Conventional wisdom says, in order to avoid hiring mistakes, you should hire slow and fire fast. Meaning, take your time hiring to thoroughly qualify a candidate and maximize your chances of making a good hire. We all have heard the horror stories about hiring friends or taking the first candidate that comes along and paying the price later in the form of poor performance – or worse. (This is where fire fast comes in – fire fast if it turns ugly).

However, some hiring managers use this philosophy as an excuse for dragging their feet. They rarely think of the negative ramifications on the candidate caught in the indecision cycle. Last week I spoke with a highly qualified candidate about this very issue. He told me that he had lost interest in one local employer because they took “forever” to make a decision. He probably told all his friends as well.

How do you avoid gaining a reputation as a poor decision maker? Make decisions!

- Determine the profile you are looking to hire and how you will attract the talent

- Resist the temptation of “Let’s get more candidates to compare”

- Communicate your timing with your candidates

- Move swiftly to the offer stage

This will help you gain a competitive advantage in the market place.

Forget “Hire slow, fire fast.” Instead embrace “Hire fast, get productive faster.”