Photo by Kevin Butz on Unsplash
By: Sonya Danzig
Tags: A Players, HR, Entrepreneurship, Interview, Hiring

Photo by Kevin Butz on Unsplash

Emotional Hire: A Bleeding Red Flag That Will Cost You a Fortune

Dear Entrepreneur:

I bet there have been times when you have hired a candidate based on your gut feeling. Something about them just “felt right,” you could not put your finger on it looking back… but as a result, it led to what I call an Emotional Hire.

There are numerous downsides to Emotional Hires. For one, it leads you to doubt your ability to hire the right people.

Worst of all, this causes you a great deal of stress because you know that you need to rectify the situation by firing them. And that is after you procrastinate being a nice boss.

Feeling Good About a Candidate Shouldn’t Be A Yardstick

When you like a candidate, you tend to overlook all the red flags that indicate they aren’t right for the position. This is especially true if you know them personally — although, you’ll rarely ever interview neighbours and relatives due to the highly specialized nature of most jobs, which makes it hard for a friend to ask you to interview their nephew.

You tend to focus on being polite instead of assessing their competencies objectively. You think interrupting is rude. The process becomes a casual conversation instead of an interview. The dialogue becomes comfortable and familiar as if you’re chatting with a friend. You may even end up looking at the interview as getting into a personal relationship instead of a professional one.

Focus on Hiring ‘A’ Players

There is a need to remain objective in the hiring process to adequately assess the candidate’s skill against the job description, or better yet against a job scorecard. The hiring process must be highly structured if you wish to hire ‘A’ Players.

According to Brad Smart and Geoff Smart, a father-and-son duo behind Topgrading hiring methodology, ‘A’ Players “qualify among the top 10% of those available for a position”. They are top-class. You may recognize them as “top performers” or “rock stars”. They are driven contributors to the company’s explosive growth and profitability. Mastery at what they do, commitment and integrity are what sets them apart from the remaining 90%.

Here is a sure sign of an ‘A” Player: if you had to hire them again, you’d do it on the spot because you know — not feel — they are the right person for the job!

Other Reasons for Emotional Hiring

Sometimes, you have to hire someone for a position that you don’t understand well (not in your wheelhouse). A good example would be hiring a COO for your growing enterprise while your strong suit as a founder is AI or Digital Marketing.

This is when it is easy to lose objectivity and rely more on your gut. You tend to place too much importance on their personality, a stellar resume and perceived compatibility you sense during the interview. You may be starstruck with their accomplishments in the past. “We will be such a good match”, — swells in your mind.

Also, you could hire them due to unconscious biases that are rooted in factors outside your influence and shaped your perception nonetheless. For example, your family life or country of birth could predispose you to hire people with a similar background.

The Cost of an Emotional Hire Affects Your Bottom Line

An Emotional Hire doesn’t contribute to your company’s growth and profitability.

According to stats, it will cost you 6–24 times the person’s base salary. And the higher the position and the larger the company, — the more it will cost.

Past economical drawbacks, it can also affect both you and the person’s career trajectory, mental health and personal life. The effects can be irrevocable, and when coupled with rising stress levels, they can even lead to substance abuse.

Attention: Red Flag!

And here is a seeming contradiction: you shouldn’t completely abandon your gut feeling. Sometimes a candidate who seems ideal on paper can exhibit certain behaviours and attitudes during the interview that don’t align with your company’s culture.

If the candidate reveals something that makes you feel uncomfortable, you need to pay extra attention. They could have made an off-handed comment (could be an insensitive joke or inappropriate tidbit of information) that — although not related to the position — gives away some cringeworthy trait that doesn’t line up with your company’s values.

In which case, it’s best to move on.

Keep Emotions Out of the Hiring Process

Hiring based on your gut feeling undermines the structure and rational approach required to hire ‘A’ Players. Liking someone’s personality does not mean you should be seduced into offering them the job.

Trust comes easy when something “feels right” — hopes are high and your guard is low.

There is a reason why predictable methods of assessing candidates are put in place. And you are bound to learn the hard way when you make an Emotional Hire.