Topgrading

 

 

Should you bring a candidate in for face-to-face interviews if that person has fantastic qualifications (advanced degrees from top schools, worked for respected companies, etc.)…but has had four jobs at four different companies in the past five years?  The answer is probably not.  If recent past behavior is the best predictor of near future behavior (which it is), that candidate will predictably leave within a year, adding little value to your company.

 

Hiring managers are notoriously seduced by the “flash” on resumes, glossing over data that points to someone being a risky candidate.  Paying attention to several patterns of behavior and only advancing candidates who exhibit positive patterns will increase your chances of hiring a high performer. 

 

The first pattern to consider is job tenure.  Though it is becoming uncommon for a person to spend a bulk of one’s career with a single company, a candidate who has an average tenure of less than 2 years (i.e. four jobs with four different companies in the past 5 years) is not desirable…because there is a high probability that their tenure with your company will be less than two years as well.