Recruiting and hiring is not easy. It’s a challenging responsibility that involves finding the precise fit to fill a specific position in your company, almost like finding a needle in a haystack.
It doesn’t matter what size your company is, where you’re located or what the predominant service is you’re providing, hiring will always be of highest importance in moving your business forward.
To create a well-oiled machine, each part has to perform its own function at its optimal capability. The same can be said for the team members you hire. You need to have the best people performing the right functions.
To get those people, the interview process must be more than a one-hour question-and-answer session. Keep your interviews constant. Don’t simply look for the A players when someone quits or you have a position to fill. Create a virtual bench of individuals you’d like to have working with you, regardless of circumstances.
Include a call to action on your website that states your company is always on the lookout for qualified candidates. Don’t put the hiring process in a box. Open it up so you can cast a large net, then select those best suited to be on your team.
Be sure to provide a job description to interested individuals for the position so you clearly communicate the responsibilities, as well as the culture and environment of your company.
Don’t interview everyone. Sort through the resumes you receive and separate them into three piles: Yes, Maybe and No.
Delegate one of your team members to call the individuals you designated as a yes or maybe, then create a list of qualifying questions to further filter your pool and focus your energy on interviewing those who are closest to what you envision as your ideal candidate.
Some qualifying questions may include:
Yes, there have been times when candidates have flat out told me they haven’t visited our website or they cannot provide any answer with substance in describing our company or what they know about us. This is an instant red flag.
This is an obvious question that will give you a good idea of whether or not your expectations align.
This is a good question for an in-person interview, but is also a great qualifying question. If the individual seems far more passionate about something that does not align with your company’s mission, purpose, product or service in any way, perhaps they’d be better fit to follow a job that can serve that passion.
Once you select the candidates you want to interview in person, use the face-to-face time to get to know them as well as possible. Learn about the person, not just his or her skills.
Have a conversation, not a question barrage. Get to know what purpose they want to serve, what excites them and how they enjoy being managed.
The resume should show you their skill sets. Ask questions about skills to confirm what is on paper, but make sure you go beyond skill.
Look out for individuals who are hungry and humble. Hire people who are smarter than you and more qualified for the position than you are, because they’ll be doing the work that moves your company forward. This will give you more time to work on the business while they work in it — finding better technologies to serve your customers, providing higher quality products or finding ways to deliver the services with more time efficiency.
We share our core values with potential candidates prior to interviewing them: Under promise and over deliver. Treat customers like family. Play to our strengths. Ask when you need help. Think before reacting. Always do what is in the customer’s best interest. Do what you say and say what you mean. Always deal in facts, not assumptions.
We then incorporate these values into the interviews — integrating them into questions with on-the-job scenarios or questions about how they use these values in their personal and professional lives.
If they can share genuine answers, this provides great insight into their character, values and how they would align with those whom they are working alongside each day.
When we hire, we don’t just consider bringing in a person who will fit the role; we also think about whether we may ultimately foresee that person serving as a leader of our company. We want candidates to know that being a part of Champion AC means there will be opportunities to grow, move up the ladder and lead the way for future team members. This will instill a feeling of belonging for the person you decide to hire and will provide them with a sense of ownership to the role, their work and the mission and success of the company.
Lastly, take your time hiring. Ensure you have the right people in the right seats headed in the right direction.
Spending adequate time finding team members who will make your company better and be with you for the long haul makes the energy worth the while.
Ben Hubbert, co-owner of Champion AC, is a former member of Special Operations in the Air Force (Combat Control) who's now committed to helping the San Antonio community reduce its demands on the energy grid. Ben is a firm believer in education and constantly teaches new customer service approaches and techniques. Visit www.championac.com for additional information.
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