Why do pilots use a preflight checklist before takeoff?
It’s a silly question, right? The consequences of a mistake/problem are big, and so going through the plane and plans before taking off is of great value.
Why don’t we have a pre-flight checklist when hiring?
The consequences of hiring are huge, but most of the time managers take off with little “pre-flight” thought – no wonder there are so many recruitment disasters.
“But Lucas, I’ve been a manager for many years, I have hired many times.”
Well, actually, it’s critical for experienced pilots to use preflight checklists too because there is an inherent danger in the familiar. When you have done something many times you become familiar with it and so your attention levels drop. This means that you might forget to check something basic or you might not realise that conditions have changed and that your normal course of action is no longer optimal.
In the familiar we have a tendency to go on autopilot and that’s when we’re in the danger zone. That’s why a preflight checklist adds so much value, it forces you look at what you are doing with fresh eyes and question if things are the way they are meant to be.
The Recruitment Canvas is like a preflight checklist for hiring.
One of the main design considerations we had when creating the Recruitment Canvas was how to help managers avoid going on autopilot when hiring. Guiding a manager through a series of checks greatly increases the chances of hiring success.
- How clearly do they understand and articulate the needs and challenges of the role?
- Is there a change needed in the way they attract candidates?
- What is going to actually assess a candidate’s suitability for the role?
- Do these considerations mean they need to adjust the ‘normal’ hiring process for this role?
Completing the Recruitment Canvas before launching into a hiring process helps a manager do all the prerecruitment checks that are going to prevent hiring disasters.
How do you prevent yourself from going on hiring autopilot?
Lucas
If you haven’t downloaded the Recruitment Canvas yet – go to our home page and download it for free now! www.wearemusketeers.com