Unlike in stocks – in hiring people the best indicator of future performance is past performance. Reference checks and behavioral interviewing are two keys to success in hiring the best person for the job. These things help you know what the person did in the past which will help you understand what they will do in the future.

Let’s look at the new coach at Notre Dame. My criteria (although they never called to ask…I guess my $200 a year contribution doesn’t give me much status) were this. 1) Head coach experience, 2) track record of winning, 3) college experience. Well, the new guy has all of this. If we look at the past three failed hires by Notre Dame we see these violated.

Bob Davie – assistant coach not a head coach
Ty Willingham – did OK at Stanford but not a track record of winning
Charlie Weis – assistant coach and a pro coach

All too often we fall in love with a candidate in the interview and we don’t do our homework. Unlike football coaches who have their record posted for all to see the person you are interviewing is the primary source of information on their past. SO, we come back to reference checks and behavioral interviewing as the best way to make sure you are hiring correctly.

and on a related note. The second guessing of the hiring of Brian Kelly has already started by the media. It took about 3 hours. Some writers wonder if he is the right guy? Should Notre Dame have tried harder to get Urban Meyer at Florida etc etc etc….there is a lesson here for leaders at all levels. When you are in a leadership role you will take some hits and not all of them will be fair or valid. Sorry, get over it, lead on.

Go Irish.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 11th, 2009 at 5:00 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.