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Your People Decisions
Will be your most important ones.
After your strategy, it’s your people decisions that will shape your success more than anything else. When it comes to hiring, there are no absolute guarantees—but you can dramatically increase your odds of bringing on board individuals who not only thrive but also drive your organization forward. Five of the most common reasons new hires fail are:
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Misalignment with Company Culture
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Unclear Role Expectations
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Poor Stakeholder Integration
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Inadequate Onboarding or Support
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Mismatch Between Promises and Reality
Avoiding costly hiring mistakes means going beyond the job spec. You need to consider what really matters during interviews and selection.
Spending more time upfront — defining the role clearly and viewing the opportunity through the candidate’s eyes — dramatically improves hiring success and reduces risk.
That’s the starting point for any great hire. Our Job Spec Guide white paper, available below, explores not just how to write an effective spec, but what else you need to consider to get it right
Pre-Screening
30-Minutes
Rather than jump into an hour long F2F meeting, you'll probably want to kick off the interviewing process with a zoom. Here Are My Seven Tips: For the Hiring Manager: 1) After the initial greeting and small talk Be clear with the candidate about what you’d like to cover—for example: five minutes on the company and role, ten minutes to understand their situation and skills in three critical areas, and fifteen minutes for Q&A. 2) Rather than elaborating on the job... You may prefer to say: “As you know, we’re hiring into an ABC position—tell me, what’s your situation? What brought you here today, and what are you looking for?” Their response may influence what you choose to say or cover next. 3) Share more about your company and the role Keep this tight. For example, highlight 3–4 points about the company, and 3–4 key points about the role. 4) Explore the three most important qualities you're looking for Say something like: “I’d like to understand your experience in three key areas…” From Both the Employer's and Candidate’s Perspective: 5) If it’s a 30-minute Zoom… Make a real effort to connect—Zoom meetings are less personal, and time for rapport-building is limited. Look at the camera lens often, not just the screen. Smile, nod, and engage in small talk to build connection. 6) Prepare a Sharp Introduction Candidates: Be ready to explain who you are, what you do well, and why this opportunity interests you—in under 90 seconds. 7) End with Clarity From an employer’s perspective, if you like the candidate, you may wish to ask: “What timescales are you working to in terms of making a move and when would you be available to start? Also, what are your salary expectations?” From the candidate’s side, you may wish to ask something similar. Summarise the next steps. Candidates: Express interest if you’re keen. Interviewers: Let the candidate know what happens next and when.
The Money Conversation
At some point, you’ve got to ask: What are your salary expectations?
Assuming you're impressed, this is the question that tells you what it'll take to get them. Even if you're not sure about the candidate, it's worth asking—it gives you benchmarks for others you’ll meet.
When to ask? Toward the end of the first meeting usually works best.
You’ve had enough time to get a feel for them, even if you’re still weighing things up. What if they play it back?
They might ask, What are you paying?
A fair response might be: “We’re flexible for the right person.” “That’s higher than we’d planned, but could be looked at.” Or, if there’s clear misalignment: “The top end of our range is £X, so there may be a gap here.” Keep these in mind: You won’t yet know how good they really are. You don’t know how keen they are. You’ll need to align with what others are paid in similar roles. Are you paying market rate—or behind?
Tip: Don’t lock yourself in too early.
Context matters—is this a rebuild, a stretch role, or a critical hire? That affects value and what you’re willing to pay. Clarify total comp. Say: “Just to be clear—when you say £X, does that include bonus, equity, benefits?” Sometimes it’s just base; other times, there's more to the story.
And remember—salary is only part of the picture. Flexibility, career growth, equity and culture can all shift how a candidate sees value.
