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45 Effective Ways for Hiring Smart! : How to Predict Winners and Losers in the Incredibly Expensive People-Reading Game
Now in Paperback!People are the most valuable asset in today'¬?s fiercely competitive workplace. In HIRING SMART, now available in paperback for the first time, Dr. Mornell delineates 45 simple strategies for "people reading"-observing a candidate'¬?s behavior and predicting what they'¬?ll be like in the workplace-that virtually guarantee hiring the best possible candidate for any job.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
226 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1998
28 people are currently reading
1623 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 4, 2018
Couple great ideas here (see notes 3&5). I'll give them a try to see if they help.
Notes:
1) The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior (22)
2) Who can never pay the right person enough, and you always pay the wrong person too much - no matter what -number -Charles Scott (66)
3) First interview. Tell the candidate this will be a brief interview. Mostly introductory That way you can release them early if they're obviously not the right fit. (70)
4) Look for passion (73)
5) Interesting. Print the questions and give them to the candidate all at once (77)
6) Check references (153)
Notes:
1) The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior (22)
2) Who can never pay the right person enough, and you always pay the wrong person too much - no matter what -number -Charles Scott (66)
3) First interview. Tell the candidate this will be a brief interview. Mostly introductory That way you can release them early if they're obviously not the right fit. (70)
4) Look for passion (73)
5) Interesting. Print the questions and give them to the candidate all at once (77)
6) Check references (153)
Read
June 22, 2022Some good stuff, some meh stuff, some weird and terrifying stuff. Eminently readable.
Pull quotes/thoughts to myself:
"My office is a remodeled 1890s house in Mill Valley, California. In the front yard stands a hundred-year-old ponderosa pine. In the living room, which serves as my office, there are pictures of my wife riding a horse, our son at his college graduation, and our two daughters on Outward Bound rafting and backpacking trips. Adjacent is a small conference room with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and several hundred books. Lining the walls are mementos from my travels in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, along with large two-foot-by-four-foot photos of wilderness areas in Montana, Oregon, and California from my days as a founding director of a land conservancy." (18%)
"Interestingly, the candidate who knows that I am a psychiatrist beforehand is usually nervous. Nervousness, in turn, can lead to an invisible wall between us—call it shyness or fear—which can result in a reluctance to ask questions, at least in the initial hour of most interviews." (19%) no kidding, Mornell
"However, about 10 percent never ask questions at all. There’s apparently no curiosity or interest in the house, garden, or jumble of personal items inside the office, which surely tells more about me and my family than I could ever put in words." (19%) yes but consider this: maybe they don't care about your family and just want to get paid to do a job, not get paid to stroke your ego
"To be fair, these candidates do ask questions about the job once the interview is over. About the organization. About the compensation. About the personality fit between themselves and the culture. Good questions. But when not one comment is made or question asked about any of the rather unique clutter amidst which the candidate is sitting, I have a sense in a preliminary way about that person’s curiosity level—or at least as it expresses itself in my office." (19%) or it's, y'know, a cultural politeness thing. either way, judging people for not asking questions about you and your display of your exotic travels and family and so on is more than a bit narcissistic
"Microsoft assumes that the best candidates are not looking for new jobs. In fact, candidates who approach Microsoft are actually less attractive to the company." (20%)
"However, between the time the candidate parked her car and walked toward the office, she was dead in the water because the assistant director happened to see her drive up in a red Mustang convertible and stride along the sidewalk in the miniskirt to end all miniskirts. She had attitude written all over her." (26%) oh boy
"The group included a corporate counsel with a legal background" (42%) wtf other kind of background would they have as a corporate counsel?
"After the official interview ends, I like to walk candidates to their cars. Cars tell a lot about a person." (44%) ok but this is creepy with the power differential
"Like any filter, graphology is only as good as the expert interpreting the handwriting sample. Even then, it should be used only as an adjunct method. Such analysis is used by many businesses in Europe, as well as by the Mossad, the Israeli secret service." (54%) Mornell no
"Persistence means more than just hanging in there. It means digging deeper—asking the candidate’s references for other references, for example." (56%) this...doesn't seem legal
"It makes sense to research a person’s record for half an hour in the library, or on the Internet, if the candidate has been active in his or her community. Unfortunately, that half an hour is rarely spent." (59%) tell me this book was written in the 90s without telling me it was written in the 90s
"Give a battery of psychological tests to your best and worst employees. Do they fit any patterns? Use the best of these as models for future hires. Update frequently." (70%) what
"I’m especially interested in techniques or tests that have worked for you that have not been mentioned in this book. Your comments would be much appreciated and can be sent to me at the following address:" a, soliciting for content is not new. b, did this fool put his home address in his book??? (75%)
"What is your favorite Web site?" (83%) bless
"A deaf mute goes to a token booth in a subway station. He hands the token seller a dollar. Tokens are forty cents each. She hands him two tokens and twenty cents in change. No words or gestures or written communication takes place. How did the token seller know the deaf mute wanted not one, but two tokens (plus change)?" (85%) imagining this being asked in an interview in 2022 is an experience
Pull quotes/thoughts to myself:
"My office is a remodeled 1890s house in Mill Valley, California. In the front yard stands a hundred-year-old ponderosa pine. In the living room, which serves as my office, there are pictures of my wife riding a horse, our son at his college graduation, and our two daughters on Outward Bound rafting and backpacking trips. Adjacent is a small conference room with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and several hundred books. Lining the walls are mementos from my travels in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, along with large two-foot-by-four-foot photos of wilderness areas in Montana, Oregon, and California from my days as a founding director of a land conservancy." (18%)
"Interestingly, the candidate who knows that I am a psychiatrist beforehand is usually nervous. Nervousness, in turn, can lead to an invisible wall between us—call it shyness or fear—which can result in a reluctance to ask questions, at least in the initial hour of most interviews." (19%) no kidding, Mornell
"However, about 10 percent never ask questions at all. There’s apparently no curiosity or interest in the house, garden, or jumble of personal items inside the office, which surely tells more about me and my family than I could ever put in words." (19%) yes but consider this: maybe they don't care about your family and just want to get paid to do a job, not get paid to stroke your ego
"To be fair, these candidates do ask questions about the job once the interview is over. About the organization. About the compensation. About the personality fit between themselves and the culture. Good questions. But when not one comment is made or question asked about any of the rather unique clutter amidst which the candidate is sitting, I have a sense in a preliminary way about that person’s curiosity level—or at least as it expresses itself in my office." (19%) or it's, y'know, a cultural politeness thing. either way, judging people for not asking questions about you and your display of your exotic travels and family and so on is more than a bit narcissistic
"Microsoft assumes that the best candidates are not looking for new jobs. In fact, candidates who approach Microsoft are actually less attractive to the company." (20%)
"However, between the time the candidate parked her car and walked toward the office, she was dead in the water because the assistant director happened to see her drive up in a red Mustang convertible and stride along the sidewalk in the miniskirt to end all miniskirts. She had attitude written all over her." (26%) oh boy
"The group included a corporate counsel with a legal background" (42%) wtf other kind of background would they have as a corporate counsel?
