Whatever the fluctuating state of the job market, hiring remains a critical responsibility for companies today. To weather the ups and downs of the economy, organizations need the right people in place — and to get them there, they need a hiring process that’s efficient and effective.
According to 2022 benchmarking data from the Society for Human Resource Management drawn from a sample of more than 2,400 members, the average cost per hire was nearly $4,700. That figure doesn’t include soft expenses like the time managers and other employees spend communicating with human resources, interviewing candidates and giving feedback about potential hires — time that they would otherwise spend on their day-to-day responsibilities.
When that’s taken into account, SHRM analysis has found that the total cost to hire a new employee may be closer to three to four times the position’s salary.
This is all to say that cultivating exceptional skills for identifying and recruiting talent is a very worthwhile pursuit — one that will make a hiring manager an invaluable asset to any company.
Jim Viris, head of talent acquisition at Augury, understands both the challenges and rewards of this responsibility. After two decades in talent acquisition, he has learned from experience to keep an open mind to candidates’ potential, consider the diversity of thought on a team and go into every interview prepared with the most relevant questions.
Read on for Viris’ conversation with Built In New York.
Augury provides predictive maintenance solutions for industrial machinery and equipment to identify risks before a breakdown occurs.
How long ago did you become a hiring manager, and what are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned in that time?
I have been in talent acquisition for 20 years, building teams and infrastructure that enable hiring managers to identify and hire top performers. My experience ranges across several industries, including technology, financial services and manufacturing, from startups to Fortune 10 companies. Best practices in hiring are consistent no matter the organization’s size or industry.
I became a hiring manager 15 years ago, and the way I approach hiring now is drastically different from when I started. One lesson I’ve learned is not to be too rigid in qualifications and candidate selection. It is natural to think hiring someone with the same industry experience, specific education and all the qualifications you can think of is best for your team. However, I have found that diversity is the most important qualification.
As a hiring manager, you shouldn’t ignore a candidate’s experience, but it is also very important to focus on their learning aptitude, curiosity and potential. Over the years, I have learned how much diversity of thought in both work and life experiences drives high-performing teams.
What are the most common mistakes you see first-time hiring managers make?
Hiring is one of the most critical responsibilities for all leaders. A bad hire is financially costly and impacts culture, team productivity and employer brand.
Common mistakes that new hiring managers make:
- Not making hiring a priority. This can cause burnout and further attrition to your team.
- Not asking the right questions during the interview process. It's important to ask open-ended relevant questions that are most critical for the role. Avoid closed-ended yes-or-no questions.
- Not listening. It’s natural for hiring managers to want to take time to sell the opportunity, but it's important to allow the candidate to do 75 percent of the talking during an interview. The more you learn about the candidate's experience, the better equipped you will be to make an informed decision.
- Being too rigid with candidate selection. To attract top diverse talent, you need to focus on technical skills as well as transferable experience. Focusing only on similar profiles to yours will impact innovation and creativity on a team.
- Poor candidate experience. Treat every candidate as you would a customer. Be on time for an interview, be prepared, minimize reschedules and always follow up with the candidate afterward.
What advice would you give to first-time hiring managers?
Effective interviewing is a skill that is developed with experience. For a first-time hiring manager, I would recommend taking a training class on how to conduct effective and structured interviews; making your interviews impactful by being prepared and asking the most relevant questions that are required for the role; allowing candidates to ask questions; and making hiring a priority and investing the time to find the right person.
