Hiring is hard in any market. It’s also one of the most important jobs a manager has—because one wrong hire doesn’t just cost salary. It costs time, energy, team confidence, and sometimes customers.
And yet, most hiring still runs on a messy mix of “gut feel,” last-minute urgency, and interviews that drift into whatever comes to mind. That’s not because managers don’t care. It’s because many hiring systems are built to process applicants, not help people make better decisions.
Why bad hires happen (even when you’re trying to be careful)
1) “Gut feel” feels efficient… until it isn’t
“Gut feel” often means you liked the person, the conversation was easy, and they seemed confident. None of that guarantees they can do the job.
Confidence is not competence. Likeability is not reliability. And “they remind me of me” is not a hiring strategy.
2) The job is fuzzy
A lot of bad hires come from one simple problem: nobody defined what success looks like. The job post lists duties, but the team never agreed on outcomes.
3) The process changes depending on the candidate
One person gets a friendly chat. Another gets grilled. Someone is asked about a specific skill; another isn’t. When the process is inconsistent, so is the decision.
A structured hiring process to review
You don’t need a perfect system. You need a repeatable one.
Step 1: Define success in outcomes (not duties)
Before you interview anyone, write down what “good” looks like.
The following 30/60/90-day milestones are illustrative; adapt them to the role, training and support available. Try this:
- In 30 days, what should they understand or have set up?
- In 60 days, what should they own independently?
- In 90 days, what should they deliver or improve?
If you can’t describe success, you can’t reliably hire for it.
Example (90-day outcomes):
- Runs a key process without being chased
- Communicates status clearly and early
- Produces a core deliverable at the quality level you need
- Builds working relationships with key stakeholders
Step 2: Build a scorecard (so your team stops hiring based on vibes)
A scorecard is a one-page list of what matters, with a simple rating scale.
Choose a manageable set of job-related criteria, define the evidence required and check that each is genuinely relevant. A scorecard is a decision aid, not a validated predictor of job performance.
Include:
- 3–5 role skills (must-haves)
- 2–3 work behaviours (communication, ownership, prioritization)
- 1–2 values-in-action (how they handle mistakes, conflict, ambiguity)
Then define what a “strong” answer looks like for each.
Step 3: Screen for dealbreakers early (with the same questions for everyone)
The goal of screening is not to find “the best.” It’s to confirm basics so you don’t waste everyone’s time.
Examples:
- Can they actually do the core work you described?
- Are they aligned on schedule/location/travel if essential?
- Compensation expectations in the range (roughly)
- Eligible to work in Canada (ask this cleanly and consistently)
Step 4: Run structured interviews (without turning it into an interrogation)
Structured doesn’t mean robotic. It means:
- same core questions for all candidates
- same criteria
- same scoring approach
What this fixes: the common debrief problem where someone says, “I just didn’t feel it,” and nobody can explain why.
A simple interview structure that works
- 5 minutes: set expectations (“I’ll ask a few scenario questions; we’ll leave time for yours.”)
- 35–40 minutes: behavioural and scenario questions tied to the scorecard
- 10 minutes: candidate questions
- Immediately after: score and write down evidence
Questions that invite specific examples
- “Tell me about a time you owned a result that didn’t go well. What happened and what did you do next?”
- “Walk me through how you prioritize when everything is urgent.”
- “Describe a disagreement with a stakeholder. What did you do—specifically?”
- “Tell me about a time you had to learn something fast. How did you approach it?”
Listen for clear steps, not inspirational language.
Step 5: Use a work sample (small, job-like, and respectful)
A proportionate work sample can provide additional job-related evidence. It still has limitations and should not be treated as a guarantee of future performance.
A good work sample is:
- as close to the job as possible
- brief and proportionate to the skill being assessed
- evaluated with a simple rubric (same for everyone)
- followed by a short discussion (“walk me through your thinking”)
A bad work sample is:
- “build us a full strategy deck.”
- anything that looks like free consulting
- a vague task with no scoring criteria
Use a fictional or de-identified task, not unpaid productive work for the business. Agree time, permitted tools, accessibility arrangements and compensation in advance, with HR/legal guidance on applicable requirements. There is no general two- or three-hour exemption from payment obligations.
Step 6: Do reference checks that go beyond “they were great”
Agree which referees may be contacted and handle candidate information carefully. Do not contact a current employer unexpectedly. Ask job-related questions and consider that a referee may have limited knowledge or be restricted in what they can share.
Invite specific, relevant examples:
- “What were they accountable for day-to-day?”
- “What were they best at—give me an example.”
- “Where did they need coaching or support?”
- “How did they handle feedback or pressure?”
- “Would you hire them again? In what type of role?”
You’re listening for patterns and clarity. Vague answers may reflect limited knowledge or disclosure policies; do not automatically treat them as negative evidence.
Step 7: Debrief with evidence (not opinions)
If your debrief sounds like this:
- “I just liked them.”
- “They had good energy.”
- “I can’t explain it, but…”
…you’re back in gut-feel territory.
A better debrief rule:
- Each interviewer submits scores before the group discussion
- Discuss evidence tied to the scorecard
- Decide, document the reason, and move on
Then make onboarding part of your hiring process:
- 30/60/90 plan aligned to the outcomes you defined
- early check-ins that aren’t just “how’s it going?”
- fast course correction if expectations aren’t being met
Review performance alongside onboarding, resources, clear expectations and any accommodation needs. Obtain appropriate advice before employment decisions.
A quick Canada-specific note (keep it fair and clean)
Hiring in Canada means you need to be careful about questions that drift into personal/protected areas. The simplest rule: keep questions job-related and consistent.
Consistency does not mean refusing needed accommodations. Review the BC Human Rights Tribunal’s employment guidance and relevant privacy guidance from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC. Restrict access to hiring records, set an appropriate retention process, and get HR/legal guidance for the jurisdiction and role.
Copy/paste templates (save these)
Scorecard (one page)
Role:
Mission (1 sentence):
90-day outcomes (3–5 bullets):
Criteria (rate 1–5 and note evidence):
- Role skill #1
- Role skill #2
- Problem-solving/judgment
- Communication (role-specific)
- Ownership/reliability
- Collaboration
- Values-in-action
Dealbreakers (yes/no):
- Must-have certification (if applicable)
- Schedule/travel requirement (if essential)
- Eligible to work in Canada
Work sample brief (candidate-friendly)
- Context: what the role is solving
- Task: what to produce
- Constraints: timebox, assumptions allowed
- What “good” looks like (rubric)
- How you’ll discuss it (10–15 minute walkthrough)
Reference check script
- Relationship + dates
- Scope and responsibilities
- Strengths with examples
- Coaching areas
- How they handle feedback
- Would you rehire them?
For candidates (so you avoid the wrong job, too)
If you’re the applicant, your best protection is clarity. Ask:
- “What does success look like in the first 90 days?”
- “What’s broken or behind right now?”
- “How will my performance be measured?”
- “What kind of manager succeeds here?”
And watch the process. A company that can’t explain its steps or keeps shifting the goalposts may run the same way after you’re hired.
Ready to make your next hire with confidence?
Coaching can help clarify the leadership decisions, responsibilities and follow-through around hiring. It does not replace recruitment, assessment-design or employment-law expertise.
Book a free 15-minute fit call to discuss whether coaching is appropriate, or apply for two weeks of free coaching. Applications are reviewed personally and acceptance is not guaranteed.
