Match: A Systematic, Sane Process for Hiring the Right Person Every Time

Chapter 19. Make the Process Stick: Step 15

Champions keep playing until they get it right.

—Billie Jean King

I remember first being exposed to the steps of the scientific method in middle school:

1. Ask a question.

2. Do background research.

3. Form a hypothesis.

4. Test the hypothesis by performing an experiment.

5. Analyze the data.

6. Draw a conclusion.

7. If the hypothesis is true, report results. But if the hypothesis is false or only partially true, then go back and construct a new hypothesis.

Note

Sticky Notes:

• Evaluate your hiring process like a scientist conducting an experiment.

• Ask new hires how you could improve the process.

• Schedule a debrief session to plan, do, observe, and reflect.

In the eighth grade, we used the scientific method to determine if a plant in the closet grew faster than one in the sun, or if warm tennis balls bounced higher than cold tennis balls. The MATCH process uses the same scientific approach to improve hiring within your company. When you achieve a successful result, the process is designed to retain the steps that proved effective; and when your results are less than successful the process is designed to isolate and improve upon those steps. Let's follow through with the analogy, so we can make hiring the right person a cornerstone of your company.

1. Ask a question. Throughout this book, I have asserted that the company mission should drive a hire. What compelling reason does a company have to hire? Why should a company commit resources to a hire? The answer must stem from the ...