The Hiring Spreadsheet

I may be the first person to create The Hiring Spreadsheet. There may be others out there, but I haven’t seen one.

If you’ve been reading these Hiring Tips for a while, you know I’m big on sharing, so I won’t be filing for a copyright. Kidding aside, you can and should use this spreadsheet to your heart’s content.

As you can see, I’ve got three columns with:

• Candidate A
• Candidate B
• Candidate C

And six rows receiving a score:

• Strength of Résumé
• Background Checks
• Interview Results
• Skills
• Test Scores
• Gut Instinct

Each score that you enter is based on a range of one to ten.

As you’re moving through the hiring process with your candidates, insert a score in the appropriate row when you’ve completed each step. You’ll get a good feel for this. It shouldn’t take long. You’ll know when you’ve got a 10 and you’ll know when you’ve got a 7.

When you’re closing in on making a decision, step back and look at your total score for each candidate.

In this example, Candidate C has a total score of 45. Candidate A is not far behind with a 41. And Candidate B is lagging considerably with 34.

So what does that mean? Well, if you played it straight and gave each subject the score it deserved for each candidate, then the total score should mean something to you. It should help you with your final decision.

Are some areas more important than others? That will depend on you and the position. If you’re a great salesperson yourself and you’re hiring a new salesperson, then “skills” and even “gut instinct” may be more important. If you’ve got candidates that are somewhat close together in their total scores, look over the scores for “skills” and “gut instinct” and factor those in more heavily.

Maybe one candidate with a few total points less than another candidate does substantially better in those two key areas.

You should add or delete subjects on the left side to customize this spreadsheet to your specific needs.

Many of you are very good at juggling all of this information in your head. I know when I’m looking at a good deal of information on a subject requiring a decision, having it in front of me can bring clarity and a bit of sanity.

It’s always going to come down to your judgment. With the help of this spreadsheet, you’ll be able to make that judgment call more easily and more confidently.

Want to get started right away using a hiring spreadsheet? I’ve included an Excel version of the spreadsheet that you can download and start using. Just customize to your needs.