How Indecisive Hiring Managers Waste Time and Money
When the executive search process works well, it’s a beautiful, efficient machine that can change the trajectory of a company or plant as well as the individual candidate. But sometimes, we encounter a snag. My firm and I learned a painful and expensive lesson this last year. This lesson hurt me so badly and personally that it took me a long time to actually write this story and share it.
A great client and getting a shot
Several years ago, I landed a great client that was growing like a weed. The company was a great fit, and a manufacturer with plants scattered across North America. This company had an internal recruiting team that was small but highly competent but couldn’t keep up with the frenetic volume of hiring and growth, so they relied on “vendors”. (Special note: I hate being referred to or thought of as a “vendor”.)
So, what does an internal recruiter do when they have too much on their plate? They delegate away the hard stuff they don’t want to fiddle with, or the job requisitions that are the biggest time suckers with the lowest chances of success. Well, we got our shot and nailed it in the middle of nowhere, America. Then we did it again. “Joe”, an operations executive, took notice of the results and asked us to find several operations leaders in multiple locations. We succeeded. If you have known me for any length of time, you’ve probably heard me say, “We eat the dog food people give us.”. It is no secret that The Headhunters can attribute a large amount of its success to taking on the searches that either failed, no other firm wanted, or were simply abandoned.
A rising star and executive, and a buzzsaw
Joe could do no wrong, and we placed a large chunk of his management team. Until Joe met a buzzsaw a few years in. The company embarked on an ERP conversion that did not go well at all. (Note: there are bad decisions, and there are shitty decisions. This ERP choice, along with its failed design and execution, firmly lands in the latter category.) Next, came an ongoing, seemingly never-ending individual plant turnaround – one that a lot of consultants and brilliant minds still can’t seem to figure out, including Joe, despite considerable time, money and resources.
Joe’s appearance was different after a year with his head down on this turnaround. He didn’t look great, and he sounded different when he asked us to fill a role for a newly created engineering leadership position. During the intake call, however, he sounded like he knew exactly what he wanted leading this group. Throughout the call he clearly defined the issues, and we understood the challenges the new hire was going to need to overcome.
Enough red flags to make a quilt
Joe was visibly nervous about hiring for this senior-level position. He was always picky, and tough to satisfy, but this was different. This was a brand-new role so there was not really a prototype, and he felt the immense pressure of getting it perfect. This understandable anxiety showed up as a deeply flawed, agonizingly slow process.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but after a lot of reflection, here’s a breakdown of those missed red flags:
- A lot going on: There was always a lot going on with this company, but this time was compounded by poor results and internal strife mixed in.
- Not on the same page: Joe and his boss were out of sync, and Joe essentially refused to be on a call with his boss and our firm. Joe was always out-of-office or tied up in another meeting. After the third or fourth time, it got weird.
- The problem wasn’t the candidates: They were fantastic. The problem was Joe.
- The rotating door: Joe expanded the interview loop in the second round seeking a consensus of three of four key available members of his leadership team.
- Lack of clarity and consistency: Were the second-round interviewers interviewing for fit and style or competency or both? We figured out later that one member of that inner circle had a disdain for candidates from a much larger and more successful manufacturer, and another guy loved them – leading to automatic rejections that had left us scratching our heads. This was so perplexing that I discreetly reached out directly to each second-round interviewer to more deeply understand their feedback and what they thought they were screening for – it was different with every single one of them.
- Undefined target: The best archer in the world can’t hit a target he can’t see, and likewise a headhunter will never find a candidate with five different ideal profiles from five different decision makers. One decision maker was adamant we needed a “team player” willing to step out of this newly created role for any hot new challenge, while another believed the new engineering leader should solely focus on effectively building this struggling engineering function – solve the primary problem first.
- It got worse: The third-round interview was a full-day, multi-site whirlwind for each of the out-of-town candidates. They toured multiple plants, interviewed with several panels, and by the day’s end had met with 15-20 people including potential subordinates. When “everyone” participates, untrained interviewers can ask dumb questions. Candidates got conflicting feedback on what was going well or poorly and every time they met a new person, the feedback loop essentially reset.
- The “Perfect” ghost: Joe wasn’t looking for a great leader; he was looking for a mythical candidate who checked every single box and satisfied every single interviewer’s preference.
