Corona Insights just recently went through a round of hiring (look for a blog post soon about our newest member) and, while many of our hiring steps may be common, it did occur to me that our process mirrors the research process.

  • Set goals. Research without an end goal in mind will get you nowhere fast.  Hiring without knowing what you’re hiring for, will ensure an inappropriate match.
  • Use multiple modes.  Just as approaching research from several methodologies (e.g., quant, qual) yields a more complete picture, so too does a hiring process with multiple steps.  Reviewing resumes (literature review), screening (exploratory research), testing (quantitative), several rounds of interviews (qualitative), and mock presentation.
  • Consistency.  Want to compare differences over time or between different segments? Better be consistent in your approach.  Want to compare candidates? Better be consistent in your approach.

Needle in haystack imageI could go on about the similarities (drawing a broad sample of applicants?), but you get the idea.  The principles of research apply to a lot more than just research.

And as with any recurring research, we reevaluate what worked and what can be improved before iteration.  Therefore our process changes a little each time, but the core of it remains the same – asking the right questions and analyzing data with our end goals in mind.  Just like any good research project.

Stay tuned for a blog post about our new hire.