Politics aside, would you hire Sarah Palin?

Partisan squabbles aside, many seasoned workplace recruiters would agree that, by most standards, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin went through a speedy hiring process in becoming Republican presidential hopeful John McCain's running mate for the November elections.

According to media reports, McCain's team arrived in Palin's home state just days before officially announcing her candidacy. McCain himself interviewed his future second-in-command only once, offering her the job moments later. Few, if any, of Palin's colleagues in state and local government say they were contacted by background vetters, while nearly all of her closest friends and neighbors describe last week's announcement as a complete surprise.

Although McCain and his advisers say they thoroughly reviewed Palin's financial and legal records, potentially damaging revelations that arose this week — among them Palin's involvement in an ongoing ethics investigation, past political experience, and the pregnancy of her unmarried teenage daughter — have led both Democrats and even some Republicans to question the vigor of his recruiting process, if not the wisdom of his choice.

And while hiring a new employee is very different from picking a vice presidential candidate — unlike a corporate vice president, you can't fire Dick Cheney — the two decisions have much in common. Whether you're looking for a new intern or appointing the second most powerful person on the planet, experts say you need to gauge how a new hire will work with your existing management team, how they will motivate other employees, whether they have the vision and skills to take your company to the next level, and how they represent you.

For a non-partisan perspective, we brought together a panel of CEOs, entrepreneurs, and leadership experts for a refresher course in the do's and don'ts of recruiting. Here's what they had to say.

Based on what you know, what's you're assessment of McCain's recruiting process in picking his running mate?

John Baldoni, leadership coach and author of "Lead By Example: 50 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Results": Frankly, it’s a gut decision. McCain is reverting to type. He's a former naval aviator and taught to think and react quickly. But when you're making your "first decision as (potential) president," it seems hasty. McCain's judgment seems more based on guts than intellect.

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Clint Greenleaf, chairman and CEO of Austin, Texas-based Greenleaf Book Group: We don't really know how long they were talking, but it did seem kinda quick to me.  That said, McCain is a maverick and when you know in your gut, you know. I'm probably in the minority, but I'm not finding huge fault with his methodology.

Nancy Cooper, an employment lawyer at Garvey Schubert Barer in Portland, Ore.: All the things that are forbidden in an employment interview are fair game in the public scrutiny of a political candidate. It may be that the process really was a carefully contemplated political strategy aimed at solidifying the party and uniting the various fronts. Or it could be that it was just a horribly mixed up appointment that demonstrates all that is wrong with a reactionary hire. Only time will tell.

Francisco Dao, founder of StrategyandPerformance.com, a Los Angeles-based executive coaching and consulting firm: A politician's goals are very different from a business owner's. A business owner's primary focus is running a successful and profitable organization. McCain's primary focus in choosing Palin is to get elected.  Once in office, effectively running the government is almost irrelevant.

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