Hire with Your Head: Using Performance-Based Hiring to Build Great Teams

This is a truly oustanding guide to the recruiting and hiring process. There are a lot of excellent books out there on this subject, but none focus as completely on the only thing that really matters - the candidate's ability to perform the job you want done. The author provides a clear blueprint for a hiring process, centered around two key questions, that helps to assure that you are only hiring the best for the position you are trying to fill. The use of the simple two question (with many intuitive sub-questions) format makes in easy to teach the process to others. Must reading, especially for those newer to the search process (though even seasoned hiring managers are sure to find some useful things to chew on here).

Lou is a thought leader and provides actionable processes that will illuminate the hiring process. I am thankful he is willing to share his knowledge with the world.

One of the hottest topics in human resource (HR) management right now is the latest HR Competency Study calling for HR professionals to become "credible activists" and to practice the craft "with an attitude." Lou Adler and the 3rd edition of his "Hire with Your Head" again proves that he epitomizes both these traits - as he has done for recruiting and selection consistently since the publication of the first edition in 1998. Reviewing the new edition thoroughly would require noting and commenting on each step of the system. For the sake of brevity - and because it is stated so clearly by Lou Adler himself, "If you want to hire superior people, use a system designed to hire superior people." "Hire with Your Head" lays out the clearly best practices for attracting, selecting, closing, and taking the necessary first steps to retain top performers. In this newest edition, he also outlines both the advantages and disadvantages of the latest technologies in hiring - in a new environment where he correctly advises that the hiring process has significantly changed to most of the power being possessed by outstanding candidates. The system is fantastic and it works - as Lou Adler demonstrates through dozens of new case studies - and I have had first hand knowledge of the system working with several outstanding organizations - which basically "get it." And perhaps, this is the greatest strength of the new book. Lou Adler does not hesitate one bit in pointing out that a) the best candidates are different from the rest, b) the hiring systems of most organizations are fundamentally flawed, and c) there are easily almost a dozen correctable problems that prevent organizations from hiring top talent. He's blunt - and accurate - when he points out that "Most hiring managers ...aren't very good at interviewing, yet they all think they are." And for every one of these problems, Adler's "Performance-Based Hiring" system provides actionable solutions. I cannot state it better than author Bruce Tulgan states in the Preface: "Buy a copy of Lou Adler's "Hire with Your Head" for yourself, read it, and then buy copies for every hiring manager, every recruiter, and every human resource professional in your organization." That's being a "credible activist - with an attitude."

Lou Adler, president of the Power Hiring consulting and training company, provides a systematic approach for finding, interviewing and hiring the best candidate for a job. He emphasizes making an objective assessment and, to this end, he provides techniques for overcoming first impressions. He identifies four key interview questions you can use to determine job candidates' competency and motivation, and to match their skills and interests to your company's needs. The book includes charts and checklists that highlight important points. We recommend this well-organized guide to effective hiring to company owners, human resource personnel and managers involved in the hiring process. Alert job seekers may also find it useful to learn what a good interview will demand.

Thank you Mr. Adler for introducing me to Profile Assessments. I am now hiring right for the first time ever. I never thought you could learn so much about an applicant when using assessments. I am now hiring better quality people that actually fit into our organization. Again thank you for bringing my hiring process into the 21st Century and beyond!