- The search for total consensus: If even one interviewer expressed a minor concern about a candidate’s approach or presentation style, Joe would seize on it and hit the brakes, even if other senior leaders were enthusiastic about their technical acumen and leadership potential.
- “We just were not sure”: This is still the most startling thing Joe said to me, and he said it more than once. The company spent so many man hours coordinating multiple interview rounds, plant tours, and meals plus travel costs that my mind was blown. Our firm had invested so much time in the search we had long exceeded the retainer that, even if we filled the role, there would be no profit.
The $200k fumble: Add it all up
We wasted more than six months of executive search time, and the company forfeited potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost productivity and a wasted retainer with the failed process.
- Round #1 cost $250 to 400. No big deal. Joe’s time was conservatively $150 per hour times one hour interview, plus screening / researching, and sharing feedback.
- Round #2 cost $1,000 to 1,500. Still not a big deal. Multiple operations leaders interview time, screening, research, and internal interview feedback.
- Round #3 cost $10,000 to $15,000. A big deal. Think about it and add up the man hours for a 7–8-hour day interview at multiple sites that involved 15 and sometimes more than 20 different interviewers. Five interviewers interviewing for an hour then all spending 30 minutes to discuss and assess is 7.5 hours at a $100 an hour is $750. Guess what? That is 7.5 hours of lost productivity at a plant too. Do this 5 or 6 times on interview day when a candidate comes to town and the cost adds up really quickly and steeply.
- Candidate travel cost $1,000 to $1,500. Flight, hotel, rental car and incidentals.
- Our retainer was $20,000.
Looking back, four or five candidates made it to the round-three onsite interviews. After 40+ man hours of time spent interviewing each individual candidate Joe “just wasn’t sure”. Why? Because he asked for 20 opinions (or vetoes) searching for total consensus. And worse, he had wasted a huge amount of his team’s time and his company’s money, and the problem remained unsolved.
Looking back, four or five candidates made it to the round-three onsite interviews. After 40+ man hours of time spent interviewing each individual candidate Joe “just wasn’t sure”. Why? Because he asked for 20 opinions (or vetoes) searching for total consensus. And worse, he had wasted a huge amount of his team’s time and his company’s money, and the problem remained unsolved.
The Headhunter's Plea: 3 Ways to Escape the Consensus Trap
Hiring managers, I know you feel the pressure, especially when filling a new, high-stakes leadership role. But please trust me: Indecision is more costly than a good, timely decision.
If this sounds like your current struggle, here is my direct advice:
1. Define the decision-makers (and Only the decision-makers)
Before the first resume is reviewed, establish a small, core hiring committee (3-4 people MAX). These individuals should be the only ones whose “No” can truly stop the process.
- Tip: Include the role’s direct manager, their manager (COO / CEO), and a key cross-functional partner (e.g., Director of Supply Chain). Everyone else is an input, not a veto.
2. Prioritize Must-Haves Over Nice-to-Haves
A lack of confidence often leads to seeking the “perfect” candidate. Shift your mindset. A senior leader is hired for their potential and foundational skills, not their existing list of certifications.
- Focus on: Proven experience building and leading a team, strategic vision for scaling manufacturing, and strong business acumen.
- Ignore: Whether they’ve used the exact same specific assembly process or ERP software as the company currently uses. That’s trainable and the smart ones figure it out.
3. Embrace the 80% Rule
If a candidate meets 80% of your established, core criteria and the hiring team is excited about their fit, make the offer. The final 20% can be learned, delegated, or developed over time.
By aiming for 100% consensus, you guarantee two things: 1) A slower process, and 2) The loss of your best candidates to competitors who move faster.
The bottom line: Lessons learned from a fool’s errand
Confidence is the core competency of hiring. As your external partner, my job is to bring you the top talent that companies can afford and actually have an interest in the opportunity. Your job as hiring manager is to assess that talent quickly and decisively.
Joe has been searching for more than a year, still wasting valuable time, and still costing his company money. Don’t be Joe. Be the confident leader who makes a strong, informed decision and gets their new hire on board, building value, not waiting for consensus.
Joe has been searching for more than a year, still wasting valuable time, and still costing his company money. Don’t be Joe. Be the confident leader who makes a strong, informed decision and gets their new hire on board, building value, not waiting for consensus.
The lesson for me, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss
