An article in the June issue of Fast Company highlights the problem with relying on the classic interview process – it doesn’t work. Someone who interviews well is just that…someone who interviews well. A study reported in the article tells of a 1979 admissions process at the University of Texas Medical School. After the school had admitted their top choices based on the interview scores and GPAs, the state opened up 50 more seats. Because it was so late in the game, the Medical School was forced to make offers to the lowest scoring interview candidates. Guess what? Thirty years later there is no difference in the relative outcomes of those students who interviewed well or crash and burned. In fact, there was no difference in class ranking between the groups, no difference in career outcomes, except that those 50 students got an opportunity that should have been lost because they didn’t interview well.

What this means for your startup is that you can throw away the creative interview questions and checklist of standard responses you are looking for. Instead, figure out ways to find out what you really need to know. Definitely ask your candidates to perform a sample of the type of work they will be doing. If you are concerned about the new hire fitting in, expose them to the environment and encourage your current employees to chat with them. Rather than holding a question and answer session, try just carrying on a conversation about the job, the responsibilities, their work experiences, and the like. At the end of the day, a good hire will be able to turn out the quality of work equivalent to, or better than, what you produce yourself. Find creative ways of identifying their actual abilities as far as the position is concerned.

Ultimately, every hire is risky. The best you can do is to make sure they can do the work and hope they can fit in with and enhance your company culture. Don’t fret too much…just know that you are going to have hits and misses in your quest for the perfect staff.