganizationisdoingagainstthatplan,andclearexpectationsforwhatis goingtohappennext.
Partofthereasonwhyyouhaveallthisgoodinformationisyou’ve madeamajorefforttogetvisibleabouthowhiringiscrucialtothe organization.Nostaffmeetinghappenswithoutadiscussionofhiring. Theorganizationcelebratesmeetingitssalesgoals,butitalsocelebrates meetingdiversity,equity,andinclusion(DE&I)goalsandotherhiringbenchmarks.Youexpectallmanagerstobeequallyinvolvedwith hiringeffortsandachievements.
EmployeesWhoReferFriends
Itfeelsgreattobeabletoactuallyhelpfriendswhentheyneedit,and helpingthemwithapositivejob-huntingexperienceisabigdeal.
Ofcourse,thebestoutcomeiswhenyoureferafriendtoanorganizationandthefriendishired.That’sespeciallytruewhenit’sagood fitbasedondataandathoroughinterviewingprocess.Butevenwhen yourfrienddoesn’tgetthejob,ifitwasapositiveinterviewexperience theneveryonebenefitstosomedegree.
Employeesatorganizationswithgreathiringpracticesbecomea legionofambassadors,spreadingthewordtosimilarpeople,literally dayandnightafterwork.
“Yeah,right.Inyourdreams.”
Inthisbook,we’regoingtostopnowandthentoaddressathoughtthat we’reprettysureyoumayhaveatthatmoment.Rightnowwesuspect thatyou’retornbetweenbeingexcitedattheprospectofbecoming badassathiring—butyoufeellikeyourorganizationwillrisetothe occasionlikeaboatanchor.“Ourorganizationisdifferent,”yousay. “Thatmighthaveworkedbefore,butnotintoday’stoughcompetitive environment,”yousay.
Weareheretotellyouthatnormalorganizationshavemadethis transformationingoodtimesandbad.It’snot,astheysay,rocketscience,norisitfantasyland.It’sactuallyprettystraightforwardstuff.
Ifwe’regoingtobebluntwitheachother,youbetterhopethat you’rereadingthisbookbeforeoneormoreofyourmaincompetitors does.Iftheyactuallyreadandadoptjustaportionofthesepractices, they’regoingtokickyourbutt.
There’sacatch,though.
Isn’ttherealwaysacatchtothingsthatsoundtoogoodtobetrue?So, here’sthetoughnewsaboutthisopportunity:
Tocreatehiringexcellenceinyourorganization,youastheleader willneedtochange.
Aswesaidattheoutset,thisisabookforleadersoforganizations, andleadersareextremelybusypeople.Bethatasitmay,you’regoing tohavetogetmuchmorepersonallyinvolvedinhiringinordertopull thisoff.
Yes,youhaveawholeHRdepartmentwhosejobincludeshiring. Thatshouldbeenough,right?
Wrong.YouhavetobecomewhatwecallaTalentMaker,which wewilldescribeinmuchdetailinChapter9.YourHRdepartment needsyoutostepupandnotjust say but show thathiringisapriority. Youneedtocreatethespaceforpeopleonyourteamtowork on the business,aswellas in thebusiness,inordertoeffectthisremarkable transformation.
Intheyearssincewestartedourcompany,we’vebeenonthe lookoutformagicbulletstomakethechangehappeninstantlyand painlessly.Alas,sofarwe’veonlybeenabletofindthenextbestthing: aprovenmethodforputtinginthetimeandhardworkinorderto createanadditionalmajorasset,namelyyourabilitytohiregreat peopleatwill.Thisbookwillshowyouhowtodoit.
IfyouwouldliketoreadaboutourbackgroundsandhowourexperiencesledtodevelopingtheGreenhouseapproachforhiringgreat talent,thenreadon.Otherwise,ifyou’reimpatienttogetrightinto it,youcanturntoChapter2.
“So,theGreenhousefounderswroteabookabouthiring. It’sgoingtobeonelongsalespitchfortheirproducts.”
Weareextremelywell-knownintherecruitingworld,andtherefore, it’sunderstandabletohaveHRfolksassociateuswithbeinganATS provider.Incaseyou’veneverheardofanATS,it’sacommontoolin organizations,anditdoeswhatitsays:tracksthestatusofapplicants, candidates,interviews,joboffers,andsoon.
Let’sgetsomethingoutoftheway:Wethinkweofferagreatproduct,andit’smuchmorethanameretrackingsystem.Youcanreadall aboutitonourwebsite.Itcanacceleratethetransformationofyour organization.Wehopeyoutryit.There,that’soursalespitch.
