A striking recommendation regarding who interviews attorneys for a position in the department

Not that much hiring is going on, but for the straggling few departments that have an opportunity to add someone, consider this recommendation about interviews: “It’s more important to choose the right assessors than to focus on the assessment technique.” The Harv. Bus. Rev., Vol. 86, May 2009 at 81 stresses this point: “Getting the wrong people involved in your hiring process increases the risk not only of hiring an unsuitable candidate but also of rejecting a good candidate. The worst interviewers actually have a slightly negative effect – that is, following their recommendations will lead to a worse decision than simply hiring a candidate from the pool at random.”

So, choose who interviews attorneys very carefully (See my post of Jan. 1, 2006 on past behavioral interviewing; April 23, 2008: video interviews; April 7, 2006: distractions of the interviewee’s looks or height; Sept. 3, 2008: six suggestions for effective interviews; Oct. 1, 2006: shorten the interview process; and Jan. 1, 2006: competency interviews compared to IQ tests.). At the other end, by the way, try to talk with everyone who leaves (See my post of Aug. 24, 2005: exit interviews.).