This week I've been immersed in something few managers take the time to do calmly: posting job openings, analyzing profiles, and evaluating candidates. It's a process that seems administrative, but if done well, it's one of the most strategic decisions an organization can make.
And I say "if it's done right" because the reality is that, many times, it's simply done quickly.
Recruitment is usually triggered when there's an urgent need: someone resigned, there's a new project, or people are needed immediately. This urgency is precisely the environment where the worst hiring decisions are made; the first person to arrive is chosen, the one with a trusted contact, or the one who simply "seems suitable." This sows the seeds of a problem that will take months to fully manifest.
What makes this pattern dangerous is not just the individual decision, but that it becomes normalized. When an organization lacks clear criteria for evaluating candidates, it also cannot identify when a hire was a mistake, because it never defined what constituted a success. There are no standards, no metrics, and what isn't measured can't be corrected.
In the real estate sector, this has a particular dimension. Here, people don't just perform tasks: they represent projects, build trust with clients, and uphold a brand's image in conversations that don't always take place in an office. A profile that's misaligned with the company's values isn't just a performance issue; it's an active reputational risk.
The question every manager should ask themselves before opening a vacancy is not, "Who can do this job?" but rather, "What kind of person does this organization need to remain what it wants to be?" These are different questions, and the gap between them is precisely where the most costly mistakes are made.
So, where do we begin to do better? There are concrete tools that don't require a sophisticated human resources department.
Define the profile before posting the vacancy: This should not be done after receiving resumes. It is vital to include technical skills, but also values, work style, and cultural compatibility.
Design structured interviews: Using predefined questions for all candidates allows for comparing profiles with an objective criterion.
Implement practical tests: However small they may be, situational tests allow you to observe how a person thinks and acts in real-life scenarios.
Thoroughly verify references: This should not be a mere formality, but a genuine source of information about the candidate's history.
Hiring wisely isn't a luxury; it's a strategic decision within reach of any organization that takes its culture seriously. Each person who joins doesn't just fill a position: they shape, for better or for worse, what the company becomes.
Recommended readings:
- Self-sabotage: when you are the one preventing you from selling
- The danger of delegating without trust
- Selling without soul: when the script replaces the connection