Backtothisbook:Itisnotaboutoursoftware;it’saboutthe principlesofworld-classhiring.Youdonotneedoursoftwareto becomeamazinglygoodathiring.Youcanuseafreewordprocessor andspreadsheetsifyouwish.Thatmightnotbethemostconvenient way,butitwillwork.
Let’sputitanotherway:Ifyoucontinuewithyourhiringmessand changenothing,andifyourcompetitorimplementsjustafractionof whatwe’lldiscussherebutusesGoogleSheetsandMicrosoftWord docs,you’reinforsomeroughsledding.Instead,bethatcompetitor whoimplements.Ifyouwanttoactivateamajorhiddentoolfor organizationalsuccess,youdon’tneedanysoftwarebutyouabsolutely mustbecometheTalentMakerandcatalystforyourteam.
Therefore,you’llhearusrefertoGreenhousealotinthisbook. Whenwedo,wemeanourmethodandcultureofhiring,notour software.
So,whyisn’tagreatATSthesolutiontogreathiring?Becauseit’s notabouttrackingpoorbehaviorsbetter;it’saboutchangingbehavior.
It’saboutsolvingadifferentsetofproblems,whichrelatetohow prioritiesareset,whatactionsgettaken,andhowdecisionsaremade.
Weactuallyhadacompetitorwhoatonepointlaunchedawhole advertisingcampaign.Ineffecttheysaid,“Takethehassleoutofhiring. We’regoingtomakehiringsoeasy,youcanfinallygetbacktothereal jobofbuildingyourcompany.”
Thatwasbothextremelyfunnyandkindofsadatthesametime. Allorganizationsarebuiltfromthreecomponents:people,capital,and assets.Theassetsmaytaketheformofintellectualproperty,machinery, rawmaterials,signedcontracts,whatever.Ofthosethreecomponents, onlyone—thepeopleone—cancreatetheothertwo.
Hiringisthemotherofallvariables,theonethatcanboostperformancetothemoonorcancrashacompanyinnotimeflat.And organizationshopetobuysomeATSsotheycangetbacktotheir real work?That’stheattitudeofthewalkingdead,andtheydon’teven knowit.
UniqueWindow
Aswesaid,wehaveawindowintotheinnerworkingsoforganizations ofalltypes,fromthetitansyouhearabouteveryday,tohypergrowth start-ups,nonprofits,multinationals,andold-lineestablishedfirms.Of course,we’reverycarefultoprotectconfidentialityandobscuredetails whennecessary.Butinthesepagesyou’llgetinsightsthatarealmost impossibletogetanyotherway:Theyrepresentmanymoreexperiencesthananyonepersoncouldhaveinalifetime.They’remorethan amanagementconsultantwouldhavebecausethey’rerootedinthe deepinnerworkingsofthousandsoforganizationsovermanyyears.
Evenso,pleasenotethatwedonothavealltheanswers,anddon’t pretendto.We’remerelyonajourneytogetbetterathiringandto spreadthatculturetolike-mindedorganizationswithawillingnessto listen,trythings,occasionallystumble,andalwayspickthemselvesup. Includinghiringinyourcorefocusisunbelievablyrewarding.
“Butdowereallyneedanotherbookabouthiring?”
Lotsofbooks—includingsomegoodones—talkabouthowtorecruit: tensubjectlinestolayoncandidatestomakethemopenyouremail,
howtopitchajob,howtodoagoodinterview,howtoconvincea candidatetotakeajob,andthelike.It’satthepractitionerlevel.
Thisisnotsuchabook.Aswesaidearlier,wewanttohavea discussionwithleaders,whethertheyaretheC-suite,adepartment head,middlemanager,orteamleader.Wethinkabreakdownoccurs intheinterfacebetweenpeoplewhoaretaskedwithrecruiting,and thosewhoaretaskedwiththebusinesssideandthinktheycandelegatehiringtoHR.Wewanttoofferaprovenframeworkforcreating aninternalalignmentandcommitmentthatworksforeveryone,and succeedsinattractingamazingtalent.
Ifwedoourjobinthisbook,theheadofHRandtheCEOwill giveacopytoeachother.
Companiesneedpeoplemorethanever.Atthesametime, peopleneedcompanies less thanever.
