Every business needs competent team members for you to be able to scale to the next level AND have the freedom to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Hiring, managing and keeping the right team members however, is not an easy task. I struggled for years with this and it was stressful and costly.
Often we hire the wrong people and end up paying heavily for our mistakes including low efficiency, irresponsible behavior, and dissatisfied customers, which eventually translates into loss of profits. Not to mention, you as the business owner, pulling your hair out and wondering why you are even paying these people to ruin your business. Can you relate?
I’d like to help you with the process of hiring a great team; here are 5 tips to start you off:
Be clear on the type of person you want for a specific job. This is crucial; first you need to have a thorough job description – make a list of all the things you want the person to do. The next step is deciding the kind of person you want to see in that role; this will depend on the type of business you are in. For example, if your business is fast paced, you’ll need someone who can deliver under pressure, and enjoys such an environment. In addition to the requisite skills, the team member’s temperament also needs to match with that of your business. Culture is critical to building a thriving organization, so your new team member needs to fit in well.
You need to be well prepared for the hiring process; don’t get into a desperate situation where you end up hiring the first breathing person whose resume pops into your inbox. Be clear about the whole hiring process: placing the ad, conducting interviews, and more. I have a very specific process I use to weed out bad fits.
Make the applicants jump through hoops: This is like a filtration process to weed out those you think are not going to be a good fit for your organization. Request applicants to write a cover letter along with their job application and ask them to provide the following info, and make it clear that their applications won’t be considered without this:
Why do they think they are a fit for your organization?
How much value they can contribute?
Expected range of salary?
This will help you filter the applications; if they have not provided this information, it indicates that they are careless, and don’t read messages properly, or don’t follow directions. A good place to start! When you go through the cover letters, you can check their presentation styles – sloppy, or well organized?
The Interview process:
Have a phone interview: I do this before asking them to meet in person or online for the actual interview. I keep it short and ask them just a couple of questions to test their preparedness: did they do some basic research on what my organization is all about or prepare in any way for the interview or did they just show up? You can also ask them open-ended questions that help you gauge their temperament, and whether it is suitable for your organization.
If you already have a team, schedule the applicant to talk to them; your team members will be able to tell you what they think, and you need to consider this. This will give you a good idea of how the applicant will fit into your team dynamics.
Once they have passed the phone interview step and passed the “team vetting”, then I conduct a thorough interview that is based in identifying how they feel they will be able to add value to my organization.
The working interview: This should be conducted last. The best way to do a working interview is give them a test through creating mock scenarios – nothing will help you measure their skills better, whether it’s for a sales or service position, coding, creative writing, or even a managment role. It will help you judge their diligence and commitment to the job and see how they work in a real life situation. Do not skip this step – this is where you will get your best information. This last step will help you find the best person for the job – someone who will blend in with your existing team beautifully, who is culturally matched with your company, and who is skilled at that particular job.
Don’t be in a rush; take your time, and you will be able to find the perfect fit. Remember, without the right team members, you cannot efficiently grow your business or make more profit.
Are you ready to hire a rockstar team? Do you want to fast track your journey towards business success and more profit? Schedule a complimentary consultation where we can identify how my organization can help you get the right team in place to build your business.