Evidence-Based Recruiting: How to Build a Company of Star Performers Through Systematic and Repeatable Hiring Practices

CHAPTER 4

What Do We Know Works?

Hire well, manage little.

—Warren Buffett

COMPLEX JOBS REQUIRE LEADERS WHO CAN LEARN AND ADAPT

If you spend just 10 minutes researching hiring techniques, you’ll end up with more advice than you could realistically ever apply. A fair amount of this advice will be anecdotal and draw large conclusions based on dubious reasoning and indicators. One New York Times article, “How to Hire the Right Person,” suggested you should pay attention to whether or not the candidate looks people in the eye.¹ An Inc. magazine article, titled “2 Easy Ways to Know Whether You’re Hiring the Right Person,” highlights the power of the “beer test.”² The author argues that asking “Would I enjoy grabbing a beer with this person?” leads ...