Daniel: Igraduatedfromatopengineeringschoolin1995.When Ithoughtaboutmyoptionsforbecomingaprogrammer,therewas onlyone—workforacompany.That’sbecausetherewasnoinfrastructureformetodomyownprogrammingwork.Softwaretoolscost $1,000–$2,000,andtheyranoncomputerscostingaround$4,000. Theyhadtobeconnectedtoanetworkrunningatacompany,and remoteworkwasnotpossible.
WhenIappliedforjobs,IfirstwenttothebookstoreindowntownAnnArborandIboughtadirectorythatlistedthenamesof companies,theirheadofHR,andtheirmailingaddress.Theproblem wasthatthebookswerepublishedbycity.Youthoughtaboutwhat cityyoumightwanttoworkin,andyouboughtafewofthesebooks. Therewerenoonlinejoblistingsormuchofanythingonlineatthe time.Ihadnoideawhattheirsalarieswere,whattheculturewaslike atthecompany,oreveniftherewereanyjobopeningstobeginwith. Therewerenopostingsinthesebooksbecauseoftheleadtimefrom whenthecompaniessubmittedtheirmaterialsandwhentheprinter publishedanddistributedthebooks.
Sure,Iattendedjobfairsatmyschool,butonlyahandfulof companiesmadeittothosefairs,andevenforthosecompanies,informationwasscarce.Inarealsense,theamountofinformationIhad onacompanywasnotmuchdifferentfromwhatoneofCharlesDickens’scharactershadonacompanyinLondoninthe1800s.
Still,Ifeltprettyhigh-techatthetimebecauseIdidn’thaveto typeoutmyrésuméandapplicationbutcoulduseawordprocessor! Iprintedthepaper,stuckitinenvelopes,andmailedittocompanies.Outsideofsmallnetworkswheremaybeafriendknewafriend whoworkedsomewhere,Iwascompletelyatthemercyofwhatthe companywantedmetoknowaboutit.
Let’scomparethatexperiencetosomeonegraduatingfrom schooljust25yearslater.Icaneasilystrikeoutonmyownwith programming.IcanlogintoGitHubforfreeandproducemyown software.Infact,Ihaveaccesstothemostpowerfuldesignand programmingtoolsinhistoryandtheycostmenothing.
Icaninstantlyandimmediatelydistributemysoftwareanywhere intheworld.It’smychoicewhetherIchargeforit,orgiveitoutfor freeasalossleaderforthepersonalbrandImightdecidetobuild.
IfIfeellikeexploringthejobsavailabletomeinorganizations, Ihaveaglobaldatabaseofbasicallyeverywhite-collarprofessionalat theclickofabutton.Icangetthereal-timelowdownfromGlassdoor aboutwhatit’sliketointervieworworkatanycompany,andit’s uncensored.
Icanexploredifferentjobopeningsbyfilteringaswidelyor narrowlyasIwish.IcanalsocheckoutjobtypesthatIwould neverhavethoughtaboutpursuing,wereitnotfortheeaseofdoing researchnow.
Myword-of-mouthnetworkisvastlylarger,becauseit’ssoeasy toseewhoarefriendsoffriendsandgetintroducedtothem.Ican instantlyapplytocrazynumbersofjobs,andinmanycasesworkfrom theothersideoftheglobe.
Inshort,Ihaveastonishingamountsofinformationandtransparencyaboutthejobmarket.Inaddition,toolsmakeitpossiblefor metohavesidehustlesorbeself-employedfulltimeifIwishfrom anywhere.Therelativelyrecentdayswhencompaniescontrolled informationandyouhadachoiceofahandfulofcompanies(orTV stations)islong,longgone.
Peoplestilldoapplytojobs,butincreasinglyit’sthejobsthatare applyingforpeople.Let’ssaysomeoneisanengineer,logisticsexpert, orenvironmentalattorneyandstartsanewusergrouponLinkedInor somewhereelse.Foralittle,whiletherewillbeonlylike-mindedpeopleinthegroup.Prettysoonarecruiterwillsniffaround,hearabout
thegroup,andgetadded.Secretsdon’thavealonghalf-lifeinrecruiting,sobeforelongabunchofrecruitersareinthegroup,spamming subject-matterexpertswithofferstointerview.
It’struethatjobswilloftenhavedozensorevenhundredsof applicants.Butemployerswouldbemakingabigmistakeifthey thinkthatmeanstheyhaveallthepower.First,themostcompetitive candidateshavemultiplejoboffers,aswementionedearlier.Second, alotofapplicationsaresubmittedbyrobot,wheresomeonecanclick abuttonandblastarésuméfarandwide.Therefore,thenumberof qualified,desirable,availablecandidatesisfarsmaller.
