Why hiring by consensus rarely works

“To me, consensus seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values, and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects.”

-       Margaret Thatcher

“Reaching consensus in a group is often confused with finding the right answer.”

-       Norman Mailer

“Consensus is something you have if you cannot have agreement.”

-       Forbes Burnham

Hiring a new employee can go wrong for a lot of reasons. If you’ve ever interviewed candidates or been on the job hunt, you know what I mean. I’ve seen it all over the years and I’m sure you have too.

Perhaps the most insidious reason that a hiring process falls flat, however, is the belief that everyone on the interview team has to agree on the hiring decision, otherwise known as hiring by consensus.

The above quotes demonstrate that many people smarter than me abhor consensus-driven decision-making because the decision either stalls out entirely (think: “We’ve interviewed 20 candidates but just can’t seem to find the one everyone likes.”) or the committee hires the least objectionable person.  

Do you want to lead an organization that can’t make major decisions or only makes the most milquetoast decision possible? I highly doubt it. You’ll end up leading an organization full of jaded, uninspired people.

So, what’s the better way to hire?

 I advocate for having a small group of interviewers who provide respected, measured counsel to the ultimate decision-maker for the new hire. Once the interviews conclude, the group should share thoughts and debate the merits of each candidate while respecting the judgment of the hiring manager. Yes, this method can lead to bad hires as well, but it provides a vehicle for clearer decision-making while respecting the needs and opinions of the department bringing in the new hire. You’ll often end up finding a great candidate who inspires the team to higher levels of performance.

Some leaders don’t like this straightforward approach to hiring, often because they feel they don’t have sufficient control of the process or they don’t trust the hiring manager and the interview team to make a good decision.

If you’re a CEO of a 15-person company and you still want to be involved in every hiring decision, that makes sense. But as your company grows, you must elevate employees into leadership positions where they have the latitude to truly lead and make critical decisions. If you can’t trust your management team to make a good hire, you either need to find better company executives or admit you need to work on trusting your people more.

Hiring by consensus rarely works. Instead, try your best to embrace the risk of hiring an exciting candidate instead of the least offensive one of the batch.