Use the “37% Rule” the Next Time You Need to Hire Someone

The 37 Percent Rule

Looking for a new hire for the office or shop? Go full-on nerd and try the “37 Percent Rule,” which basically says that when you need to screen a range of options in a limited amount of time, such as candidates for a job, it’s a weird mathematical truth that the best time to make a decision is when you’ve looked at 37 percent of those options. (In other words, once you’ve interviewed 37 percent of applicants, commit to the next candidate who stands out over those you’ve already met.) According to an article in Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems, this approach can be applied to just about any such sequential scenario – from choosing a romantic partner to selecting a distributor.