Many people trust their gut when hiring new people for their organization (even when they are hiring senior executives).  Unfortunately for them, they usually find out pretty quickly that their guts were wrong.  How can you do a better job of finding the right new employee?  Sheila C. Johnson (Inc. magazine, Sept. 2008) offers her insights:

• Hiring processes take time, especially the higher up the ladder you go.  Expect at least 6 months.  Remember the adage: hire slowly and fire quickly.
• Administer personality tests to all candidates, not just the ones for senior positions.  Consider such tests as the DISC Assessment (which measures personality types) and the PIAV test (which looks at the different ways people deal with stress. 
• You may wish to have current employees also take the test.  Doing so may show you employees who would be better suited in other parts of your organization.  The tests may also indicate how compatible your group of employees really are.
• Investigate, investigate, investigate.  Find out if candidates had any previous personal financial probelms--it could mean they will only be a subpar employee for you.
• Finally, use a quality headhunter for your key leadership positions.  They are trained to match your needs to the skill sets of possible candidates.  Why short change the process when the decision has such an impact on your organization's future?

For an interesting perspective on the hiring practice, you may wish to consult our first book, Positioning Success, and the section entitled: "Recognizing People as Asserts."  It can be purchased from our Home page.