How does Joe Goodreau Know that Success by Selection works? He’s used it (and been a product of it) for more than 20 years.

He and his team have also trained Datamax managers on the practice for years. 

A Partner and Senior Management Consultant for Building Quality Companies management consulting firm, Goodreau believes when it comes to recruiting, success comes from putting the right person, in the right job, with the right relationship. When he came to SymQuest in 1999, he was hired under the Success by Selection (SBS) methodology. Later, when he advanced as a Director of Service, Vice President, and Chief Information Officer, he lived and breathed the process to recruit and sustain great people and thriving culture.

“The part I really enjoy when it comes to offering the SBS curriculum is that not only was it used by my manager (upon hiring), but I used it with the teams that I worked with through different roles. I was raised on it,” Goodreau said.

When it comes to recruiting, it’s important to find the right fit. In a time of unprecedented recruiting challenges, it’s important to have a universal methodology that works. SBS does just that.

The SBS Process Defined.

SBS is, essentially, an interviewing and selection method for helping find the right person for the right job, by matching the capacities of people to the specific requirements of a role. The idea: The right person in the right job will produce. The right person in the wrong job? It’ll be detrimental to the goals of the organization.

The Triangle of Success.

A great place to start with SBS is the Success Triangle, where Goodreau reminds us “your triangle is only as big as your shortest leg.” The three legs of this triangle are essential components to achieving “right person, right job.”

• Can do. Their behavior. Will they be naturally comfortable in this role?
• Will do. The desire to work. Are they willing to do this role? Is this something they are passionate about
• Team fit. Do their values match?

"This is going to vary from organization to organization,” Goodreau said. “You have to really look at lifestyles, generational characteristics, etc. Your role as manager is to align those characteristics with the team characteristics.”

The Interest Analysis.

Envision SBS as a funnel. It begins with a screening interview (personal history, character references, interest analysis (IA)), then interview preparation (behavioral evaluation, reference check, character references), and continues into a deeper, longer selection interview. But let’s go back to the IA – a written behavioral evaluation, NOT a test.

“The IA plays a big role. It helps you determine specific areas that are going to be in alignment with the job you are recruiting for. Some of those are sociability, aggressiveness, motivations, etc. It also helps you discover areas of strength and areas of concern. You want to determine if this person is a behavioral match with that role – this is a tool to help you do that.”

The 4 Principles.

Going through a class on SBS? Ready to apply it at your business? Goodreau can’t stress these 4 principles enough.

1. The more people share, the more they trust.
2. The person that is talking is out of control. When you are an interview and you are talking, you are out of control. As the interviewer, you want to stay in control of the conversation and ask the questions.
3. The past is predictive of the future. You must examine candidates’ past performance and experience to determine the odds/likelihood that they will perform for you.
4. Do not accept clichés. “I work hard and I’m a team player.” What does that mean? Ask for specifics.

The Call to Action.

Any veteran salesperson will likely recall the famous line from the film Glengarry Glen Ross, “Always. Be. Closing.” For any manager (or really, any member of your organization), here’s a twist on the classic phrase: “Always. Be. Recruiting.”

One way? Referrals. Another? Engaging your Centers of Influence.

“We have something in our process called character references. If you are working with a candidate, one thing you can have them fill out is a character reference,” Goodreau said.

Character references are people who know you personally and whose occupation is similar to the type of job for which you are a candidate. We find these people have insights into a candidate’s adaptability and his/her potential growth with our company.

“You are now making a connection through a candidate with this character reference. This ties into what’s going on right now with ‘The Great Resignation.’ People are dipping, they’re trying to find their purpose. This process creates an opportunity for you to actually contact someone who, with no real commitment, you can explore open conversation, learn more about them, and any possibility you might spark some interest in your open role.”

Centers of Influence (COI) is a similar idea. This is about utilizing your own contacts and inquiring about people who may be a good match for your organization. It could be a chamber contact, a family friend, a current customer, but they are all potential recruiting assets.

“Good people tend to hang out with other good people. COI is a great way to get a solid candidate list,” Goodreau said.

And in a time of unprecedented recruiting challenges, SBS may be the best selection we have for hiring the right person… for the right job.