Too many cooks in the kitchen…
I have spent many hours as a recruiter trying to move candidates along through their application pipeline. In many cases, I have had to co-ordinate meetings between those candidates and anywhere from 3 -6 different interviewers before the employer is ready to move forward with an offer. This process does have value of course. If you are bringing a new hire onboard for a key position within your company, then you should garner as much insight and as many different points of view as possible. This will enable you, as a hiring manager, to ensure that nothing has fallen through the cracks, and that the culture fit has been established. That being said, it is possible to have too many cooks in the kitchen. At some point you have to ask yourself, is this process really the most effective way to interview new candidates, or are we just muddying the waters. In my experience the most effective interviewing strategy has been to have new candidates meet 3 company delegates at the most. The three people should represent, a person to whom the candidate will report, a person that is in a similar role to the position you are trying to fill, and an executive of the company. These people should all have the same information about a candidate, as well as the same mandate to follow regarding key competencies and desired qualities. The interviews should all take place over a period of time no longer than a week, and a decision should take no longer than two weeks. This will enable all of the interviewers to keep their impressions fresh and will ensure that the candidate does not become frustrated by the process. Many of my clients follow this outline with a great deal of success. The principle is sound; too many cooks spoil the broth. Make sure that as you design your interview protocols, you are considering not only the most effective way to determine suitability, but also the way that a candidate is going to perceive your organization. Remember, the interview process is not only your chance to get to know a candidate. It is also the first chance you get as an employer, to make an impression with your future stars. You only get one chance to make a good first impression, and in today’s competitive job market that means as much to companies as it does to candidates.
