In a recent Recruiters World poll, 90% of those surveyed said one should always trust their gut feelings. But is this choice always wise? Clearly, intuition can be a useful tool in the decision making process. Quick, automatic, and effortless, one's gut can be used to sum up the most contradictory and ambiguous set of variables. Problem is, gut feelings are driven by emotions and not facts. Our intuition is the net sum of our subjective feelings about a subject. It is a good depth sounder, but not a substitute for rationale, objective analysis. Gut feelings should be one of the many tools we reference in the recruiting process, not the only one.

Think of intuition as an "inside" view of a situation. Critical thought and analysis on the other hand can be used to obtain an "outside" opinion. The latter supports a more objective view of a situation. Using intuition or "insider" knowledge alone can be blinding, biasing us toward unwise choices. Have you ever tried to buy a stock based on intuition alone? If you have, you know that feelings about "where a security will go" rarely yield financially desirable results. Apply some research and numbers to the decision process though and you're bound to realize a better return on your investment.

Obviously, there are many situations when intuition works fine on its own. Deciding where to go for lunch, prioritizing tasks, or engaging in a simple purchasing transaction are some examples. All of these decisions are of relatively low importance and easy to correct or reverse if a decision goes awry. Hiring the wrong person, as we all know, can have lasting negative consequences. It is always worthwhile to take the time to critically weigh the merits of different candidates before reaching a decision. Only then can you be assured that you are making the best decision for your company or client.

Hiring is one of the most difficult decisions to make in business. Recruiters and hiring managers must reconcile a myriad of subjective biases and objective facts before making a decision. Even then, we can not ensure that an individual will ultimately be successful in an organization. Recruiters can help the organization hire the candidate with the best chance of success. We have many levers we can pull at all points in the screening and hiring process. Gut feelings should be one of the levers we pull -- not the only one.
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