Hiring Talent: The Try It, Before You Buy It Strategy

Finding and landing a job is a lot like dating – and it should be that way since finding a job and a mate are equally impactful life decisions, neither should be taken lightly.

As a potential job candidate during my earliest career days when I went through multiple interviews and jobs, I always saw the parallel between dating and finding a career. In each situation, I would hear the same things: “you just aren’t the right fit,” or “this isn’t working out.” I’ve even gotten some of the same responses: the missing phone call, no follow-up email, or dead silence.

With that said, it seems companies are catching on to the same style and making changes to their hiring processes. Companies and candidates are realizing that it often takes more than just a chance meeting, where both parties are on their best behaviors, to really gauge the longevity and potential of the relationship.

Try it, before you buy it

Case in point, the tech company, Joor, has implemented the try it before you buy it strategy for hiring new talent.

According to a New York Times article, Mona Bijoor, chief executive of Joor, is an advocate of employee trial periods. Bijoor reported that the deployment of this hiring process has successfully cut attrition 60 percent a year to less than 10 percent.

The process

After potential candidates are identified through a more traditional approach, they are offered a trial period. For Joor, this period offers potential employees two days of training and then 30 days of paid contract work. For other companies, such as Weebly, this is a weeklong commitment.

During the contract period, the employees are given job-related tasks and evaluated in the areas that will most closely affect their job performance. This includes teamwork/collaboration, problem solving, etc. – all the skills you can’t necessarily evaluate during interviews or through the personal recollections and explanations of past job performances.

At the end of the trial period, if both parties – the potential employee and employer – agree that a job offer is the appropriate next step, then the prospect is offered the position.

Does it work?

Joor reported that after the initial “pilot test” of this process was so successful, they decided to formalize a “temp-to-perm” hiring process, which has resulted in about half of their current workforce being hired through that process.

The concept is simple, hire slow and fire fast. Hire talent slowly enough that it appears to be the right fit from all aspects – from job skills, to personal interests, to fit within the culture – and use time as an advantage.

Again, the process is like dating. You have to try it before you “buy” it and if either side of the relationship feels something isn’t right, then ties can be cut and both can go on their merry way in search of the “right fit.”

This article was written by Jen Cohen Crompton from Business2Community and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. SmartRecruiters is the hiring success platform to find and hire great people.