The Hiring Scorecard
Hiring strategies from the sports world
As a manager, you’re likely a good judge of people. You were hired for your ability to lead, coach, and evaluate your team. But how successful are you at hiring new employees? Too many managers rely on a candidate’s resume and a “gut feeling” from the interview. The high cost of hiring mistakes requires managers to take a more objective, comprehensive, and measurable approach: the hiring scorecard.
Think about selecting players for a baseball team. As baseball fans can tell you, America’s favorite pastime comes with a barrage of statistics: batting averages, on-base percentages, errors, double plays, and RBIs. Coaches don’t look for all-around players, they use a scorecard to analyze stats for each position and select the right player for the position. With planning, this approach to hiring can be implemented in your organization.
Step 1: Define the scorecard
Start at the beginning – make sure your job description is accurate. A job description is not just a collection of tasks; it should outline the objective and measurable goals of each position. For example, the top three goals for an accounting manager might be:
- Compliance with GAAP standards
- Accurate budget forecasts
- Complete month-end closings on time
You will also need to clearly define soft skills candidates will need to succeed in your organization:
- Management style
- Company culture
The key elements you identify can be used to develop the position’s scorecard. Like the baseball coach, now that you know what you’re looking for, you can look for the player with the right stats.
Step 2: Interview to the scorecard
Now that you’ve identified the traits of a successful employee, you can use behavioral interview techniques to determine if a candidate is a good match.
- Ask questions about each job listed on the resume – ask for the biggest success and biggest failure in each position
- Look for MSAs – Made, Saved, Achieved – that show results in the categories defined in your scorecard
- Ask the candidate what their references will say when you call to talk to them about their performance
- Consider implementing a 360-degree interview process to obtain feedback from the candidate’s peers, former supervisors, and former employees
After the interview, go back to your scorecard to rate each candidate on your predetermined criteria. Use these stats to compare and contrast candidates. If no one fits – go back and reevaluate your criteria and recruit additional candidates to interview.
Step 3: Manage to the scorecard
A well-implemented scorecard benefits candidates as well as employers. When making the job offer and onboarding the employee, show them the scorecard. This shows your confidence in their abilities and also sets clear expectations for success. It can also be a valuable evaluation reference, allowing you to compare those expectations to performance.
The bottom line? Hiring scorecards can be an effective way to improve your quality of hire – and in turn, the quality of your products and services.
Download an Example Scorecard
Hiring scorecards can help improve your company’s recruiting success. We’ve created a sample scorecard that you can customize for any position on your team.