My interview team and I had an amazing first interview a few months back. We were all talking about how great it went, when my client, the CEO, says, “Let’s blow the doors off and just hire this person!” The whole team looked stunned, until I said…
“Cool your jets, dude. We have the second interview, the third interview and reference checks before we make an offer.”
The CEO was mollified.
The second interview was even better. The Candidate REALLY knew their stuff, and the whole team was impressed. Again, the CEO says to me, “I am telling you, just hire them! Make a job offer!”
“Dude! Cool your jets! We have a third interview and reference checks!”
He said, “I really don’t think all of that is necessary.”
I said, “I know you don’t. I also know that you need this position filled. However, taking your time does benefit you in the long run. You will see.”
The third interview with this candidate was a disaster. They were late, not engaged, and “annoyed by having to come back a third time”. Boy, did their annoyance show.
The CEO was dead silent. The whole team was quiet. I said nothing. The CEO said to me “Did you know this was going to happen?” “No, I didn’t”, I said. “I can’t predict behavior, but when I am worried about nothing going into a third interview, I might as well tell them to not come. They will blow it every time.”
“Well thank God for the third interview. We really dodged a bullet.”
We didn’t hire that candidate, and the amazing candidate that we were looking for was right around the corner. We DID hire that one, and wow is she awesome! When you are too fast in an interview process you can make mistakes.
POWER THOUGHT: Slow your roll and cool your jets. You will be so glad that you did!