When evaluating their hiring strategy, Automattic, the company behind WordPress, realized that a person’s effectiveness is best assessed through practical, on-the-job evaluation. Therefore, the company hosted “try-
outs” for candidates where the person would be paid to work on a real project for a period of time – several weeks in many cases. This strategy proved much more effective than traditional interviewing and screening.
With offices in 170 cities worldwide, Automattic is innovative in its culture and many employees work remotely, have an unspecified amount of vacation, and are able to manage their assignments and workload in a way that best suits their lifestyles. Rather than experiencing low productivity and disengaged employees, the company finds that employee accountability is at high levels.
Automattic attracts superior candidates, retains them longer, and has low staff turnover, all credited to the company’s use of try-outs.
- Try-outs allow the company to discern whether a candidate can actually produce and have a tangible effect rather than simply shuffling papers at a desk. The company is concerned with outputs, not whether an employee is at their desk for a set number of hours each day. The company products are decentralized, and most staff members are not required to appear in a certain way and respond face-to-face with clients.
- The company found that one-third of hires were not successful using traditional interviewing and screening techniques. It seemed that interviewers were being influenced by factors not related to capabilities, such as mannerisms or personality.
- Although the HR policies and flexibility of Automattic may not work for every company, candidate try-outs can be adapted to many situations. Whether it is extending an opportunity for a new candidate to shadow your existing team members to see if they will fit within the existing company culture or by providing them a day’s worth of work on a trial basis to see how they can handle the workload.
PrideStaff Las Vegas provides temporary and contract staff, many of which can work on a trial basis for companies seeking permanent staff to complement their existing team. If you are looking to hire in 2014, contact a PrideStaff Las Vegas recruiting professional and access a pool of talented and enthusiastic candidates.
