Smarter Hiring, the DDI Way

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Pfeffer's willingness to acknowledge DDI's contributions was consistent across a wide range of interviews. The need for a systematic focus on hiring is so great that even DDI's rivals tip their hats to the work it has done. That applies to Buckingham, too. This is not to say that DDI's work has been revolutionary. As Larry Pfaff pointed out, "Behavior-based interviewing was around before DDI. A firm called Personnel Decisions International did some behavior-based work in the 1960s." That's as it should be. Management consulting isn't like discovering a new drug molecule. It's about assembling otherwise disorganized insights into a coherent and workable approach, and then building on it. DDI has succeeded in that better than most. It isn't the answer for every company, but every company had better wake up to the fact that it's time to start paying more attention to the people on the bus. As Jim Collins put it, in the end, the methodology matters less than the effort: "You want to learn math? You can debate the methods, but if you spend seven hours a day on it, you will do well. So spend seven hours a day getting the right people."

And the search for the "right people" isn't just a struggle that benefits the employer. When business talks about productivity, it is generally in terms of arithmetic and percentages. But what DDI has done for more than 30 years is force employers to realize that there is also an emotional productivity that comes when workers have jobs that align with their motivations, needs, and integrated behaviors. It's not a perfect system -- it undoubtedly misses talent -- but it strives to recognize the multiple dimensions of an individual, and that's not easy when you're literally matching millions of people with millions of jobs.

Across the economy -- manufacturing, service, you name it -- the hard truth is that we need to recognize that nothing, nothing is as important as hiring the right people. Small companies, in particular, need to recognize this. "Anybody who's screwed up, we could help them," reports Byham. When he is asked about the visible failure of the airlines, he begins to enter his evangelical zone. "When I get on an airline, I'd say they would benefit a lot from our training. They ruin the relationship with the client, but don't have to, if they just showed a little empathy." (Empathy -- another dimension you can test for.) Take note: In today's brutally tough environment -- with products racing toward parity, and service delivery the name of the game -- we'd be far better off spending less time syncing our Palms to our desktops and more time syncing our employees to their jobs.

Contributing editor Adam Hanft is the author of Inc's Grist column.

Unnatural Selection

Too many bosses rely on gut instinct in their hiring decisions, says William C. Byham, chairman and CEO of Development Dimensions International. A disciplined approach is better. Here are Byham's top Do's and Don'ts.

DO
1. Focus on the right stuff. Pinpoint specific skills necessary for success in the job. Frame interview questions to reveal whether the candidate has what it takes.
2. Dig up the past. Get specific examples of how a candidate has handled different situations at work.
3. Realize that three heads are better than one. Ask colleagues to interview a candidate and share their findings with you.
4. Put your candidate at ease. You'll get better answers and make a good impression.
5. Seek a balanced view. No candidate is as perfect as you hope he is. Seek a frank discussion of strengths and weaknesses.

DON'T
1. Be an amateur shrink. Focus on specific examples of specific behaviors, not personality assessment.
2. Ignore job interest. Poor motivation is a leading cause of turnover.
3.Rush. Managers who fill an opening too quickly almost always regret it.
4. Take insufficient notes. Relying on memory gives the first and last candidates an unfair advantage.
5. Place too much emphasis on a single skill. Avoid the "halo effect," i.e., when one outstanding accomplishment overshadows something less attractive.

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