Inside the Mind of Hiring with Dr. Mickey Fineberg

About Inside the Mind of Hiring with Dr. Mickey Fineberg

*Step into the intricate world of hiring with Dr. Mickey in "Inside the Mind of Hiring." This show dives deep into the psychology and strategy behind one of the most critical decisions leaders face: choosing the right people. Dr. Mickey reveals the often-hidden traits that make individuals right fit—or a potential mismatch—for an organization, emphasizing the profound effects that hiring choices have on company culture, morale, and effectiveness.* In each episode, Dr. Mickey and expert guests uncover the full hiring journey, exploring both the bright and shadow sides of candidate evaluation. The show highlights a powerful process that often separates hiring success from failure: assessments. From personality and aptitude tests to the psychologist’s interview, these assessments provide insights that go beyond what’s captured in interviews, references, and resumes. They enable hiring managers to look past the sunlight of surface impressions and into a person’s illuminating shadows to truly understand what makes a candidate tick in terms of both strengths and potential red flags. With Dr. Mickey as the guide, the show examines how assessments help mitigate common hiring challenges: **Uncovering True Motivations**: Assessments reveal what drives candidates—factors that may not come across in a polished interview. A person’s motivations often align closely with their engagement and satisfaction in the role, making assessments a vital tool to predict long-term fit and potential impact on company morale. **Identifying Hidden Strengths and Weaknesses**: Some of the most important characteristics in a candidate are often invisible on paper or even in person. Assessments can reveal traits like resilience, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and work ethic, which directly affect team dynamics and job performance. **Reducing Bias**: Interviewer biases can subtly influence hiring decisions, whether they stem from personal preferences or subconscious assumptions. By introducing the psychological assessment factor into the hiring process, companies can add a more objective layer of evaluation, reducing the influence of superficial biases and focusing on the traits that truly predict success in the role. **Improving Hiring Accuracy**: Despite best efforts, traditional hiring methods often yield a success rate of only 40-60%. The cost of a poor hire is high—up to two times the base salary—due to onboarding, morale impacts, and productivity losses. Assessments increase hiring accuracy by adding data-driven insights, helping organizations make well-rounded decisions that align with their culture and values. But Dr. Mickey emphasizes that while assessments bring immense value, they’re just one piece of the puzzle. The best hiring outcomes combine the insights of assessments with human judgment, personal impressions, and team input to create a comprehensive understanding of each candidate. "Inside the Mind of Hiring" isn’t just about finding the right fit—it’s about cultivating teams that drive success, lift morale, and embody the company's vision. This show is a must-listen for hiring managers, HR professionals, and job seekers alike. By learning how to leverage assessments and avoid common pitfalls, leaders can make more informed and successful hiring decisions, while candidates gain insights into presenting their authentic selves. Join Dr. Mickey for a deep dive into hiring psychology and discover how to make smarter, more holistic hiring decisions that shape thriving teams and successful companies

Publisher

Dr. Mickey Fineberg

Category

business · business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Jan 2025

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

43 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Do They Really Know How to Lead AI Initiatives? How Can You Be Sure?

   I was recently asked to assess a COO for a consumer and business data company. While I typically don’t delve into a candidate’s technical depth, the hiring exec asked me how I might assess the COO’s experience and know-how related to leading AI initiatives. I asked for a little time to think it over and, perhaps, do some research before getting back to him. Between what I know about experientially qualifying an executive candidate and what I found re: the hiring exec’s question, this is what I advised him (and how I would also advise executive candidates seeking roles that involve AI leadership ). First I said not to bother asking about specific AI definitions (Machine Learning) or model names (Mem Palace). Instead, I stressed asking the candidate to describe an AI initiative they led (that may or may not be noted on their resume). In that context, ask about specific decisions, trade-offs (improving some aspects while accepting certain costs or risks), artifacts (e.g. the model card that described the project purpose and parameters), project metrics, failures and related adjustments, and their personal role and accountability. A credible exec can explain what they did, why they chose that approach, how they measured results, and their adjustments when the system fell short.

2. 

   15 Sept 2026

   Another Leadership Lullaby?

   Is USA basketball asleep at the switch, just like the WNBA seemed to be during the All Star game? Team USA  (represented by WNBA players) had a chance to show the world the quality of its team at the FIBA World Cup in Germany. At this juncture, the Us played 3 games against China, Italy, and Chechia. The coach Kara Lawson (coach at Duke) was emphasizing veterans in her starting line-up. While younger stars, including Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese, are getting some playing time, the coach was still placing the spotlight on older and more experienced players, apparently due to their sophistication in international play and their reliability toward the end of games. After the third game, I heard commentary from 5 knowledgeable sports commentators and podcasters: Three black men, one white fellow, and one white woman. They agreed strongly that Caitlan Clark, and possibly Paige Bueckers, should be starting at point guard ahead of veteran Chelsea Gray. While they described Chelsea as a good shooter who can bring stability and sophistication at crunch time, they viewed Caitlan and Paige as providing a quicker pace, creating more scoring opportunities, taking better advantage of open players, and as more versatile scorers. There were feelings that Kara Lawson, the coach, undervalues Caitlian’s play and potential contribution by describing her as a “young player who is feeling her way through.” This description is contrary to Caitlin’s record going into the tournament, and her actual tournament play, particularly in two of the three games. Paradoxically, after one game, Kara described Caitan as markedly picking up the pace and enabling the team to capture a big and lasting lead. (contrary to a young player feeling her way through)  In the game against Italy, there was criticism that 3 veteran players were freezing Caitlan out when they should have been feeding her the ball. These pundits all agreed that there should be a more optimal mix of veterans and younger bench players in the starting lineup to max scoring, sustain defensive pressure, and optimize excitement.

3. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Meddlesome Mentoring of a Reluctant Successor

   I’ve had numerous experiences in my career as a business psychologist with multi-generational companies. Not too long ago, I encountered Dan,  a Gen Z, third generation family member who was contributing in a line-leadership job within the fulfillment operation for a regional bricks and mortar retailer who also has a significant on-line business. He currently manages 30 people. He is considered a potential successor to his father, the second-generation CEO, in 10 to 15 years. Prior to his present role, he worked in department and store management, and as a buyer for 6 years. Before joining the family business, he was employed by a major on-line retailer out of college for 4 years. His last job was distribution center manager supervising about 100 people. Dan is perceived as a nice guy and bright manager, and as developing a solid, well-rounded knowledge of the business. However, his performance is considered adequate at best, but not  impressive, and he appears to have gotten bored relatively quickly in his various placements. He has been quick to identify problems, but unwilling to suggest and implement solutions. He has put in the essential time, but not much more. His Dad, the CEO, is a successful entrepreneur in the way he has significantly grown the company. He is considered a good leader who effectively blends a results and humanistic focus. He regularly carves out time each month to mentor Dan. He views his son as a bit of an enigma, and is not sure Dan truly wants to be in the business. He has asked Dan often about what he wants to do, but doesn’t get a definitive answer.  As an heir, with another sibling in the financial department, Dan has participated in an equity sharing program beyond his salary and is viewed as wealthy enough not to work. Apparently, that arrangement cannot changed if he continues to work at the company. Dad engaged me to help him gain insight and a developmental strategy.

Podcast Authority Score: 20 / 100

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41

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0

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0

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