Hire A-Listers

Don’t compromise quality for speed. When it comes to hiring, we often make compromises and thus decisions we regret. A stable workforce is always less expensive than high turnover.

Patrick Lencioni says, “Engaged, enthusiastic, and loyal employees are pivotal drivers of growth and health in any organization.”

As business leaders, we need to ask ourselves these questions when hiring. Does the candidate have the right experience? Are they a cultural fit? Do they have the right temperament? How would they interact with my customers?

When we are pressed for time, we may only require that a candidate has a pulse! But never forget how hard you worked to build your reputation, and that reputation was not based on you alone. It was based on the great employees you hired.

I would rather tell a customer that I am too short-staffed to serve them at this time, than to simply hire a poor employee to do the work. In the first instance, they may be disappointed, but will respect your decision. In the second instance, you risk losing their business permanently and receiving bad reviews. You literally can’t afford to make these types of hiring mistakes.

Here are a few practical steps to use with every hire: 1) don’t stop at the first person you interview, 2) use behavioral interviewing techniques, 3) perform personality assessments for a temperament match, and 4) always talk directly with references.

Case Study: One large hospital client needed to hire several hundred contractors to complete a project. Using many of these techniques, they were able to hire good team members who completed the project on time. No system is perfect, and minor changes were needed along the way. But applying these principles allowed them to quickly build a quality team and successfully complete the project.

Copyrighted excerpt from The Extraordinary Business by Mike Hill

Write to Mike at Mike.Hill@TeamTrenton.com