Wow! Asking what the most important thing I learned in this class is a loaded question. There were so many valuable aspects of the material from this class that it is difficult to choose just one. I felt as though much of what I learned is beneficial to keep in mind as I move forward and start my career.
However, since I have to choose just one thing, I think it would be the idea of the “A Method” from the book because I have hopes of working in HR one day. One idea that has stuck with me since the beginning of this term is that it is crucial to focus on making the who decisions, not the what ones. This allows for the best hiring decisions to be made. Not knowing this information, I easily would go for the what decisions if I were in HR.
While knowing a scorecard of some sort is a necessary component when hiring, I appreciated that the book provided pointers about what should be included; the job’s mission, outcomes, and competencies. It left me with no uncertainty about how to create a useful scorecard. As for the source portion of the “A Method”, I didn’t know what the best ways of generating candidates were until reading about them. While it does take a lot of effort to do so, there are certainly some ways that are more effective than others. Who would have known that referrals from your personal and professional networks are the number one method! I sure didn’t.
The select, or interview, part of the “A Method” was also all new to me. None of the companies I have worked for, or interviewed with, have ever had as an extensive, in-depth interview process as the one discussed. This method is proven, however, and one that I know will be important to carry with me moving forward. Given the four different interviews – screening, who, focused, and reference – it seems like a lot of work and very time consuming, but I know the end result/outcome will pay off by giving me the best A player candidate(s). Lastly, but certainly just as important, is the selling portion of the process. The biggest idea I took away from this part of the book is how important it is to put yourself in the candidate’s shoes. The more you understand them and care about what they care about, the better you will be at tailoring to their needs and winning them over.