Dec 17, 2015

For some, the idea of collaborative hiring might seem like a new concept but actually, it reminds me of when I was at school and we all belonged to different clubs; the club members decided on whether someone could join. In a work sense, the idea behind collaborative hiring is that the employees who will be working with the new hire should also be involved in this selection process.

Steve Jobs, (In the Company of Giants: Candid Conversations with the Visionaries of the Digital World by Rama Dev Jager and Rafael Ortiz ), said “I've found that collaborative recruiting and having a culture that recruits the A players is the best way. Any interviewee will speak with at least a dozen people in several areas of this company, not just those in the area that he would work in. That way a lot of your A employees get broad exposure to the company, and -- by having a company culture that supports them if they feel strongly enough -- the current employees can veto a candidate.”

Now before you perhaps respond with “I’m not trained in recruitment”, or “I don’t have the time”, or “That’s HR’s job”, I’d like to put forward some benefits, some concerns, and an achievable way forward.

On the one hand, you are likely to see greater buy-in and enthusiasm from the new-hire’s colleagues:

• Because their input is valued, they are more likely to consider their choices thoughtfully, and mentor/knowledge-share with the new hire. This will likely shorten the time that the new hire will need to find their way around and start being productive.
• The team/collegues are also more likely to understand and look for complementary skills to their own, which will encourage the cohesion and functionality of the group.
• The broader diversity offered by the collaborative process should minimise hiring mistakes; different insights and assessments of a potential new hire, will likely produce a good “fit”.

On the other hand, the collaborative process is not without some drawbacks:

• For one, involving more people, will inevitably make the hiring process longer.
• Secondly, it’s possible that some employees may have a personal agenda, or feel threatened. If this is the case, they may sabotage the process, or veto a candidate for the wrong reasons.
• Thirdly, it is absolutely true that recruitment is a skilled task and team members may not feel equipped to participate knowledgably in a structured interview process.

A way forward…

Clearly, the idea of making employees feel comfortable with the collaborative recruitment process can be addressed by proper training. Employees will benefit from a broader understanding of the process, and get involved with fine-tuning the interview questions, to better reflect the needs of the organisation. The fact that they are aware of the system in itself creates transparency.

The time factor is a critical one in the collaborative hiring process. Hiring a poor-fit employee will prove even more costly, both in terms of below par performance, or poor interpersonal skills, or other issues that take up management’s time. The time needed to make an excellent recruitment choice cannot be emphasised enough. Why would one compromise on trying to get the best person for the job and the business as a whole?

For the employees who feel threatened by the process, I believe that when they understand the benefits of their input, they are likely to come on board. It will require that managers and team leaders are sensitive to these nuances and are able to support and reassure these employees.

For more information, take a look at New Horizons' HR for Non-HR Managers course.