Should You Trust Your Gut in Hiring?
When someone describes having a “gut feeling” about a candidate, what should happen next?
The answer isn't necessarily to trust it. But it isn't necessarily to dismiss it either.
A gut feeling may reflect an assumption or bias. It may also point to something the interviewer has noticed but hasn't yet been able to identify or articulate. The important question is what is behind it.
What Is Behind the Feeling?
Experience can contribute to pattern recognition. A recruiter, hiring manager or leader may notice that something doesn't quite align before being able to explain exactly what caught their attention. There may be an inconsistency between two answers, an important detail may be missing, or a response may not quite address what was asked.
That doesn't make the feeling evidence. It gives the interviewer something to examine.
What was actually heard or observed? What caught the interviewer's attention? Does it relate to a requirement of the job? Is there something that can be identified and assessed?
Sometimes a closer look reveals a legitimate, job-related observation that hadn't yet been clearly articulated.
Sometimes it doesn't.
When Bias May Be Behind the Feeling
Gut feelings can also be influenced by assumptions, previous experiences, familiarity, communication styles, personal preferences or unconscious bias. A reaction may occur without a legitimate job-related reason behind it.
That is why “something just didn't feel right” isn't enough to support a hiring decision.
If the interviewer can't identify what is behind the reaction and connect it to something relevant to the job, the feeling itself hasn't established a basis for assessing the candidate.
That doesn't mean ignoring it. It means determining whether there is actually something relevant behind it.
Moving Beyond Like or Dislike
The same discipline applies when an interviewer says they like or don't like a candidate.
Whether an interviewer personally likes someone is not a job requirement. But this raises an important question: doesn't a leader need to get along with the person they hire?
An effective working relationship matters. But working effectively with someone and personally liking them are not the same thing.
Effective leadership often involves working with people who have different personalities, perspectives, communication styles and approaches. Moving beyond like or dislike keeps the focus on what is required for an effective professional working relationship.
If communication, collaboration, conflict management or relationship-building matter to the role, assess them. Define what those capabilities look like in the context of the job and assess the candidate accordingly. That is different from asking whether the interviewer personally connects with the person.
There is another reason this distinction matters. The leader making the hiring decision today may not be that person's leader tomorrow. Managers change, teams change and organizations change. Hiring decisions should be anchored to the requirements of the role and the organization, not the personal preferences of whoever happens to be conducting the interview.
Instead of asking, “Do I like this person?” ask, “Can this person build the professional relationships needed to succeed in this role, and what in the assessment supports that conclusion?”
If a leader finds themselves thinking, “I don't think I could work with this person,” apply the same discipline. Identify the concern. If it relates to communication, collaboration, conflict management or another requirement of the role, assess it consistently. If it cannot be connected to a relevant requirement, it should not become a hiring criterion.
Structure in Hiring Helps Us Use Judgment
Structured hiring isn't about eliminating human judgment. It provides a framework for using judgment more deliberately.
Clearly defined job requirements, consistent questions and job-related assessment criteria give interviewers a basis for examining reactions rather than simply acting on them. If something deserves another look, an appropriate follow-up question can help determine whether there is a relevant concern to assess.
Sometimes that process identifies something important. Other times, the initial feeling isn't supported by what emerges.
Both outcomes are useful.
From Reaction to Assessment
Human judgment remains an important part of hiring, but human judgment isn't infallible.
A gut feeling may point toward something relevant that hasn't yet been articulated. It may reflect an assumption or bias that shouldn't influence the decision. The feeling alone doesn't tell us which.
The responsibility is to move beyond the reaction and determine what, if anything, is actually there.
A gut feeling can raise the question. A hiring decision needs a job-related reason.
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