Hiring Quality Talent: “Gut Feelings” vs. Science

We all like to believe that we have that elusive thing called intuition. You’ll often hear a person say, “I knew from the beginning that this person would go a long way” or “I knew that we would be successful in that venture.”

Yet, not every feeling is a positive one. Sometimes things go wrong and we say we knew from the beginning that something bad was going to happen. But…if we knew something bad was going to happen, why didn’t we do something to stop it?

The fact is that hindsight is 20/20. You can look back at the way things turned out and say “I knew it.” But it’s really quite difficult to look forward and predict what’s going to happen, especially if you don’t have all the information.

“Gut Feelings” and Hiring Talent

Most of us go with our instincts or “gut feelings” when we hire someone. We may peruse their resume, make sure it fits  what we’re looking for and call them in for an interview.

At the interview, most of us are generally looking to see if this person looks presentable and moderately intelligent so they’ll pick up the job quickly. We barely go into details of what the person knows or has learned in past jobs, especially if the position is not a technical one. As for integrity, we just form our opinion based on that person’s “feel” or “vibe.”

Obviously, this kind of hiring process leaves a lot up to chance. Is this really the best way to hire quality talent?

“Gut Feelings” and Your Personal Life

Think about it from the point of view of your personal life. Would you decide to enter a relationship with someone based on a resume of their past relationships and one meeting? Of course not. You’d want to get to know that person for a few months at least before taking that leap. And you’d want to know them even better before you think about marrying them.

The Science of Hiring Talent

It’s the same concept with employees. It makes more sense to use a temporary to permanent model instead of just bringing someone on board your company. And at Nextaff, we go even farther. We have our hiring process down to a science which starts with having potential employees take a test consisting of 100 questions.  These questions are testing everything from knowledge about subject materials, trustworthiness, work ethic, and personality. Once we receive the results, we analyze them and select the top tier candidates to bring in for a structured interview.

We cater these tests based on your job descriptions and company culture. The results we get give us a good understanding of a candidate’s cognitive abilities integrity and an idea of how they will fit into your company. Once we’ve interviewed them we send only our highest quality candidates for you to select from. You’ll rest easy knowing that with all this information, you’ll be hiring quality talent in no time!

Contact us for more great tips and download our whitepaper “Perfecting the Perfect Hire” below!

Based on this article, we recommend you read: 3 Ways to Prevent Employee Burnout and Support TalentAcquire Talent Through Aligning Goals and Values, and Are Job Boards Really the Best Way to Find Quality Employees?

NEXTAFF helps companies Hire Quality Employees.  By offering a complete range of temporary staffing agency services, we help your company – no matter where you are in your business evolution – raise productivity through hiring better quality employees. We are able to service all your staffing agency needs with local staffing offices in Raleigh-NC, Overland Park-KS, Topeka-KS, Kansas City-MO, Dallas-TX, Houston-TX, Gulf Coast-MS, Phoenix-AZ, Miami-FL, Orlando-FL, and Harrisburg-PA.

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Meet Shane...

Shane’s journey with Nextaff began in 2019, when he established a successful franchise in the Kansas City metro area. His experience as a Nextaff franchise owner provides prospective buyers with a completely transparent view of the Nextaff Franchise Opportunity. Prior to his time at Nextaff, Shane led large sales teams in the Financial Services and Medical Device industries, further developing his expertise in leadership and business management.

Do you play sports?

Basketball! I was fortunate enough to play college basketball all 4 years and in 2013 we won the NCAA DII National Championship.

What do you love most about your current role?

Getting to know prospective franchise buyers. I love hearing about their goals and dreams they want to achieve through entrepreneurship.

What is your favorite color?

Orange! Yes, it is one of Nextaff’s main colors but it was my favorite before coming to Nextaff. In the franchising world, I’m known as “Orange pants guy”.

Meet Cary...

When it comes to operating a staffing firm, Cary has worn every hat.  From recruiting, to sales, to management, to ownership, he has been involved in every aspect of running a successful staffing business.  He has successfully led three separate companies to the Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000 lists, which puts him in an elite class of staffing entrepreneurship.  Combining that experience with a strong passion for entrepreneurs makes Cary an ideal leader for driving the Nextaff vision. 

Describe yourself in three words.

Loyal, Driven, Creative

Is there a mantra or affirmation you live by?

Do what you said you were going to do.

Do you have a celebrity doppelganger?

Back in the day, it was John Cusak.  “I want my two dollars!”