One of the things I think I’m pretty good at is hiring. I fill roles faster than the average leader, my hires stick around for the long haul, and they’re often cited as top performers and exemplars of our values.

But that hasn’t always been the case. A few years ago, I went through a phase of bad hires that made me question if I even knew what I was doing.

What I finally realized was that I was treating the hiring process like it was HR’s responsibility and I was just “helping out.” Once I understood that it’s my job as a leader to drive the process and find the right people, everything changed.

Here’s what I do differently now:

➜ Personally screen every resume.
I don’t leave it to HR. I personally review every resume (that isn’t disqualified by factors outside of my control, like location or pay expectations well above my budget), and I give clear feedback to my HR partners within 1 business day. This helps them understand what I’m looking for and leads to better candidates down the line. This has also helped me find some “dark horse” candidates—people with nontraditional backgrounds who wouldn’t have made it to my inbox previously—and those people have been some of my strongest hires.

➜ Insist on ethical and inclusive sourcing.
I insist on seeing a diverse slate of candidates before making any decisions. To do that, I make sure my job postings go beyond LinkedIn. I use organizations and job boards that reach underrepresented groups. I also remove unnecessary barriers—like requiring MBAs (or even college degrees) for roles where they really aren’t needed.

➜ Give feedback quickly and with respect.
If I know on a phone screen that someone isn’t the right fit, I tell them right then. And if they’ve made it onsite or invested significant time with me, I pick up the phone and call them personally to explain why they weren’t selected. In my opinion, the only people who should get an automated rejection are those who’ve only interacted with the applicant tracking system.

➜ Share candidates I can’t hire.
If someone’s great but I can’t hire them, I don’t just let them walk away. I connect them with other people in my network who are also hiring. It’s the right thing to do, and it builds relationships that could pay off later for both sides.

Hiring is about a lot more than filling a seat. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate core values—mine and those of my company. I want every interview to be the start of a relationship, not just a transaction, and I want every candidate to feel like interviewing with me was a positive experience and a good use of their time, even if they didn’t get the job.

Cover photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash