The Only Two Questions You Need to Ask Before Hiring or Promoting Someone

Hiring or promoting someone into a leadership position doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, you can base your decision on just two questions: Do I want to work for this person? Would I assign my children to work for this individual? If the answer is a resounding "YES," go ahead and do it. Here’s why:

First question: Do I want to work for this person?

When considering a leadership position, I always ask myself one question: Do I want to work for this person? Specifically, would I want to work for this person with no titles, no raises, and no future prestige in sight? If so, there’s a good chance he/she is someone worth hiring. The answer to that question should be yes if you are looking at a leadership role because you will be working directly with that individual on a daily basis. A leader who doesn’t inspire his team isn’t much of a leader at all—and if you don’t like working for him/her personally, it won’t make things any easier when it comes time to tackle big projects together. ? This also means that you need to keep an eye out for personality conflicts before they arise; after all, your job performance may ultimately hinge on how well you can play nice with others. It may sound obvious, but I’ve seen too many people promoted based solely on their technical skill set alone—only to find themselves struggling later down the road because they have trouble managing their team effectively. In addition, do not underestimate personal chemistry as a factor in workplace success. Think about it: If you’re spending more than 40 hours per week at work, chances are that some level of personal connection is required to get through those long days (at least until we figure out teleportation). So, while management skills certainly matter—as does business acumen—so does interpersonal compatibility. How well will you be able to collaborate with each other over long periods of time? Are you willing to take criticism from your boss without taking it personally? Will she/he listen carefully and give thoughtful advice without coming across as condescending or demeaning? Does she/he respect everyone on her team equally, regardless of title or seniority? At first glance, these questions might seem somewhat superficial. But consider that employees spend more waking hours with their manager than anyone else in their lives outside of family members—so wouldn’t you rather work for someone whom you genuinely enjoy being around? Remember: these questions aren’t just about deciding whether or not to hire someone. They’re also about deciding whether or not to promote them into a leadership role once they join your company.

The second question is, "Would I assign my children to work for this individual?"

Assigning your children is a way of saying, even if I wasn't going to work with them, would I think my kids were in good hands? Do I trust their judgment and abilities? If you don't have any children, ask yourself if there's anyone in your extended family you'd entrust with your kids. And if so, why not just hire that person instead? They already know how you operate. They've already demonstrated they can get along with your team. They're already familiar with what it takes to succeed in your organization. Why go through all of the trouble and expense of hiring someone new when an existing team member could do just as well (or better)? Asking yourself these two questions will help ensure you only bring on people who are qualified, capable, and trustworthy—and who will be able to add value from day one. It'll also help keep turnover low. Turnover isn't cheap: Studies show replacing an employee costs anywhere from 20% to 200% of their annual salary—and those numbers are conservative estimates! Replacing a senior-level executive can cost upwards of $500,000. So make sure you really want to bring someone on board before doing so. Trust me, once you start asking yourself these two questions, you'll never look at hiring or promoting in quite the same way again.

Here's why you should only be asking these two questions:

1. People in positions of authority (parents, bosses, and teachers) are responsible for ensuring that their charges are happy and productive. Asking these two questions is a great way to gauge whether someone has strong emotional intelligence and will be able to create an atmosphere of trust, safety, mutual respect, and encouragement at work.?
2. The answers to these questions can also help you assess how well you’ll get along with your new hire—and how much they’ll get along with others on your team.?
3. If someone isn’t willing to put themselves in your shoes, it probably means they won’t put your needs first either—which is essential if you want them to succeed in their role.
4. These questions also act as a litmus test for what kind of person you’re bringing into your organization. If they baulk at answering either question, chances are good that they have something to hide or aren’t being honest about who they really are.
5. If they pass both tests, however, it’s a sign that you’ve found someone who shares your values and priorities when it comes to creating a healthy environment where people feel safe taking risks and offering feedback without fear of reprisal.
6. While there are no guarantees in life, asking these two questions is one simple step toward making sure you don’t wind up working with someone whose bad behaviour could end up hurting everyone involved—including yourself!?

In today’s fast-paced business world, hiring decisions are often made within 24 hours. That leaves little time to learn about job candidates beyond checking out their resumes and past performance reviews. We hire based on our gut instincts rather than looking more deeply at how compatible someone is with our culture, our core values, and our management style, so ask yourself two questions: 1) Do I want to work for this person? 2) Would I assign my children to work for them? If you answer yes to both questions, you can proceed with confidence that you have found a good fit. If you answer no to either question, however, it may be best not to move forward with your plans for hiring or promoting that individual.

How important are the answers to these two questions regarding all employees?

A. Do I want to work for them? B. Would I assign my children to work for them? It turns out that these two questions can be very revealing, even about senior executives who are considered irreplaceable. If you’re looking at an executive and thinking no way would I ever let my kids work for him, it may be time to start looking around for a replacement. (1) Do I want to work for him? is not just a matter of whether you like someone personally; it also includes whether you think he has integrity and is competent in his job. In other words, do you trust him with your career? (2) Would I assign my children to work for him? is equally important. In fact, many CEOs say they won’t hire anyone without considering how they would feel if their own child worked under that person. For example, Steve Jobs reportedly told Tim Cook: If I couldn’t trust you with my son’s life, I wouldn’t trust you with mine. While we often focus on talent when hiring people into top positions within our organizations, what really matters most is character—and that usually comes down to personal integrity and competency.?and their abilities.

Conclusions

When thinking about making a career move, you should ask yourself two questions: Do I want to work for this person? Would I assign my children to work for them? If you can say yes with 100% certainty, do it. Here’s why: The right leader is worth his/her weight in gold. They will help carry you through your challenges and celebrate your success. They won’t just give lip service when they talk about their values—they live them every day by how they treat people. And if you don’t feel like you could answer yes to both of these questions, then don’t take that job. Asking these two simple questions will help ensure that your decision is rooted in what matters most: your happiness and well-being.