Effective Interviewing and Hiring

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— Harvard Business Review

Exceptional Admins shares the same philosophy as Ms. McCord.  So much so, the nickname behind the process is the "CEO's Assistant Matchmaker".  Paying attention to the needs both high-level and minutia, plus being comprehensive about the focus, you increase retention probabilities. The thorough approach and relevant experience in the administrative profession naturally allow for candor and trust offering a deeper vetting process like no other.

I'm known for saying, "Effective interviewing can only be done when all parties on the hiring side understand the full scope of the objectives vs. just what needs to be assumed right now." 

It's instrumental that the one needing the support and the one supporting the search invest much time discovering the current responsibilities and what's to come.  In doing so, the interview process engages with relevant candidates for the now and the future.

Below is an excerpt from a powerful interview conducted via Harvard Business Review.



Note, Ms. McCord's comment - "...they should be in touch with each other all the time...".  If hiring managers are over extended and not in tune with all departments, then there's already a misstep when someone fires off an email asking for approval to hire an assistant.  

With the 16 placements I facilitated in 2017, I share the following hiring feedback

"Invest much time upfront even if there's little to spare. Overall, believe it or not, pushing through and collaborating with all parties likely to interact with the new employee saves time. Furthermore, culture-fit doesn't mean who can I have a beer/wine with, it means who brings energy, a positive attitude, and past experiences turned lessons learned to the organization."

To hear the audio version of the interview, enjoy the podcast file below.