1
Write the scorecard
The mission of the role in one sentence, three to five measurable outcomes for the first year, and the skills and traits needed to achieve them. Use the tool below.
■ · People
Hiring like a detective
A hire is one of the most expensive decisions a small business makes, and one of the hardest to undo. Most bad hires come from the same mistake: deciding on gut feel in the first ten minutes, then spending the rest of the interview confirming it. The fix is simple, and anyone can learn it.
Who first
Jim Collins's Good to Great found that the companies he studied got the right people in place before deciding exactly where to go. For a small business, one great hire can change everything, and one wrong hire can drain months of time, money and morale.
Start with the outcomes, not the job ad
Geoff Smart and Randy Street's Who recommends starting every hire with a scorecard: what this person must achieve, not just what tasks they'll do. "Keep the books" is a task. "Close every client's books by the 10th with zero errors found in review" is an outcome. Outcomes tell you exactly what to look for and how to judge the person later.
Structure beats gut feel
A large 2022 review of hiring research by Paul Sackett and colleagues found that structured interviews, where every candidate is asked the same job-related questions and scored the same way, were the strongest single predictor of job performance among the methods they studied. Job knowledge tests and work samples also did well. Casual, unplanned conversations are much less reliable.
■ In order
The hiring process
2
Find candidates
Referrals from people you trust are often the best source. Keep a running list of good people you meet, even when you're not hiring.
3
Screen quickly
A short phone call with the same few questions for everyone: what they want next, what they're good at, what they're not, and what they expect to earn. Rule out bad fits early.
4
Run a structured interview
Same questions, same order, for every candidate. Ask about past behavior: "Tell me about a time you…" Follow up like a detective: "What did you do next? What happened? What would your manager say about it?" Score each answer right after, before talking to anyone else.
5
Test with a work sample
A small, realistic task from the actual job. Pay for it if it takes more than an hour. It shows what they can do, not just what they say.
6
Check references properly
Ask the candidate to arrange calls with former managers. Ask specific questions: "What were they best at? What could they improve? Would you hire them again?" Listen for hesitation.
7
Decide, then onboard
Compare scores against the scorecard, not against each other's personality. Then plan the first 90 days: who trains them, what they'll learn each week, and what the first win will be.
■ Tool
Role scorecard builder
Build the scorecard before you post a job. Use it to write the ad, the interview questions and the 90-day review.
The BBG take
Investigate the candidate, not your first impression
Detective
Your first impression is a suspect, not a verdict. Look for evidence that contradicts it: work samples, references, specific past examples.
Sort the evidence
"Seemed confident" is an impression. "Found all three errors in the sample" is evidence. Score evidence.
No yes man
Have a second person interview and score separately before you compare notes, so neither of you just agrees with the other.
Tripwire
Set it at the start: "If the first-win target isn't met by day 90, we have a direct conversation about fit."
General education only. Hiring laws cover what you can ask, how you advertise and how you treat candidates. Keep questions job-related and check the rules where you operate.