While HR departments typically own the hiring process, business operations professionals often bring a unique and valuable perspective. The traditional HR approach emphasizes credentials, experience, and personality fit.
In contrast, business ops pros focus on logistics, performance, and tangible results. This shift in perspective can lead to more effective hiring practices.
The thesis here is simple: business operations professionals — who are adept at managing logistics, performance under pressure, and vendor management — offer sharper insights into the various aspects of what makes or breaks a hire than traditional human resources approaches in the industry.
They evaluate people, systems, and vendors based on actual performance and output, not just on paper credentials.
In the following sections, we will break down what business operations can teach us about hiring. We will draw on real-world parallels from various industries, including tech, manufacturing, and education, to illustrate these points. Get ready to reframe your hiring process through the operational lens of business ops.
The Hidden Hiring Power of Business Operations
Business operations managers don’t just manage workflows — they evaluate whether people, systems, and vendors are delivering results. This performance-centric view is a stark contrast to the HR focus on credentials and past job titles. Biz ops managers look at the real-world impact and output, making them uniquely qualified to offer insights into effective hiring practices.
Choosing a courier service or freelance developer often involves more meticulous evaluation than traditional hiring processes. Business operations require decisions based on performance data, timely delivery, and reliability. T
ranslating this meticulous approach to hiring can help organizations find candidates who will genuinely contribute to their communication objectives.
Leveraging the hidden hiring power of business operations allows companies to make more informed decisions. Biz ops teams act as internal consultants, guiding different departments on improving efficiency and performance.
This holistic view can be invaluable in hiring, ensuring new employees integrate seamlessly into the company’s operations. Consider taking a page out of the business operations playbook for your next hire, especially if you are looking to attract top bizops professionals.
Lesson One: Hiring for Delivery, Not Pedigree
In the world of business operations, deadlines and deliverables are king. You don’t hire a vendor because they “seem smart” — you hire them because they’ve shipped before. This principle can and should be applied to hiring within your organization. Focus on candidates who have shown real-world results and proven their ability to achieve in a responsible manner.
For example, when startups need to move fast and get things done, they often turn to trusted engineering specialists to fix support and growth.
They look for desktop developers based on their technical portfolio and shipping history, not just their degrees. This developing technology approach ensures that the people they hire can hit the ground running and contribute immediately.
Hiring for delivery rather than pedigree aligns your hiring process with the core principles of business operations.
This shift in focus can lead to more effective and efficient teams, ultimately driving better results for your organization. Remember, the best predictor of future performance is past performance, not just impressive credentials on a résumé. In this context, the right position can make all the difference.
Lesson Two: Use Metrics as Your Hiring North Star
In business operations, every decision is tied to key performance indicators (KPIs) such as cost savings, turnaround time, and customer satisfaction.
This metrics-driven approach can be incredibly valuable when applied to hiring. Instead of focusing solely on a candidate’s job titles or responsibilities, leverage the metrics they’ve improved and their interest in those improvements.
For instance, instead of asking, “What was your job at your last role?” try asking, “What measurable impact did you make in your first 90 days?”. This question shifts the focus from duties to outcomes, providing a clearer picture of the candidate’s real-world impact.
Using metrics as your hiring north star ensures that your hiring decisions are based on tangible results rather than just surface impressions. This approach aligns with the business operations mindset, where data and outcomes are paramount. It’s a strategy that can lead to more effective and impactful hires.
Lesson Three: Test Through Execution, Not Interviews
In business operations, you test vendors through pilot projects, not just coffee chats. This practical approach can be directly applied to hiring. Replace conversational interviews with simulations, take-home tests, or paid trial tasks. These methods provide a more accurate assessment of a candidate’s project management skills and problem solving skills.
For example, instead of relying on a developer’s interview performance, give them a take-home project to execute. This allows you to see their skills in action and evaluate their ability to deliver successful solutions. It’s a more reliable indicator of future performance than a well-rehearsed interview.
This approach also has the bonus effect of rooting out over-prepared candidates who interview well but execute poorly.
Testing through execution ensures that your hires have the practical skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their roles. It’s a strategy that aligns with the business operations focus on real-world results.
Lesson Four: Hiring is Supply Chain Optimization
Filling a role in your organization is like plugging a gap in a supply chain. The hire must integrate smoothly into the flow, not cause friction. Business operations managers understand this better than anyone, as they routinely streamline processes and enhance efficiency across different teams and departments.
Ops pros look for the right fit, not just the best overall performer. Similarly, in hiring, the best candidate might not be the smartest but the most aligned with your company’s operations and needs.
