If you’ve been part of hiring people into your team, you’ve probably dealt with at least one applicant with potentially awkward connections to the organization.
A client in a recent interview training session described how a School Board member applied to a hard to fill teaching position. Applying for the position was easy enough, but this applicant had to give up their seat on the Board to avoid conflict of interest. Of course that was a great compliment, knowing this person thought highly of the district, and wanted to work there as an employee. But how do you proceed when an applicant may have been your boss, is related to influential people, or is a local celebrity of some kind? It’s also tempting to just be glad you have an applicant and fill the spot right there. But how would this serve the needs of students and staff in the building?
Fortunately, our client decided to follow their hiring process and not take a shortcut to avoid conflict. As the story goes, the applicant followed the application, screening, and interview process using Crown’s Interview tools. Our client reported the person was naturally consistent with the thinking and actions they sought in effective teachers. Just to be sure however, this person also interviewed with a panel of people who confirmed what the Crown Teacher Interview revealed. In the end, our client says they couldn’t be happier with their decision to hire this teacher because of her talents, not because of their position or connections. And who benefits most? The students will now experience effective learning, and this teacher is affirmed for who she is as a learning specialist.
Do you have a hiring or other HR story looking for a happy ending? Let’s talk…
