Ensuring New Hires Fit Culturally
I own a young and growing Manufacturer’s Rep business in the HVAC and Hydronics industry. It’s now time for me to start creating a profile for and looking at potential candidates to bring on-board. I’ve always been relatively slow to hire in all of my past roles. I’ve primarily been relying on referrals up to this point. As you can imagine, at the earlier stages of a company, it’s important to make sure to bring on the right people interested in growth for the long haul as well as being able to represent the values you want your company to be known for.
I had an experience recently that has reinforced the importance of finding the right people to represent your company.
A little over 9 years ago, I moved into a new neighborhood. I was starting to enjoy some success and thought to myself “I think it’s time I found a barber to cut my hair.” Surely this would give me a look of professionalism above and beyond the $10 chop job I was getting down the road. I scanned the yellow pages (I was late to the smart phone game). I found a place a few blocks away called “Poppy’s Barber Shop”. This sounded like the right kind of place to get a grown up haircut!
As I drove up to the plaza, I envisioned that when I walked through the doors, I would be greeted by an older gentlemen, at LEAST 75 years old who would impart his wisdom on me as he trimmed my hair and transformed me into a chubby George Clooney.
This, however was not the case. Instead I was greeted by a middle-aged Vietnamese lady named La. I waited for a while, as the place was packed! I thought she must do a great job. This little hole in the wall has to have 6 people waiting in front of me on a Tuesday at 2pm.
I was right! When my turn came, I enjoyed what would be the very best grooming experience of my life. La washed my hair with an amazing scalp massage, trimmed my eyebrows (I didn’t know that was a thing for guys…), trimmed my ear hair and cleaned up the back of my neck further than any haircutter had before. Most of those things made me realize how old, and hairy I’d gotten. The haircut was fantastic and the conversation was too! By then end of it she had asked me every detail of myself and vice versa. I was hooked! I was a loyal and regular customer from that point on. If I was out of town and got my haircut, I would be riddled with guilt that I had betrayed La. All was good in the hair maintenance area of my life for years!
Well. La got busy. REALLY busy. She decided to hire somebody. I encountered this somebody one day when I walked in for my regular. She greeted me at the door “Come then and sit down.” A little caught off-guard I sat down, eyeballing the guy getting his ear hair trimmed next to me by La. The new lady ran her hands through my hair exclaiming “What do you put in your hair??? I’ll never get through it. You’ll need a wash.” She then proceeded to scald my scalp and slop shampoo into it before scalding it again.” The haircut was mediocre at best. She told me all about her boyfriend and her apartment and how she hated the music Ha was playing (Oldies, which I always enjoyed). I left with my eyebrow, ear and lower neck/upper back hair longer than it had been in years.
From then on I started drawing the short straw. Every time I came in, La would greet me with a smile and a hello, but would be busy cutting hair and I’d get the other lady. I started to notice that La would be watching and taking notice of the new lady and smile uneasily as she hacked at my hair. This had to be a regular thing. I could sense her unease with the new employee. Problem is, I think she was too timid to say anything. I too, should have said something. I’m not a stranger to identifying poor service and speaking up. I didn’t in this case. For about 6 months I didn’t. I think because I didn’t want to make La feel bad for having hired this lady. I’m not sure really.
So here we are now. When in need of a haircut, I drive by the shop slowly. I squint and roll down my window and see if 1) La is busy and 2) the other lady is standing at the door. If it looks bleak, I continue driving. I’ve found myself recently Googling new barber shops. I know a La Version 2.0 will be unlikely. I just wished that if it was someone else, at least it would be a La Jr.
This situation has been on my mind as I start to look for someone who will project the same values and work ethic that I have tried to represent as I’ve grown my business. Someone who values both our Manufacturer’s best interest as well as the partners we channel our products through.
What measures do you take to ensure new hires will be a good cultural fit to represent your company?
Ryan vanDyk
www.truenorthhvac.com