How do I hire an HR Manager?

The other day I received an email from an old colleague of mine.  He was recently promoted and was now going to be in charge of hiring a new HR Manager for his team.  He saw the value in HR (to a degree...at least it would get his employees off his back...or so he thought), but felt he didn't have the skill set to hire an HR Manager on his own.  In the interview process he asked if I could give him a task for an HR Manager to perform and then test him or her on.

While this is a very good idea (ask people to perform in the interview so you can get a taste of their abilities in real time), for HR it doesn't quite work the same.  I explained that HR as opposed to Marketing isn't really task oriented - instead it's process oriented.  So in the interview process, I explained that you should ask them what their process would be for interviewing (in their ideal world) and/or performance management or ideas/recommendations they would have for communicating to staff.  That way you can see how they think, analyze whether or not their ideas would fit into your culture (and if not, could it enhance the current culture). 

One thing to always keep in mind when hiring an HR Manager - they need to show they are flexible.  I've yet to meet one person who is exactly like another.  And simply put - people aren't made from cookie cutters, so to use a one size fits all approach to any solution isn't smart.  The same goes with policies and procedure manuals - you need them to support you, but it doesn't mean you apply each policy to each person without carefully understanding the person and the situation first.

All companies need an HR Manager who will provide value.  If they can't think on their feet fast or be ready to adapt to any situation that flies their way, that's not the type of HR person you need.  They are there to support the people, but also the managers.  They have to carefully weigh the pros and the cons before choosing a direction.

So while HR managers are amongst the best interviewees out there, my main advice always is: before walking in to the interview, have an idea of what you want.  Then, carefully analyze whether their answer matches yours.  If it does - great - you two will probably work together well.  If it doesn't - did he/she convince you that maybe you need to get off of your position (because that's not always a bad thing either!) but if it's not the answer you want or looking for - move on to the next candidate.  HR has to fit you and support your company needs and desires...not the other way around!

http://www.elevatedhr.com/