Whatweareseeinginorganizationsisthere’sashifthappening, wheretheheadofsalesandtheheadofengineeringareincreasingly realizingthatthesuccessoftheirownpositionisbasedonhowwell theyhire andretain realtalent.
Boardsarealsosittingupandsayingthingslike“What exactly is yourhiringplanforthenextquarterandnextyear?Becauseifwe extrapolatethelinesonthesegraphs,you’renotgoingtomakeyour numberswithoutthosepositionsbeingfilled.”
Thissystemstemsfromtheexperienceofagreatmany organizations.
Ourapproachtohiringistheresultofthefounders’experienceandalso therefinementsandsuggestionsfromourcommunity.Atthestartof thisbook,wethinkitmaybeusefulforyoutounderstandthebeginning ofGreenhouse,andhowitcameaboutasaresultofreal-worldhiring challenges.
Daniel: Istartedaconsultingcompanyintheearly2000s.Ourfirm wouldhireprogrammersandputthemonprojectsatbanks.Earlyon wedidn’thaveanybrandormarketpowertospeakof.WhatIdid havewasanengineeringandprogrammingbackgroundandIwas extremelystrictaboutthelevelofqualitythatwewouldacceptfora programmer.
Soon,wegotacallfromabig-namefirminManhattan,and wehadjustthepersonfortheirneeds.Thebankwouldnottake ourwordforitthatourpersoncoulddothejob,andtheyinsisted
oninterviewinghim.IproudlysentourprogrammertoMidtown, knowingthathewouldblowthedoorsofftheinterview.
AfterabitIcontactedtheclientandwastold,“Oh,yeah,we rejectedthatperson.”I’mthinking: What?Thisguywasunbelievably good!Creamofthecrop! Itmadenosenseatall.Iaskedtheprogrammerwhathappened.Hesaid,“Isatinawhiteboardroomwith someguywhowastotallybored.Heobviouslyhadzerointerestin beingintheroom,andbarelylookedmeintheeye.Heaskedme thenit-pickiestlittlequestionsaboutsomeobscure,unimportantprogrammingsyntaxthatnooneeverheardoforuses.Thenthemeeting kindofendedandhewalkedout.”
Wow,thatwasweird.Hey,maybeitwasbadchemistry,ormaybe myguysaidsomethingthatcausedaproblem,becauseitcertainly wasnothislevelofskillthatcouldbetheissue.
Butithappenedagain—andagain.Andwithdifferentprogrammersandbanks.Isoonrealizedthatatthesebigbanks,they werejustaskingoneoftheirprogrammerstodotheinterviewand puttingtheminaroomwithnoguidanceorinstructionwhatsoever. Theinterviewersweren’taskingquestionsthatindicatedtheyknew anythingdetailedaboutthespecifictaskswewereaskedtofind someonefor.Noonewasinvestedinthis;infact,itcouldbethat theprogrammer/interviewersmighthavebeenalittleworriedthat ourpeoplecouldendupbeingtheirreplacements.
Whilethispuzzlewasunfolding,Iwashiringandscalingmyown team.Frequently,Ihadtwoofmypeopleinterviewthecandidates. IrememberononeoccasionwhenIaskedhowthingswent,oneof myguyssaid,“ThatwasthebestcandidateI’veevermet.Youshould notletthispersonoutofthebuildingwithoutmakinganofferonthe spot.”Iaskedmyotherinterviewer,whotoldme,“I’mnotworking withthatwoman!Do not hireher!Letmeputitthisway:Ifyouput heronmyteam,I’mquitting!”
AmIinsomekindoftimewarp?First,thebanksmakenosense withtheirresponsetofabulouscandidates,andnowmyownteam makesnosense!Iknewbothofmyinterviewerswellandtheywere smart.Ihadtogettothebottomofthis.
TherewasaRadioShackinmybuilding,soIwentdownstairs andboughttwodigitaltaperecorders.Igavethemtomyinterviewers andaskedthemtotapealltheirinterviewssoIcouldlistentothem onmycommutetoandfromwork.
Ilistenedtoatonofinterviews.Itwasprobablyabadideato bedrivingatthetimebecausetheymeltedmyface.Youcannot imaginehowbadthoseinterviewswere.Theseweremyownsmart, hand-pickedpeople,too!Ihadthisepiphany: OhmyGod,I’m sendingmypeopleintotheserooms,andIhaven’ttoldthemanything useful.Plus,Ididn’tgiveanyinstructionstotheinterviewersasa group,soIwouldhearfourinterviewsofthesamecandidatebyfour differentpeople.Theyallwereaskingthesamequestions.