"After the official interview ends, I like to walk candidates to their cars. Cars tell a lot about a person." (44%) ok but this is creepy with the power differential
"Like any filter, graphology is only as good as the expert interpreting the handwriting sample. Even then, it should be used only as an adjunct method. Such analysis is used by many businesses in Europe, as well as by the Mossad, the Israeli secret service." (54%) Mornell no
"Persistence means more than just hanging in there. It means digging deeper—asking the candidate’s references for other references, for example." (56%) this...doesn't seem legal
"It makes sense to research a person’s record for half an hour in the library, or on the Internet, if the candidate has been active in his or her community. Unfortunately, that half an hour is rarely spent." (59%) tell me this book was written in the 90s without telling me it was written in the 90s
"Give a battery of psychological tests to your best and worst employees. Do they fit any patterns? Use the best of these as models for future hires. Update frequently." (70%) what
"I’m especially interested in techniques or tests that have worked for you that have not been mentioned in this book. Your comments would be much appreciated and can be sent to me at the following address:" a, soliciting for content is not new. b, did this fool put his home address in his book??? (75%)
"What is your favorite Web site?" (83%) bless
"A deaf mute goes to a token booth in a subway station. He hands the token seller a dollar. Tokens are forty cents each. She hands him two tokens and twenty cents in change. No words or gestures or written communication takes place. How did the token seller know the deaf mute wanted not one, but two tokens (plus change)?" (85%) imagining this being asked in an interview in 2022 is an experience
February 19, 2020
An excellent (and quick) primer that includes a lot of great tips for hiring managers and potential manager. A read through this book is a great way to brush up or organize one's thoughts (for experienced hiring managers), and works as a great novice's guide as well. Strongly encouraged for anyone who is thinking about one of the most important tasks in leadership.
November 23, 2018
it´s great, but could be better
April 23, 2023
There are some excellent ideas here on how to weed out the losers and find the winners when hiring. Probably the best is to search for people who aren't actively looking for a job.
November 3, 2024
A helpful if slightly dated guide to hiring. Primarily focused on the interview. The best advice may be the tips on reference checking.
July 27, 2011
Dr. Mornell states that business colleges don't teach how to hire - he's right, this was barely covered. It is obvious he has spent a lot of time developing his method. I liked the tips, examples, and 100+ questions to ask - I'll be chewing on those myself as I decide how I would answer.
"Men judge more from appearances than reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration. Everyone sees your exterior, but few can discern what you have in your heart."
~ Machiavelli, The Prince, 1532
"Men judge more from appearances than reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration. Everyone sees your exterior, but few can discern what you have in your heart."
~ Machiavelli, The Prince, 1532
July 25, 2012
Two things can help you overcome the need for this book: being self aware and curious about improving. While this book is a decent reference for hiring, and may help you build your own patterns for hiring strategy, it's rather prescriptive and sometimes overly specific around the most important job roles for your company. I'll keep it on my shelf for reference, but think there are better resources online.
July 5, 2015
(Premise: I've read it in Italian) I so far have worked in Italy, Germany, Spain, Macedonia, Turkey and The Netherlands. In none of these places except perhaps a bit in the last is this book of much use. The cultural differences are strong. I don't blame the author though, but the purely revenue-oriented publishing industry. To me it was like, as a caribbean, reading advices about how to overcome climate hardships, written by an eskimo.
Want to read
June 5, 2009Goodreads is hiring - so I wanted to read up :)
Read
June 24, 2008again a work project
April 7, 2010
Makes an effective case for taking all the time necessary upfront to hire the right fit and the cost of not.
September 11, 2016
One of the best books I've ever read on hiring and interviewing and finding the right person.
Read
October 12, 2014Easy to read, specific and plenty of good examples and cases.
February 22, 2016
Good ideas - again, mostly focused on executive hiring in my opinion.
April 2, 2009
Not very helpful, seemed like basic information you can find online
April 10, 2016
great
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews