Remember your past when hiring

On a day in history where we recognize and remember our past, I thought it would tie well into a few recent conversations I have had with clients looking to make a hire here in the new year.  For very different reasons they were reflecting on recent hiring decisions - one that worked well and one that did not work out so well.  Both experiences are shaping future hiring decisions.

So why is it so critical to look back on recent hires when making new hires?  I can think of several reasons:

1)  Learn what worked well.  Perhaps you tried something new or different that really paid off.  Instead of finding someone with ten years of experience you went with a college grad and are trying to train them better internally.  Maybe you hired someone from a carrier when traditionally you only hired someone with retail experience.  If it worked once, there is no guarantee it will work well twice, but you can certainly pick up key points from the growing process.

2)  Learn what did NOT work well.  If you have made five hires in a key area recently and 3-4 did not work out, perhaps it is time to make a significant change.  Maybe your gut told you NOT to make a hire and you did it anyway because your back was against the wall.  Take that experience and apply it to current and future hires to prevent making the same mistake again.

3)  Be aware of impact on culture.  Did you recently hire a few people that didn't quite match your company culture, but had the professional skills necessary to do the job?  If so, how did that work out for you and how to other employees feel about these decisions?  Sometimes it works to shake things up a little and bring in a change agent.  Other times you may need to be really careful and not upset the apple cart with a different personality.  As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

4)  Identify "source" companies for more candidates.  If you hired someone away from ABC Company, found out they have unbelievable training and only hire the best, maybe it makes sense to always target people from that company.  Out of college I went to work for one of the most well-known companies in the area.  I got my second job in my career in large part to that fact alone.  It was a well-regarded company, they provided me with excellent training, and I even came fully licensed as an insurance agent because of that training.

5)  Remember how you found good candidates.  Whether it be a posting site, word of mouth, or a wonderful third party recruiter (insert shameless plug here), if the experience was good, wouldn't you want to try it again in the future?  Build a platform that creates redundancies, and it could really make your hiring process more efficient.

In a world where consumers are always looking for the "next big thing", I think it is time we reflected on the past to determine some of our future successes as well.  The older I get, the more I believe that rings true, especially when it comes to hiring practices.