Thenthecandidateswouldaskmystaffquestions.Someofmy peoplewouldgiveterribleanswersbecausetheyweren’ttrainedor prepared.Acandidatewouldask,“SoifIjointhiscompany,whatwill theprojectsbelike?”Andshe’dhear,“Well,um,itkindadepends. ActuallyIwasputonaprettylousyprojectforalloflastyear.Iknow there’ssomegoodprojectselsewhereinthecompany,butI’mnotpart ofthose.”
Hencemymeltedface. Whatareyoudoing?Areyoutryingtoruin mycompany? AfterabouttenmilesIrealizedthatitwasn’thisfault. Ididn’tpreparehimforthatoranyotherquestion.He’saprogrammer!Hewasshootingthebreezeabouthisownjob,notinterviewing someoneforadifferentjob.
Okay,I’manengineer.Thisissolvable.Nooneknowswhatto dohere,butitcan’tbethathardifweallsitdownaheadoftime.We canagreeonwhat’simportantforthepositionandcomeupwitha scorecard.Ifwecareaboutthesefiveorsixcriteria,whatquestions ortestscouldwecomeupwiththatwilltellusifacandidateisa star,orokay,orterribleforthosecriteria?Itcouldbeasstrictasa programmingtestforaprogrammeroraslooseas“sellmethispen”for asalesperson.Let’salsoagreeonwhoisgoingtoaskwhichquestions, sowecovereverythingonthescorecard.Engineersusedata.We’re goingtocollectallthesedatapoints,lookdispassionatelyatthedata, anduseittodeterminewhomwehire.
Thatsimplesetofproceduresmadeallthedifferenceinthevery nextinterviewswedid.Nightandday.It’soneofthosethingswhere youthink: HowcouldIhavebeensuchanidiottonothavethoughtofthis before?Andwhyaretheresomanyotheridiotsdoingthesamething,even inmulti-billion-dollarorganizations? Ididn’thaveanexplanation,other thantheblindleadingtheblind:“Thisishowwe’vealwaysdoneit. It’showeveryone’salwaysdoneit.”
DanielandJonmetwhileinschool.Jon’spathhadcertain similarities:
Jon: Ihavealonghistoryasaproductmanager.Iworkedatacompany calledBabyCenterbackin1997whenweweretryingtofigureout whattheInternetwas.Afterthecompanygotbought,Ibecamethe firstproductmanageratacompanybuildingperformancemanagementsoftwareforcallcenters,andthenwenttoJohnson&Johnson, whichhadacquiredBabyCenterandwantedtotakeitglobal.
Thegoalwastosetupamediabusinesswithlocalpregnancy websitesin20countriesaroundtheworld.We’dlaunchasite,get awholebunchoftraffic,andthenstartsellingadsagainstit.Itwas almostlikeafranchisemodel.
Thebigchallengewasthatweneededtofindlocaleditorsin20 countriesaroundtheworld.Eacheditorinturnwouldneedtohire ateam—andallofthishadtohappenveryquickly.Sohowwere wesupposedtofindthebestpregnancyeditorinRio,andMoscow, andBeijing,andKualaLumpur?Wecreatedawholeprocessaround howwewouldadvertiseandnetwork,thenweplannedhowwe wouldinterviewthem,includingtestingtheirskillsintheirlocal language.
Wewerereallyunderthegunandhadtobuyourplanetickets allaroundtheworldwellinadvanceofevenhavinganycandidates identifiedinthosecities.Wedevelopedaprocesssothatwhenthe timecametovisitacity,we’dhavefourfinaliststointerview,wecould makeanofferonthespot,andgetthetrainingstarted.Thenwe’d moveontothenextcity.Ourmethodicalprocesswasgoodenough that15yearslater,Ihearthatsomeofthefolkswehiredarestill there.
It’simportanttonotethatwebuiltthiseffectiverecruiting machineeventhoughwedidnothaveanATS.
Notlongafter,DanielandIwerebothatcrossroadsinour careers.We’dhadsomeinterestingsimilaritiesinourexperiences withhiringandweexploredhowwemightcapitalizeonthatinthe formofacompany.
Wedidn’tstartwiththeintentionofcreatinganATS;instead, wegotoutsomeindexcardsandmappedoutthesystemwehadin mind.Itwaseverythingwelearnedaboutdesigningastructuredinterviewprocess.
