Ever heard the story about the hunter who came home empty-handed? It goes something like this:
One crisp fall morning, John was out hunting for deer. He spotted a good one, but thought to himself, “I’ve only been out here 15 minutes. I’ll wait for a bigger one.” Another deer comes and goes, but John decides he’s going to have patience and wait for the perfect one.
Throughout the afternoon, he shifts his position with the goal of finding that perfect deer. But as night falls, the hunter realizes he hasn’t seen a deer in over an hour. He decides the next one has to be it or he may have to go home empty-handed.
A while later, another deer appears – this one is small and far from perfect. He decides to go back to the spot where he saw those original deer. Thinking back on it – they were pretty close to perfect. But now, all of the deer have disappeared. In his search for perfection, John was left with nothing.
The Hiring Parallel
Does John’s story sound familiar? It’s a lot like what happens during the hiring process. A company holds a great interview, but then comparison gets the best of them and they want to interview someone else. Just in case.
We hear it all the time and each time we call it out, our clients laugh because they know it’s their fault. We’ve all been there – waiting for the perfect candidate while good ones slip away.
The (Nearly) Perfect Employee
Take for example, a company needing to hire a receptionist. The pressure is on for this role because it’s the first point of contact customers will experience. After scanning through dozens of applications, the interviews are scheduled.
The first interview goes great. Everyone loves her. She seems like a perfect fit. But then someone says, “Well, I really want to have some more people to compare her with.” As human beings, we’re really good at comparing. We think we can do better, and sometimes we’re willing to wait.
The result? The perfect candidate often moves on and the company is left scrambling.
The Real Question: Why Not Hire?
If you interview someone and you like them, plus they pass your culture fit and position fit, and there are no red flags, why wouldn’t you hire them?
The only answer is that you’re wondering if there’s someone even better out there.
But what if there isn’t?
Schedule Interviews With Intentionality
One common excuse for waiting to make an offer is that the interviews are already scheduled and a business leader doesn’t want to cancel on the other candidates. There are a few ways to avoid this issue.
The first has to be done proactively. When you schedule interviews, keep them as close together as possible. You don’t want to have some interviews this week, a few next week, and even more the week after. It’s too much waiting for the candidate.
Instead, pick two or three days in a row, ideally not broken up by the weekend, and schedule everyone during that time. Call your best candidates first to make sure they can find a time that works for them. If some of your candidates aren’t available during those days, you can always add them to your bench for future job openings.
Be Open With Candidates
If you’ve already scheduled the interviews and they’re spaced out, it’s okay to tell the almost perfect candidate what’s going on. Be honest and let them know that your team really liked them and you think they’d be a good fit for the position. Explain that you have a few more interviews to hold before making a final decision and that you understand if they accept a different job in the meantime.
You run the risk that the candidate may feel like you can’t make decisions quickly and they’ll decline your eventual offer.
Interview Psychology
A recent article from Forbes goes so far as to say you should intentionally schedule your best candidates for the first and last interviews, since the ones in the middle are likely to blur together and be forgotten.
There’s even psychology behind the interview order. The first person interviewed gets a “primacy bias” – meaning the interviewers will unintentionally compare everyone else to them. Similarly, the last person interviewed gains a “recency bias” by being top of mind most recently.
Know Who You Want
After working through the Core Fit Profile, Job Description, and Playbook processes, our clients know exactly who they want to hire. When you know who you are and who you’re looking for, then you have confidence to extend an offer when you find the right person. Even when they’re one of the first interviews.
So, the next time you’re on the hunt for the perfect employee, remember John the deer hunter. Sometimes, the perfect candidate is standing right in front of you. Don’t let them slip away while you wait for someone better. Because, just like in the woods, the best ones might be gone when you finally decide to make a move.
