Strategic Employee Selection: From Effective Interviewing to the

“Moneyball” Approach to Selection

Strategic Human Capital Leadership Training Series—Session 1

Jonathan H. Westover, Ph.D.Visiting Fulbright Scholar

Belarusian State University School of Business and Management of Technology MBA Program

Assistant Professor of Management, Woodbury School of Business

Email: jon.westover@gmail.com; jonathan.westover@uvu.eduAbout Me: about.me/jonathan.h.westover

Introduction

This session will address proven best practices and principles of effective employee selection with a focus on effective interviewing and an application of the “Moneyball” approach to strategically meeting your organization’s staffing needs.

We will:1. Identify the elements of the selection process.2. Define ways to measure the success of the selection method.3. Describe the "Moneyball" Strategy for HR and Hiring Managers4. Compare the common methods used for selecting human

resources.5. Discuss how to conduct effective interviews.

What we will Cover

1. We consistently attract the best available talent to fill our human capital needs.

2. We know who our most talented performers are and that we hire “like talent.”

3. We have a handle on future needs for leadership and an outstanding strategy for filling these needs.

4. All of our employee’s job assignments “fit” their unique talents and skill sets.

How Are We Doing? –We are confident that:

• How can I get the right people into the right job?

• How can I reduce employee turnover?

• How can I improve my performance management process?

• How can I create a high-engagement work culture?

• How can I best tap the full potential of my employees?

The Challenge of Utilizing Human Capital

Maximizing Your Human Capital Potential

• Personnel Selection: the process through which organizations make decisions about who will or will not be allowed to join the organization.

• Selection begins with the candidates identified through recruitment.• It attempts to reduce their number to the individuals best qualified to

perform available jobs.• It ends with the selected individuals placed in jobs with the organization.

Personnel Selection

What they did:• Billy Beane also used statistics to identify the

talents that really made the difference in winning.

• He selected players based on hidden talents and their talent "fit" within the ballplayer's roster.

"Moneyball" Implications for Managers

What you need to do:• Managers who seek to fill their bench with talent need to first understand

the talents of their current staff. • Next, they need to evaluate what talent they need to do the job and

accomplish the goals. • Then, they should look at the difference between the talent and skills they

have and the talent they need.• They can also assess what talents, skills, and other characteristics helped

employees work effectively in the roles in the past. Then, they need to find the players who fill their gaps.

• This is the secret to hiring a superior workforce. It is not always the individual player who must shine on your staff. The individual player must bring your organization the skills and characteristics that are keeping you from hitting your home run.

"Moneyball" Implications for Managers

1. What is your key element that your not looking at that could predict a successful hire?

2. How can you better cultivate college graduates to become senior level valued employees fast?

3. Look at your senior staff salaries compared to ROI both financial and cultural for the company.

4. Devise a series of projects that are typically senior strategy, and give junior staff a crack at a solution. (this could be a test run)

5. Compare an individuals pure level of production with successful projects they've worked on within your company. (how many)

6. What individuals do clients or senior team members request the most on average? (actually quantify this question)

7. Who actually touches or is involved in the most projects at your organization? (top 5 or 10 depending on organizational size)

Source: http://www.shinyneedle.com/blog/moneyball-strategy-hr-and-hiring-managers

The "Moneyball" Strategy for HR and Hiring Managers

Criteria for Measuring the Effectiveness of Selection Tools and Methods

Employment Tests and Work Samples

Gathering Background Information

1. Be prepared and take good notes2. Assign responsibilities3. Start with a warm-up phase; Put the

applicant at ease4. Ask about past behaviors (use probing

questions and behavioral questions appropriately)

5. Be a good listener6. Figure out what your employees do,

and ask questions that look for similar behaviors

7. At the end of the interview, make sure the candidate knows what to expect next

Interviewing Effectively

CredentialsExperience

Skills & Knowledge

Self Image

Traits

Motives & Values

• Problem Solving: Defines Problems and causes; Applies Problem Solving Techniques• Tenacity: Ability to persevere over an extended period of time, overcoming significant

obstacles to achieve an objective. • Interpersonal Sensitivity: Accurately interprets others feelings and attitudes; Effective

listener• Efficiency Orientation: Concern for getting things done with a minimal use of time,

money, and resources; Awareness of cost v. benefits, and able to find ways to do things more quickly and easily at a lower cost.

• Analytical Thinking: Analytical Thinking; Ability to break down complex problems, identify causes and develop recommendations.

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to analyze an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, and competitive position in the marketplace and to develop strategies based on a long term future perspective.

• Flexibility: Adapts to situations or assignments; ability to alter plans• Influence: Ability to develop and use effective strategies to gain others’ support and

commitment. • Customer Oriented: Takes the perspective of the customers in planning and decision

making. Seeks the suggestions and feedback of customers; Anticipates and is assertively responsive to their needs.

• Initiative/Results Orientation: Originates action; Finds ways to get things done.

Competency Examples

• Self Control: Shows grace under pressure; the ability to keep ones emotions under control in difficult circumstances

• Detail Orientation: The ability to keep track of significant amounts of information and logistics; Does the little things well; Does error-free work.

• Judgment: Maturity in decision-making; a sense for the appropriate in work situations; professionalism

• Self Confidence: Belief in one’s own ability to accomplish a task and select an effective approach to a task or problem; Willingness to trust one’s independent judgment.

• Directing Others: Ability to use one’s position in an effective way to enforce rules, confront performance issues, set boundaries for behavior or tell others what they must do.

• Calculated Risk Taking: Able to weigh the costs, possible benefits, and likelihood of success of a course of action and to commit oneself to that course of action.

• Motivating Others: The ability to motivate people individually or in groups by actions such encouraging people, giving recognition, creating symbols of group identity and using group meetings to inspire and instill pride in the work unit.

• Teamwork: Effective at Working in team situations. • Customer Responsiveness: Responds well to internal/external customer needs. • Global Thinking: Makes the effort to learn about and modifies behavior in other

cultures; Is able to conduct business effectively in other cultures.

Competency Examples

1. Tell me about a time in your work when you needed to show leadership (initiative, strategic thinking, influence skills etc...)

2. Tell me about a time when you were asked questions to which you did not have answers.

3. Has there ever been a time when you challenged a policy or procedure?

4. Tell me about a time when you had difficulty with a team member. Why do you think that was?

5. Give me a specific example of a time when an employee objected to an assignment you asked her to do. How did you handle the situation?

6. Describe your responsibilities when it comes to…

7. Describe the most challenging aspects of your responsibilities in …

8. Tell me some things you did to…

9. Tell me about your role in implementing…

10. Describe how you …

11. You said ‘we.’ What did you do specifically?

Competency Questions

Jonathan H. Westover, Ph.D.Visiting Fulbright Scholar

Belarusian State University School of Business and Management of Technology MBA Program

Assistant Professor of Management, Woodbury School of Business

Email: jon.westover@gmail.com; jonathan.westover@uvu.eduAbout Me: about.me/jonathan.h.westover

QUESTIONS?