The Talgo Blog

One of my favorite business thinkers is Peter Drucker, author of The Effective Executive. Here are a few selected quotes, along with my reflections on how they apply to interviewing and hiring:

“What the executive needs are criteria that enable him to work on the truly important, that is,...

When coaching interviewers, I find myself giving certain advice repeatedly. Here are three areas that almost every new interviewer struggles with.

1. Vocalize More.

We help condense the nuanced concept of rapport (curiosity, fascination) into a memorable tagline: Smile, Nod, Vocalize. Most people...

I've been facilitating CEO/founder 360 feedbacks and noticed a recurring theme: most leaders and organizations grapple with accountability. It's a well-known concept, yet creating a high-accountability culture is hard.

Everyone knows—intellectually—how important accountability is. Of...

The idea of a perfect initial question is a myth in the world of interviewing. A question that promises to unlock a candidate's entire potential or flawlessly predict their future performance doesn't exist. If it did, candidates would rehearse their answers, turning interviews into scripted plays...

Curiosity isn't just a trait; it's an essential skill for interviewers. We all have an internal sense of when we are bored and when we are engaged, and you can actually channel this into an tactical compass for becoming a better, more precise interviewer.

First, a note on relevance. The interview...

Our hiring philosophy stands clear: source actively from your networks. Make this your primary strategy, enhanced by recruiters, and rely less on passive tactics like job postings.

Here are the advantages of a network-based sourcing approach for your company:

Higher Quality Candidates. Top...

One of the biggest dangers in hiring is that you end up swapping out a difficult question (is this the right person for the job?) for a much easier one (do I like this person?). It’s easy to see why that can lead to less-than-desirable hiring outcomes.

What’s more difficult is...

When generating a Target (Results Expected + Competencies) there are several questions that you can use to clarify what is essential for the role.

For Results Expected, you can ask questions like: “Imagine this person is a star in 6-12 months. What data would you rely on to make this...

Follow this checklist to scan for “low-hanging” fruit at your company’s hiring process, covering everything from role definition to closing the deal.

1. Using Generic Job Descriptions

Problem: Those boilerplate job descriptions won't tell you anything useful. They’re too...