How to Hire Without Losing Your Mind
Hiring is hard. You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your perfect person but you do it because you know it's critical that you add the right people to your team. Hiring the right person is about more than just filling a position. It's about finding someone who will take ownership, work for the long haul, and fit in with the company's mission and culture. In this post, we'll explore the hiring process and share some tips on how to ensure that you're making the best choices for your business.
When to Hire
First, don't hire simply to offboard tasks from a list. Yes, delegation is a valuable tool, but think bigger. Focus on the areas of ownership in your team someone can take over for you. Will they be responsible for managing a team, overseeing a project, or representing the company to clients? Will they be able to own your time, managing your calendar, inbox, and to-dos in order to free you to do what you love? It's important to hire someone who can take ownership of their responsibilities and work towards achieving the company's goals and that starts with designing a role that attracts high-performers.
Who to Hire
It can be tempting to hire someone who is available or cheap, but this can be a costly mistake later. Instead, focus on hiring for quality and for the future. Look for candidates who have a track record of success, who are committed to their career, and who are passionate about your industry. These are the people who will bring the most value to your business and help it to grow. And they'll stick around - so you don't have to do this interview process again soon!
How to Be Competitive
If you're a small business without a lot of brand recognition or can't afford a high salary, it can be challenging to attract top talent. There are ways to be competitive in your posting to attract the right candidates. Be transparent about what you're looking for and what you can offer. Emphasize the opportunities for growth and the chance to make a real impact. Consider offering non-financial perks, such as flexible working hours or professional development opportunities, and paint a vivid picture of the world-class culture and work-life experience they can expect with you. If, after all of that, you're still not attracting the right talent then you need to revisit your salary considerations. While it's not all about the pay, the pay does matter.
Need help articulating the role? Try our free job description template to get you started.
Why Be Selective
Interviewing candidates can be soul-destroying but it's crucial to be selective to prevent the costs of mis-hires. Hiring the wrong person can be incredibly expensive in terms of lost productivity, team morale, and wasted resources. You need the right candidate NOW and you don't want to still be waiting for that help 6 months from now. It's essential to put the business and team first when making hiring decisions. This means looking beyond a candidate's resume and skills and considering their personality, values, and fit with the company's culture.
Hire for Mission
The most important trait to hire for is fit with a company's mission and culture. Look for candidates who share your values and who are energized by your mission and goals. Hiring someone who is a good cultural fit will help to ensure that they are engaged and productive in their role. While skills and experience are important, they should not be the only criteria for making hiring decisions. Skills can be developed (to a point) but a vision and values fit is harder to instill.
How to Find the Right Person
When it comes to interviewing candidates, consider a structured approach to interviewing that involves asking candidates to share detailed examples about their career history, accomplishments, and goals. This method helps to ensure that you're getting a clear picture of the candidate's strengths and weaknesses and their fit with the company. Avoid hypothetical questions that simply assess whether or not someone tests well. Ask for real examples and learnings - and then verify those stories when you check their references.
Hiring is a necessary evil for any business. By focusing on areas of ownership, hiring for quality, being competitive in your posting, interviewing for the right person, and hiring for mission and culture, you can make the best decisions.
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