You go on a first date. It’s a fantastic date. The both of you spend the whole afternoon and evening together, walking and talking, talking and walking, grabbing some food at the beginning of the date and then again later in the evening. You even hold hands and share an amazing kiss that both of you feel from your head to your toes. Both of you agree that it is just an amazing date, and neither of you can imagine feeling like this with or about another person. One date, and you both are in love!
It’s love at first sight.
No, it’s not.
It’s a rush of dopamine, and in this situation, your body has LOTS of it coursing through your veins. Dopamine is one of our chemical messengers that creates a good feeling as part of your reward system. It’s the pathway to pleasure, one of your four feel-good hormones (along with endorphins, serotonin, and oxytocin).
Your “love at first sight” relationship may fizzle quickly when the dopamine starts to subside and you discover that it really isn’t love. You won’t be able to build a relationship based on mutual trust, respect, and sacrifice. Hopefully, you haven’t rushed in and gotten married.
Now let’s rewrite this story so it relates to interviewing and hiring:
You interview for a position at your company. It’s a fantastic interview. The candidate arrives prepared and enthusiastic, and the conversation flows naturally. You spend hours discussing ideas, sharing perspectives, and diving into their experiences. You even go on an impromptu office tour and grab coffee together, chatting like old friends.
Their answers are insightful, their personality clicks with yours, and their passion for the role shines through. By the end of the day, both of you feel like this is a perfect fit. You can’t imagine finding another candidate who aligns so well with the company’s needs and culture. It feels like hiring this person is meant to be.
Maybe, but just like you should not get married based on one date, you shouldn’t make that hire off of one interview. It’s that same rush of dopamine.
Yes, it’s tempting. The pressure is real. The competition for top candidates is fierce, or perhaps you only have one or two applicants. (If you’re hiring in education or healthcare, only one or two applicants are likely.) However, it’s a real gamble if this person will be a good fit. It may work out, but the odds are against you. Now you must deal with problems, complaints, low productivity, negativity, sour relationships, questioning your leadership, etc. You risk the culture you are trying to build.
You can avoid these situations by following these principles: (Since I work primarily with educational leaders, the following centers on hiring classroom teachers. However, you can apply them to any situation)
Slow to Hire
This doesn’t mean that you procrastinate. It means you are deliberate, focused, and seek to identify the best fit. It’s typically pretty easy to hire a person, but when it’s not working out, it takes a lot of your energy to coach, guide, and counsel the person to improve. You have a legal and moral responsibility when firing a person, not to mention the effects on that person and their family.
Evaluate Professional & Cultural Fit
You seek someone who meets the job requirements and will fulfill the job description. You want them to be effective in the position they are hired for. However, you must also consider how the person will impact others on your team or in your school. How will the person be in the classroom and how will they be with the rest of the faculty and staff. Teachers can be great in the classroom but negatively affect the climate and culture among your faculty. They can also be great team members but be ineffective in the classroom.
Hire Talent, Teach Skills
Seems obvious. The reality is hiring is mainly based on “paper”: resumes, college transcripts, reference or recommendation letters, etc. Paper reveals only what the person wants you to see.
You must prioritize a person’s inherent abilities, attitude, and potential over their current technical skills or experience. Here’s what it conveys:
Talent Over Experience: Focus on finding candidates with natural strengths like creativity, problem-solving, adaptability, and a growth mindset. These qualities are harder to instill than specific skills. For example, you can train in classroom management skills but you can’t really teach “withithness,” that ability to be aware of everything happening in the classroom and respond proactively.
Skills Can Be Learned: Many job-specific technical skills can be taught or acquired through training, but traits like curiosity, work ethic, emotional intelligence, or the ability to collaborate are intrinsic and more challenging to develop.
Cultural Fit Matters: By hiring someone who aligns with your culture and demonstrates talent and potential, you’re investing in a candidate more likely to grow and thrive.
The dopamine rush of a great interview can be thrilling, but successful hiring requires a methodical approach. You increase the odds of making a great hire by slowing down, evaluating professional and cultural fit, and prioritizing talent over technical skills. A strategic, intentional process isn’t just about avoiding pitfalls—it’s about building a team that thrives. In the long run, deliberate hiring pays dividends in productivity, morale, and organizational success.
I’ll share a hiring process later that helps you avoid the dopamine rush of a great initial interview.