We have interviewed many applicants for jobs within our company. So as employers we understand that when interviewing you often get a ‘gut feeling’ about an applicant. And typically many interviewers rely on this ‘gut feeling’ when trying to make a decision between two applicants within the hiring process. And whilst it is hard to ignore at times, hiring decisions based on feelings are a definite no-no.
What really matter within the decision making process is choosing an individual based on whether they have the ability to do the job and that they can add value to the company.
Going with your ‘gut feeling’ can be very costly to a company. Reports have shown that the hiring failure rate for hiring based on ‘gut reactions’ is 50%. In real terms, the out of pocket cost to an employer is around £13k to £29k in the first 3 to 6 months. Of course, you could also argue this statistic the other way round, that you have a 50/50 chance of hiring the perfect person… but is really worth the risk? The answer, if it wasn’t obvious, is no.
An interviewer’s gut reaction generally comes from past experiences and emotions. But, you need to remember what is important in the on-boarding process, and that is their ability to the job. When making hiring decisions based on gut feeling, you tend to forget this important factor.
To ensure you conduct a gut-feeling-free interview, we suggest that you carry out a more data driven interview. One that is based on hard facts and the careful use of competency based questions to determine future behaviours. To get more hiring process advice, see our employers tab here.