No Such Thing as a Quick Fix

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The CEO of a company reached out to me last week and asked if I could do a one-hour session to teach her people how to conduct an interview.

I said I could teach them, but it would require more than one session. She said, “Thanks, I’m going to keep looking.”  

I wrote back and told her to be wary of anyone who told her they could do this in an hour. If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

You’re not going to lose 10 pounds in 10 days, nor are you going to improve your interviewing skills in an hour. It’s simply not going to happen.

Selecting the right people for your organization takes a bit more skill than picking ripe fruit at the supermarket and costs a lot more if you make a mistake doing so. It’s estimated that a bad hire can cost a company two to three times an employee’s annual salary. (If you want an exact number, you can use the free employee turnover calculator that I have on my website.)

Even the most experienced of interviewers can benefit from learning how to select for success, especially given the changing landscape of the workforce and employment market. Today’s candidates have plenty of options, which means interviewers will need to showcase the opportunity being presented and the company in the best light possible. I’d say the majority of people interviewing on behalf of their companies are unaware of how to do this, which is why they could benefit from the right type of skill building.

There are books out there on interviewing, as well as online courses. However, neither approach to learning gives participants the opportunity to rehearse what they’ve learned and receive feedback while doing so.

Think about it. You might watch a few YouTube videos on learning how to ski. Are you then ready to ski down a black diamond trail?

No, of course not! With some ski lessons and lots of practice, you may eventually get there without killing yourself.

Training by itself, without an opportunity to apply learning in real-time, is simply a nice time together—and a very expensive one at that.

Before taking on any initiative, consider the following questions:

·     What objectives are we looking to achieve?

·     How will we be better off as a result of this initiative?

·     What measurements will we use to indicate that progress is being made?

·     What’s the best route (not necessarily the easiest or cheapest) to help me achieve my objectives?

·     What’s the ROI?

If my prospect asked herself these questions, she may have concluded that she was about to go down a dead end road and would have been open to other options. Had she told me she couldn’t afford to devote more time or money I would have advised her to do nothing.  

No matter how tempting the price might be, quick fixes often do more harm than good. Avoid them at all costs!

 ? 2019, Matuson Consulting.

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