When you date or hire.
It's sad but true. Even a hardened pro like Amy Hoover can make common errors in talent acquisition. For instance...
Frustrated with the length of her search, Amy let her critical faculties take a rest and made an inappropriate selection. She knew it was wrong after two weeks but didn't have the guts to give him the boot.
The solution? When you hire, don't be optimistic. Force yourself to look for the bad signs up front. Then...
Flush out the underperformers sooner than later -- before you feel sorry for the guy.... If you don’t feel qualified to judge someone in that period of time, ask someone who is... Start your search over. There are other fish in the sea.
Here's something to watch for. Sometimes weaknesses masquerade as strengths. You might think that he's a nice guy when he's really a wimp. Nice doesn't count when the chips are down but chances are that you won't see him in that kind of situation until after the deal has been done.
