Scientific Hiring:  Day 2

You can't hire top talent without knowing what you're looking for.

That’s where the job scorecard comes in—it's the key to scientific hiring.

Think of it as your secret weapon—a detailed blueprint that defines the outcomes, competencies, and talents your ideal hire must have.

A scorecard minimizes personal bias and increases the likelihood of a great hire.

Scorecards are used by best-in-class companies and today I’ll show you how to create one. 

There’s three steps to crate your scorecard:

1. Define the role’s 12–18-month accountabilities and outcomes.

What specific achievements should the new hire accomplish in the first year?

Be explicit.

Vague goals lead to vague results.

For example, if you’re hiring a sales manager, set clear targets such as increasing sales by 20% within the first year or expanding into a new market.

Specific, measurable goals will guide both you and the new hire towards success.

2. Identify mandatory character attributes.

Think about your best employees.

What traits do they share? E.g., Patience? Creativity? Integrity?

These are your must-haves.

 For instance, if your top performers are driven by a strong sense of purpose and incredibly detail-oriented, these traits should be on your list.

Consider attributes like adaptability, teamwork, and problem-solving skills as well.

Identifying these key traits will help you find candidates who are not only qualified but a great fit for your company's culture and values.

3. Define required competencies, skills, experience, and talents.

Skills can be taught, but talents are innate.

For instance, proficiency in coding software is a skill, while creative thinking is a talent.

A software developer needs both.

>> Coding skills can be taught, but creative thinking is a talent, which is harder to teach.

Clearly distinguishing between required skills and innate talents will help you identify the right candidate because it ensures you find someone who not only has the necessary technical abilities but also the natural aptitude to excel and innovate.

If your candidate is a creative thinker, it’s easy to teach them to code, but the converse is not true.

How it used to be done.

Back in the day, businesses relied on gut feelings and vague job descriptions.

(sadly, some still do)

And that was a disaster.

Now, with a scorecard, you can clearly define what success looks like to ensure you attract top talent.

Set yourself up for success and create your scorecard. 

• When you do, your ability to make informed decisions will improve.
• You'll avoid costly mistakes, and
• You'll build a stronger team to drive your business forward.

Want a shortcut to create your job scorecard?

I have an Excel template that simplifies the process.

Reply to the email that brought you here with “scorecard” in the subject and I’ll send you mine.

Learn from my mistakes.

Back in the day, I never used a scorecard.

Instead, I relied on my instincts to hire people.

Big mistake!

Gut feelings are full of confirmation bias—you might favor a candidate who shares your interests or background, even if they aren't the best fit for the job.

A scorecard, however, brings objectivity and clarity to the process.

It's like having a detailed roadmap that guides you through every step of hiring.

From crafting the job post and conducting phone screens to interviews, reference checks, and making a great offer, the scorecard keeps you focused and on track to ensure you make the best hiring decision.

By tomorrow, I want you to draft your job scorecard.

Here’s how:

1. Think about the role you’re hiring for and define the key attributes and competencies needed for success in that position.
2. Identify the minimum first-year outcomes, character attributes, skills, talents and experiences needed for anyone to succeed in this role.

Do this now and you will be set for success in the next lesson.

Tomorrow's lesson will build on today's foundation when we explore the art of attraction—how to create job posts to attract top-tier talent.

This step is crucial to ensure you get the right candidates in the door.

Until then, happy drafting,

How to apply the 80/20 rule to this lesson:

The 80/20 rule suggests that 80% of your hiring success comes from focusing on the most important 20% of actions. 

In this case, creating a detailed job scorecard is that critical action.

A scorecard defines the outcomes, competencies, and key attributes your ideal candidate must possess, serving as the foundation for your hiring process. 

By focusing on this step, you reduce bias, make data-driven decisions, and increase the likelihood of hiring the right candidate.

Prioritizing key competencies and sticking to the scorecard ensures you focus on what truly matters for the role. 

This small but significant effort will lead to better hiring decisions, reduce the risk of costly mistakes and help you build a stronger team.

When you're ready, there's three ways I can help you:

1. The Scientific Hiring Academy: If you find this short series on Scientific Hiring helpful but want help to quickly implement everything you've learned, then try the Academy. It's designed with the power of the Socratic Interview Method and the precision of Scientific Hiring to ensure you make informed data-driven decisions and only hire A-Players. 

The Academy doesn’t just guide you—it transforms how you and your team approach hiring, whether you’re building from scratch or refining your current practices.

2. Book a 1:1 call with me to discover how you can apply scientific hiring methods to your business.

3. If you frequently hire for the same role, ask me about customized training to ensure all your hiring managers are aligned with your hiring standards and procedures.

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