The Hiring Manager Interviews: Harvard Business School's CIO Builds Trust and Respect Among His IT Staff by Involving Them in His Hiring Process

Today’s reading is “The Hiring Manager Interviews:  Harvard Business School’s CIO Builds Trust and Respect Among His IT Staff by Involving Them in His Hiring Process” which you can find at 

<http://www.cio.com/article/358465/The_Hiring_Manager_Interviews_Harvard_Business_School_s_CIO_Builds_Trust_and_Respect_Among_His_IT_Staff_by_Involving_Them_in_His_Hiring_Process>.

Here, Amanda Brady, associate director of executive search firm The Alexander Group, reports on a recent discussion with Stephen Laster, CIO at the Harvard Business School.  You’ll find that Laster’s three hiring criteria are:  1. Is the candidate nice?  2.  Is the candidate smart?  and 3.  Is the candidate skilled for the job?  You’ll also learn that his biggest hiring mistake was “simply hiring for skills and hiring an individual that was a bad fit” … “[because] I was desperate to fill the role.”

I believe that the piece is an important read as it gives you more important tips for hiring and reinforces three important points:

1.  You hire for more than just the technical knowledge to do the current job.

2.  You need to involve staff and customers who will work with the individual in the hiring process.

3.  You must hire the right person, not just someone who minimally fits the position.

Hope to see you in Chicago at the 2008 IT Leaders Conference.  .  .  .  .     jim