Why is Your Mindset so Important when Hiring?

Posted on July 07, 2010 by John Burkhardt, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

Challenges arise whilst hiring based on our own issues, filters and agendas. Whilst we are (sometimes) usually aware of these influencing our decisions there are some great tips to handling these in the moment.

A powerful technique used in coaching to recalibrate is “Clearing the Space”.

Why do we clear the space?

• To put aside all the things you may be dealing with in your day so that you can focus on the interview.
• To relax both you and the interviewee. The interviewee will subconsciously feed off your energy levels, body language and emotions.
• To build up your emotional intelligence by having more power over your emotional reactions to events.
• From the neuroscience perspective, clearing the space frees up space in the working memory by dampening down an otherwise aroused limbic system, which may be aroused due to emotions/events going on before the session.

How do you clear the space?

• Remove physical distractions in your environment including interruptions via telephone, emails.
• Have water on hand; make sure the air conditioner temperature is ok, etc.
• Define your key issues which you need to set aside for now.
• Label the core emotion associated with these issues. I.E. frustration, anger, happiness etc.
• Agree to put the emotion and issue aside for now.

If you have major external issues, you may be best to contact a colleague to assist with clearing the space prior to appointment.

*Clearing the space: *

Our brain can only effectively handle 3-4 things at once before being overwhelmed. In this respect it is important to complete each activity prior to moving onto the next.

Actively take time out between hiring interviews to complete any notes/data from the last interview before starting the next one. This will add time to your overall interview process so factor this into your interview timetables. Go for a short walk or toilet break and then come back to clear the space for the next interview.

Action Steps:

• Review what activities you will use to clear the space.
• Document those activities into your hiring procedure.
• Review the hiring interview process to ensure you have time to allocate to clearing the space.
• Be mindful during this process of identifying your filters and agendas. Label them, attach your awareness to them and put them aside for the interview process.

It is just as critical to recalibrate your mind with the process for the last interview as it is for the first one. It is otherwise easy for you to become distracted with previous interviews, what is happening for lunch, how the kid’s sports are going, what to cook for dinner etc.

This strategy is critical to better performance and great decisions:

• It helps clear the “information and emotion” associated with the previous interviewee.
• It allows you to review the next interviewee’s file with a clearer mind.
• It allows you to focus correctly on the new interviewee.

Clearing the space on every interview is important!
Completing every interview is important!

John Burkhardt has more information available at Amplio Business Solutions.com