“It always seems like I don’t have time to prepare when we are interviewing candidates,” complained Paula. “Even taking the time to write a job description for the open position. I know we are supposed to, I just don’t have the time.”
“Paula, whether you want to or not, you will spend the time,” I replied.
“What do you mean?”
“As the manager, you will either spend the time on the front end creating the job description, defining the necessary skills and behaviors, or you will spend the time on the back end trying to shape the person you hired into a role that you never defined clearly in the first place.
“You get to choose where you want to spend your time, on the front end or the back end.” -TF
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
I can relate to Paula in the story as I have always put off till last, the preparation, if any, for interviewing.
I think you make a great point that either way you will put in the time.
Probably one of the reasons there isn’t more time, is not doing it right in the first place.
Gary,
Your comment reminds me of a cardboard sign I saw while working on a video in the middle of an oil refinery. “There is never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it twice.”