Do You Trust Your Gut? Don't (at least not too much)!

"Gut feeling is the most important factor for me in recruitment."

Oh, how many times I’ve heard that phrase—sometimes word for word, sometimes in different variations.

Of course, gut instinct has value. The unconscious knowledge we accumulate can often be sharper than the conclusions our brains actively work to reach. If you're a recruiter or a job seeker and you get a strong gut feeling—good or bad—you shouldn’t ignore it.

But should you trust it blindly?

Not really. The problem with relying too much on an instinctive response is that you risk e.g:

• Discriminating against people who don’t fit your personal mold.
• Letting first impressions dictate your decision-making.
• Being misled by those skilled at making a great initial impact.
• Being influenced by your own mood on that particular day.

Instead of making snap judgments, take a step back and ask yourself:

? What is my gut feeling really telling me?

? Do I have solid, objective evidence to support it?

? How can I verify whether it’s accurate or misleading?

A Smarter Way to Make Career and Hiring Decisions

When making important decisions—whether hiring someone or accepting a job offer—you need a structured approach. Here’s how to engage both your instinct and rational thinking:

?? Define clear criteria. What are the key skills, qualities, or experiences that truly matter for this role or company?

?? Ask targeted questions. Use multiple methods (interviews, references, tests, work samples) to evaluate candidates or employers.

?? Strive for objectivity. Assess fit based on data, not just feelings.

?? Get a second opinion. Discuss your impressions with a colleague to reduce bias.

When Gut Feelings Get It Wrong

Still not convinced? Here are real-life examples of how instincts have led people astray:

? “We hired a charming, intelligent, and ambitious person. Unfortunately, he saw himself as so important that he rarely actually did his job.”

? “A highly respected specialist didn’t get the job because she was nervous during the interview and talked too much.”

? “A candidate landed what they thought was their dream job—only to realize they had jumped to conclusions, and the job wasn’t a good fit at all.”

? “A well-liked hiring manager asked an inappropriate question (not realizing that it was), unintentionally pushing a top candidate to withdraw and accept a less suitable job elsewhere.”

Final Thought:

You probably can’t ignore your gut feeling entirely—it’s part of being human. But you can train yourself to recognize when bias is creeping in. Concepts like the halo effect, just cause fallacy, and other cognitive biases can distort your judgment. If you want to dive deeper, I highly recommend Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow.

And if you work in the public sector? Forget gut feeling altogether—it’s illegal to make hiring decisions based on anything other than merit!

PS: ChatGPT helped me format this edition. Hit or miss?