This approach ensures that new hires can work cross-functionally and contribute to the overall efficiency of the organization.
A tangible example of this can be seen in physical operations like CNC cutting in Melbourne, where suppliers are chosen based on process compatibility and timeliness.
Even in packaging and fulfillment, choosing the right shipping boxes is essential to keeping the supply chain running smoothly — just as hiring the right people ensures operational efficiency.
Just like suppliers, hires should be selected for their ability to integrate seamlessly into the company’s workflow. It’s a lesson from business operations that can significantly improve your hiring process.
Lesson Five: Logistics > Charisma
In business operations, a charismatic sales rep who misses shipments is far worse than a quiet warehouse manager who’s always on time. This principle applies to hiring as well. Don’t overvalue extroversion or charm. Instead, prioritize reliability, clarity, and alignment with your business needs.
HR teams often rank candidates by personality fit with managers, but business operations teaches you to prioritize systems fit.
A candidate’s ability to integrate smoothly into your team and functions and processes is more important than their charisma compared to other teams.
For example, a reliable but quiet warehouse manager may be more valuable than a charismatic salesperson who consistently misses deadlines. This focus on logistics over charisma ensures that your hires contribute to the efficiency and success of your organization.
It’s a lesson from business operations that can lead to more effective teams and better results in leadership, as strong leaders prioritize operational effectiveness.
Lesson Six: Ops Doesn’t Wait for Perfect — It Iterates
Business operations often operate under urgency, favoring “better now” over “perfect later”. This bias toward action can be incredibly valuable in hiring. Here are some recommendations:
- Don’t over-engineer a job description.
- Don’t spend six weeks sourcing candidates.
- Launch a search.
- Refine quickly.
- Don’t be afraid to pivot if needed.
A real-world comparison can be seen with private tutors, who are often assessed after the first few sessions rather than through a lengthy vetting process. This approach allows for a closer look at quick adaptation to client feedback and ensures that the best fit is found efficiently.
Adopting this iterative approach streamlines your hiring process and enables quicker, more effective decisions. It’s a lesson from business operations that can help you avoid analysis paralysis and keep your hiring process agile and responsive.
Lesson Seven: Treat Onboarding Like Process Integration
When a new tool or system is added to a business ops flow, the integration is deliberate, scheduled, and measured. Onboarding should be treated the same way. Too often, HR’s onboarding processes are ad hoc or involved in a buddy system.
A better approach is to map out the first 30, 60, and 90 days of onboarding with clear output expectations.
Borrowing from ops onboarding playbooks, institutions like the Australian Institute of Accreditation highlight how structured certification and onboarding ensure consistent standards. This structured approach ensures that new hires are integrated smoothly and effectively into your organization.
Treating onboarding like process integration ensures that new employees are set up for success from day one. It’s a lesson from business operations that can lead to more effective and efficient teams.
Conclusion: Rethinking Hiring Through an Operational Lens
Recapping the key points:
- Business operations evaluate real performance, not surface polish.
- Metrics and outcomes are more trustworthy than impressions.
- Hiring, like any operations challenge, improves with progress, iteration, and measurement, as we analyze data to track results.
If you want your hiring to produce shipped results, stop thinking like HR — and start thinking like ops. Adopting the lessons from business operations enables more effective and impactful hiring decisions. It’s time to rethink your hiring strategies and ensure that your new hires deliver real-world results.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can business operations improve hiring decisions?
Improving hiring decisions can be achieved by leveraging business operations’ focus on results and efficiency, ensuring that candidates are not only qualified but can also deliver tangible outcomes. This approach aligns hiring practices with organizational goals, enhancing overall effectiveness.
Why is hiring for delivery more effective than hiring for pedigree?
Hiring for delivery is more effective because it prioritizes candidates with a track record of proven results, enabling them to make an immediate impact rather than relying solely on their educational background or pedigree.
How can metrics be used in the hiring process?
Using metrics in the hiring process allows you to focus on candidates’ measurable impacts, ensuring decisions are based on concrete results rather than mere impressions. This leads to more informed and effective hiring outcomes.
What are the benefits of testing candidates through execution rather than interviews?
Testing candidates through execution offers a more reliable evaluation of their actual skills and problem-solving abilities, reducing the chances of hiring individuals who may perform well in interviews but struggle with real-world tasks. This approach ensures that you select candidates based on their true capabilities.
How can onboarding be improved by treating it like process integration?
Improving onboarding by treating it like process integration involves clearly mapping out the first 30, 60, and 90 days with defined output expectations, ensuring that new hires transition smoothly into their roles. This structured approach enhances integration and boosts overall effectiveness within the organization.