10 Questions To Stress-Test & Grade Your Hiring Strategy & Its Effectiveness

Hiring talent is one of the most critical drivers of organizational success, yet most companies struggle to get it right. Take, for instance, these recent findings from a recent Hunt Club market survey…

Hiring is the #1 priority/the most important people-related action organizations need to take to grow/execute strategic plans in the next year. However, less than half (44%) of respondents feel confident in their organization’s ability to actually scope, vet, and hire executive leaders.

What does your hiring process look like? Is it built to uncover transformational talent, or is it unwittingly driving away the game-changers your organization needs?

To uncover the gaps and inefficiencies in your process, you need to ask the tough questions—the ones that reveal whether your approach is helping or hindering your ability to find transformational executive leaders. Questions that challenge your assumptions, help you look underneath the hood, and help you build a hiring strategy that works for you. 

A Sobering Reality: Organizations Lack Expertise & Confidence In Their Hiring Strategies

If you’re not confident in your ability to source, evaluate, and secure top candidates, you’re not alone. The same market survey tells us: Only 9% of organizations feel assured in their sourcing strategies, just 5% trust their interviewing and evaluation capabilities, and 8% are confident in negotiating and closing offers. These numbers expose a sobering reality—hiring is broken for most companies. 

What barriers are standing between you and the talent that could propel your organization forward? More importantly, do you have the strategies in place to dismantle these obstacles?

Diagnose, Stress-Test & Score Your Hiring Strategy With These Questions

To help you critically evaluate your hiring strategy and uncover opportunities for improvement, we’ve compiled 10 essential questions to stress-test your process. Each question is designed to expose blind spots, challenge long-standing assumptions, and identify inefficiencies potentially holding your organization back from hiring the talent you need to thrive in the new year.

Here’s How You’ll Score Yourself: For every question you answer yes, count 1 point. 

1. Are you 100% clear on what "transformational talent" looks like for your organization?

To answer yes, you should be able to define and clearly state the specific skills, experiences, and qualities that align with your organization's vision and long-term goals. This might include creating a sample candidate profile, a specific job description, etc. In short, you should ideally be able to describe this person to a T in a room if needed.

2. Is your sourcing strategy targeting the right candidates for your role—or just the most available ones?

This might mean going beyond traditional job boards and tapping into diverse, underrepresented talent pools. By leveraging specialized recruitment platforms, professional networks, and social media, you can reach passive candidates who may not be actively job hunting but have the skills and mindset to drive your organization forward.

3. Do you tend to prioritize potential over pedigree?

Answering yes means you consistently look for candidates who possess creative problem-solving skills and a hunger to think outside the box rather than simply weighing past titles or degrees. This mindset extends to if their previous roles don’t perfectly match.

4. Are your hiring timelines specifically aligned with business priorities/key initiatives? 

Answering yes means your hiring process is agile and aligns with key business goals. You’re not just filling positions as they open or as budget becomes available, but strategically planning hires to meet upcoming projects or growth targets, ensuring the right talent is in place at the right time you need them.

5. Do you have an approach to overcoming candidate objections when trying to close offers?

If yes, you’ve developed a clear strategy for handling objections (or counter-offers, etc.) that may arise during the negotiation period, whether it's about salary, job responsibilities, or work-life balance.

6. Do you have reliable and accurate resources for compensation data and market/industry trends?

Answering yes means you have access to up-to-date salary benchmarks, benefits data, and industry insights that allow you to offer competitive compensation packages. You’re informed about market trends, ensuring you remain attractive to top talent while also staying within your budget.

7. Do you take the time to actively review and improve your hiring metrics?

To answer yes, you’re consistently tracking key recruiting metrics like time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, and quality of hire. You’re leveraging this information to better identify inefficiencies or gaps in your process to then make adjustments.

8. Do you know how to build a comprehensive benefits/compensation package from scratch?

If yes, you understand the importance of offering a competitive total compensation package that goes beyond salary, including health benefits, retirement plans, and other perks. You make it a point to tailor packages to meet both the needs of your employees and your organization.

9. Are your interview questions different for every single role, level, and department? Or general until the final interview?

Answering yes means your interview questions are customized to evaluate the specific skills and attributes required for every role, not just blanket questions for every candidate on the calendar. You move beyond generic questions and tailor your approach to uncover how candidates’ experiences and abilities align with the specific demands of the position.

10. Do you consistently conduct post-hire evaluations to assess hiring success?

To answer yes, this means you’re regularly looking into the performance and cultural fit of new hires weeks or months after they have already been onboarded. This step helps you understand whether your hiring decisions were correct and provides insights for further refining your process in the future.

Grading Rubric To Assess Your Hiring Strategy & Tip To Improve

Use the following rubric to assess where your hiring strategy is and inform your decision-making as it relates to your process.

An Effective Hiring Strategy Starts With a Critical Assessment and Expertise

It all starts somewhere.

When it comes to hiring, it typically begins with a deep, honest assessment of your current processes and a commitment to continuous improvement. By identifying areas you can overhaul, reprioritizing your criteria, and leveraging expert insights, you can build a talent acquisition strategy that’s exactly right for your organization and its growth goals.