Ten Ways to Botch a Job Selection

1. Dust off that ancient job description and use it to craft the recruitment announcement. [Just be sure to substitute PC for Commodore.]


2. Don't bother consulting with the people who actually perform the job. That's why the phrase "Other duties as assigned" was invented.


3. Always state a degree requirement. If you need someone who can write well, rather than asking for that skill, require a diploma in English. Better yet, ask for a Master's.


4. If you decide to ask for experience, pick a convenient number out of the air and use that for the number of years of experience that candidates must have.


5. Hold the oral board in a setting resembling a prisoner of war interrogation. That will permit you ask questions while measuring the candidate's ability to handle stress.


6. Let the oral board members ask whatever questions that happen to come to mind regardless of whether they relate to the performance of the job. It will spur creativity.


7. Start the interview by signaling the type of skills you seek so the candidates can easily repeat your words in response to the board's questions.


8. Score all questions as if they are of equal importance. Why bother with weighting?


9. Ask plenty of close-ended questions so the answers will be short. This will restrain the long-winded.


10. The final step is crucial: Ignore the declared job standards and the interviews and select whichever candidate you personally like.