Discover the keys to hiring and attracting the RIGHT employees
Do you ever feel like you’re doing everything in your company? When you go home, are you able to leave work at work? Has your family expressed concerns about your work-life balance? Let’s address the why behind these issues.
Companies, regardless of size or industry, are always challenged with recruiting and hiring the right people. So, what does “right people” really mean? How do we identify it? First, we must put the “human” back in Human Resources and the recruiting and interviewing process. In the world of AI, it’s easy for someone to build a stellar resume. When you call references, many will give you a glowing review of the candidate with little substance to back it up. Some former employers will only confirm dates of employment to avoid potential litigation. For these reasons, don’t put too much stock in what you see on paper.
Validating a resume is not effective and doesn’t give you any insight on the person you’re interviewing. Instead, ask open-ended questions that look beyond the resume. Use your knowledge of company culture to determine if the candidate is truly a good fit. Here are some examples of open-ended interview question starters:
- “Tell me about a time when…”
- “How would you handle…”
- “What does your ideal work environment look like?”
Second, you must stop looking for yourself in the candidates. Teams built on diversity in thought, personality traits, cultures, and experience levels have been shown to perform better. If you want to raise the bar for your company, you must have individuals surrounding you who feel safe and comfortable expressing their ideas and thoughts. This likely means leaning in to your own discomfort. In the world of recruiting and hiring the right people, leaders must get comfortable being uncomfortable!
What qualities should we look for in candidates? Many leaders look for timeliness of arrival, appearance, first impressions of the handshake or smile, etc. While these are good indicators of the person’s attention to detail, planning, and personality, we need to dig deeper. Ask questions to see if the person has knowledge and passion about the role and its requirements. Ask questions to determine whether the person is a good fit for your culture. Determine if the candidate is coachable. Remember, it’s easier to teach skills than will. Your candidate must bring the will and right attitude to your organization.
There must also be performance measurements when hiring the right people. When determining whether a candidate can be an asset to your team, consider the environment your candidate worked in previously. Your job during the interview is to decide whether the candidate can create the result for which you’re looking. If you are hiring for a critical leadership role, do not rush the process! Hiring the right person at this level has far-reaching financial implications.
Third, you must learn to fail fast. If you’ve been in the people business long enough, you understand there is no such thing as perfect hiring. Realizing this, when you do hire a person that is not going to be successful in the role, do not hold onto to the individual in that role. Consider alternative roles if possible. However you handle it, make the move quickly. The longer you leave the wrong person in the role, the more setbacks your company will have to overcome.
Fourth, remember that recruiting and hiring are not all about you and your company. Candidates that are truly interested in joining your organization have requirements of their own. If your desire is to build long-lasting and productive teams, you must find out your candidates’ requirements and determine if your organization’s culture can meet those requirements.
During the interview, keep notes, but not on the resume! Take notes on a notepad, particularly about your observations. Depending on the role, this information is important for future development needs. For example, how did your candidate respond to your questions (logically and timely). How was the body language when the candidate was asked more challenging questions? Did the candidate ask for clarification, if needed, or did they just respond with an answer? How well did the candidate use facial expressions and voice inflection to keep your attention?
Finally, look at your employment ads. If your ads focus on the role and years of experience, you should revamp. Ads should reveal more about your company’s culture and what it’s like to work there. Be open and honest with the good, the bad, and the ugly. This transparency is important because it speaks to the right people who want to join your culture and organization.
