A lengthy discussion during job interview can save businesses dime a dozen

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos won't hire outstanding candidates if they don't fit the Zappos culture and he chooses to fire those who don't inspire it. The reason for this is clear – hiring mistakes cost Zappos.com $100 million. While this is the brutal truth about hiring mistakes, most companies continue to either spend too less time on their hiring process or leave hiring decisions to the judgment of those who are not necessarily the best qualified for the job.

A common mistake recruiters make, is that they depend mostly on their hunch when making a hiring decision. Managers are often tempted to offer a job right after an interview because they feel 'that candidate' is perfect; but is that correct or even fair? The CIPD survey report Recruitment, Retention and Turnover (2009) estimated the average direct cost of recruitment per individual in the UK in 2009 for workers in the managerial and professional category, to be £7,750, rising to £11,000. Whether it is a small start-up business or a large organization, every business makes recruitment errors. And if this 2009 number is anything to go by, a bad hiring decision in the present context is a clear path to seriously damage any business. Yet, how many recruiters take the time to revisit a hiring decision and ask twice of themselves and the candidate on the required fitment for the role?

Many companies encourage lengthy discussions during the recruitment process to gain the required intelligence on finding the right culture fit. Online retailer, Zappos has a unique take on how to hire employees who "get it." At Harvard Business Publishing, Bill Taylor, Co-founder of Fast Company reports that after a week of high-intensity training, Zappos call center employees get ‘The Offer’, "If you quit today, we will pay you for the amount of time you've worked, plus we will offer you a $1,000 bonus." Even after an intensive hiring process which identifies the best candidate for the company, Zappos reserves its right to revisit its decision and reconsider earlier than later. Successful companies often base their recruitment decisions on finding those who fit the culture. IKEA’s hiring strategy focuses on attracting people to the IKEA values, culture and its endless opportunities. Therefore, the recruitment focus is to hire those who will fit the culture and appreciate the opportunities and responsibilities that IKEA provides its employees for growth and development.

Hiring good employees can be challenging. A decorated resume which shows an impressive line-up of academic and professional accolades may not be good enough when hiring the right person for the job and the company. While prospective recruits may have the right skills to match the job – including education and work history – there are multiple characteristics beyond what’s outlined on paper that will determine if an employee is right for the job. And this requires recruiters to seriously start looking at ‘asking it twice’. A detailed conversation with a prospective candidate to find the right fitment can save companies a lot of time and money.