Building a successful company requires a recruitment process that can effectively identify strong managers and those with the potential to lead. With managers helping to establish a collaborative dynamic across an organization, they play a vital role in setting company culture and achieving company initiatives of all sizes.
However, simply identifying a promising managerial candidate does not guarantee that the person will do well in the role. To reduce the odds of a bad hire, 20 Forbes Business Council members offer guidance to help business leaders ensure they hire the right managers within their organizations.
1. Do Your Due Diligence
When hiring, we often ignore any red flags regarding cultural fit. This fit should not be ignored when bringing a new leader on. Technical competency is easier to see and evaluate during the interviewing process, but issues that could harm your culture, including a lack of a true connection to core values, can be missed. Do your due diligence to evaluate the real person inside the manager shield. – Jeff Maggs, Brunner
2. Seek Cultural And Value Alignment
Hiring the right manager goes beyond just technical skills. For me, it’s about finding someone who truly aligns with the company’s culture and values. The best managers inspire their teams, foster collaboration and lead with authenticity. By focusing on cultural fit and leadership potential, I’ve built a team of people who feel connected and motivated to drive the business forward. – Janet Linly, Marge Carson Global
3. Appraise Candidates’ Interpersonal Skills And Passion For Team Development
When hiring a manager, prioritize candidates who possess strong interpersonal skills and a genuine passion for developing their team. These qualities are essential for building trust, enabling collaboration and motivating employees. A manager who can effectively communicate, empathize and inspire will create a positive and productive work environment, ultimately contributing to the company’s success. – Reco McCambry, Novae
4. Invite Other Leaders To Participate In Recruitment Efforts
Involving leaders from across the company in the recruitment process will help with hiring the right manager. This approach ensures buy-in from the existing leadership, increases the likelihood the new hire will align with your company vision, and reduces the risk that they disturb the existing team dynamic. – Jason Barnard, Kalicube
5. Do Peer Interviews
Look beyond resumes to instead rely on peer interviews. Have team members meet candidates and provide feedback. This ensures alignment with the team’s culture and dynamics, helping identify managers who inspire trust, respect and collaboration. – Chris Kille, EO Staff
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
6. Have Candidates Solve Real Previous Problems
During the hiring process, present candidates with problem statements that were solved exceptionally well by your star managers. Then, evaluate their responses by comparing how closely their solutions align with the “star solution.” This will offer insights into their problem-solving approach and managerial aptitude. – Sachin Malik, GigaML
7. Assess Potential Effectiveness
Effectiveness is key. If a manager is not effective, they are useless to the company. They must be skilled in engaging with employees and enforcing policies. Being in management is not for everyone and that’s okay, but when the task at hand requires a leader, a manager must be effective in most aspects or they will cost your company time and money in the long run. – Jackie Nance-Sons, Native Wildflowers Nursery
8. Evaluate Achievements And Feedback From Former Staff
It is important to evaluate not only the manager’s KPI achievements but also feedback from the staff managed by the manager. By checking whether each evaluation is consistent, the manager’s aptitude can be accurately evaluated. In addition, have the manager also conduct a self-assessment. – Karita Takahisa, UNIFY PLATFORM AG
9. Avoid Hiring A Clone Of Yourself
The most common leadership mistake is to unconsciously self-aggrandize about your own traits and then hire those who look and sound like you. The most diverse and balanced businesses consciously seek difference. With capabilities assumed, seek those who exhibit and exude human decency. That is what will take your company furthest fastest! – Nuala Walsh, MindEquity
10. Prioritize Emotional Intelligence And Expertise
Prioritize emotional intelligence and expertise over just technical skills. A great manager balances expertise with empathy, inspiring and supporting their team. We focus on candidates who listen, adapt and demonstrate strong problem-solving skills. I ask, “How have you resolved team conflicts?” to ensure they foster trust and a positive work environment. – Janice E. Moffatt-Findlay, Royale Development
11. Gauge Their Approachability And People Skills
Hire managers who are approachable and can communicate at all levels of the organization. Often, employees will leave organizations because of bad managers or their lack of follow-up when it comes to addressing workplace issues. Hire managers who work well with teams and have managed people effectively. Ask situational interview questions during the hiring process to understand their management style. – Alberta Johnson, People Experts LLC
12. Ensure They Can Balance The Company Vision With Employee Well-Being
It’s important to hire someone who will keep your organization’s vision in mind and prioritize the well-being of your employees at the same time. It’s easy for leaders to get caught up in the overall mission and lose sight of how it will affect their teams. However, by hiring managers who prioritize individual well-being, you’ll position both your organization and your teams to succeed. – Kent Ingle, Southeastern University
13. Determine Their Commitment To Their Potential Team
One of the primary characteristics we look for in a manager is commitment to the team they will lead. This commitment goes hand-in-hand with an understanding that they succeed when the team succeeds. A team-focused mindset ensures managers remain invested in their teams’ development and do all they can to support and encourage that growth. This results in engaged and proactive teams and managers. – Brad Benbow, Prolific
14. Assess Their Integrity And Sense Of Ethics
Prioritize ethics when hiring managers by seeking candidates with integrity and strong moral judgment. Ethical leaders foster trust and positive team dynamics while upholding the company’s values in decision making. – Kamales Lardi, Lardi & Partner Consulting GmbH
15. Look For A Growth Mindset
I look for leaders with a growth mindset. During the hiring process, I use behavioral-based interview questions to evoke examples of actions that demonstrate a candidate is adaptable and views obstacles as opportunities to learn how to be a more effective leader. This sets up a culture of growth and resilience from the top down. – Scott Paddock, Wondr Health
16. Seek Those Who Thrive In Ambiguity
Look for managers who are comfortable with and thrive in ambiguity. Also, look at their track record of building and motivating teams. In a startup, roles evolve quickly, so adaptable leaders who foster collaboration and align teams with company goals are invaluable. Hiring for flexibility and emotional intelligence ensures managers can navigate challenges and maintain a positive, productive team dynamic. – Sam Nelson, Downstreet Digital
17. Determine How A Candidate Deals With Emergencies
Ask candidates what they would do if a situation comes up that is outside their paid responsibilities.You want to look for people who have shown they have ability to step up to the plate in emergency situations when someone needs to lead on the fly. People have a general hesitance to step outside their comfort zones, so look for leaders who can take initiative in such cases. – Zain Jaffer, Zain Ventures
18. Set High Standards During The Probation Period
I don’t believe the interview process fully reflects a candidate’s true working pace and capabilities. That’s why I prefer to set high standards during the probation period and allow managers the opportunity to prove themselves during this time. – Hannah Ma, Globevisa Group
19. Ask For Verifiable Results
My preference is to hire from within because I know the person’s abilities and strengths, as I’ve seen them in action. If I’m looking externally, the candidates must have verifiable, quantifiable and demonstrable results they can present. They may have been “rock stars” elsewhere, but if they want to be hired, they must share an undeniable case for the solutions they can provide. – Dr. David Lenihan, Tiber Health
20. Ask Behavioral Questions
To hire the right people, ask behavioral questions that align with your company values. For example, if teamwork is a core value, ask, “Can you share a time you resolved a conflict within your team?” This reveals their leadership style and decision-making abilities. Hiring people whose actions and mindset reflect company values ensures they foster the right culture and add to team dynamics. – Chris Coldwell, Quicksilver Software Development Inc.
Read the full article here
