Great Goals Require Great People—Here’s How to Find Them…

My dad, alav hashalom, always taught me that employees are not expenses—they’re investments. Depending on how you do hiring in your organization, your employees can either be the BEST investment you make or the worst...

Who you hire and how you manage them determines the success of your business. But it's not just about getting great talent; it's about getting the right talent. That doesn't mean hiring perfect 10/10 employees across the board (no one is a perfect 10)...it means your employees' biggest strengths and passions balance each other out to create a 10/10 team.

Hiring the wrong employees can be a costly mistake, so what characteristics do you need to look for to hire the right employees and bring out the best in your team? It all comes down to two things: making sure the people you hire are well-balanced and that they pass the GWC test.?

1. Look for people who pass the GWC test.

The first and most crucial part of hiring is something called the GWC method. It's something I learned from EOS, an entrepreneurial operating coaching business, and it has drastically improved the quality of employees I hire. Not only does it prevent a high turnover rate for new employees, but it also motivates them to excel at higher levels than I ever thought possible.

Here's the acronym:

G- Get it?

W- Want it

C- Capable

When you interview someone, make sure that they don't just want a job—they want the specific job you're hiring for. Don't settle! Dig deep in your interview and ask the hard-hitting questions, and you'll find that passion is the differentiator.?

When I look back at my past employees that didn't work out for one reason or another, I notice a consistent theme: I hired most of them because they wanted a job, and then we tried to make it work. But the problem with that approach is that they weren't passionate about exceeding in their roles or taking our organization to the next level...they just wanted a job.?

Now, I flip the script. I start by asking the candidate about their sales, marketing, underwriting, analytics, etc. Then, no matter what the position is, I ask, "What's your dream job?" By asking this one simple question, you can quickly determine whether or not the candidate's passions align with the position. If their long-term dream job is not what I'm hiring for, I move on.?

2. Hire your weaknesses.

The biggest mistake I see managers make is hiring people that are too similar to themselves. In doing so, they end up with a team that continues to rely on the same strengths and weaknesses and ultimately remains stagnant.

This may sound like unusual advice, but I find it helpful to think of people and their skills on a scale from 1-10….

Nobody is a perfect 10/10. Let's say you're a really competent person at your trade, so you rate yourself a 10/10 at that skill set. In other skills, you may be less, so you average out to be 8/10. If you hire someone just like you, you'll get another 8/10 in the same giftings...

As a business, our goal is to reach that 10/10 status. Since nobody is a perfect 10/10, here’s my trick for getting there…

Hire someone whose number 6 is your number 10, and who's number 10 is your number 6. For example, let's say you're a 10/10 at interacting with clients, but when it comes to the details, you're only a 6/10. You need to hire someone who's able to relate on the talking side, but is also a 10/10 at the details. Then, take it a step further by seeking out people who not only possess strengths in your weakest areas but also are PASSIONATE about your weaknesses.?

You may interview 10 different people with similar backgrounds and experiences, but it's your job to determine which of those candidates has something special that no one else does. Don't get me wrong, experience is important, but passion will be the ultimate catalyst driving your organization. Your biggest goal in hiring should be to surround yourself with people that have complementary passions. In doing so, you’ll make your team whole.?

As your team continues to expand, sit down with your core team and figure out your biggest weaknesses. From there, you'll know what strengths and passions to look for in the next person you hire. When you work with people that balance out your strengths and weaknesses, you'll find that your team can accomplish anything together!

“Cultivate a deep understanding of yourself - not only what your strengths and weaknesses are but also how you learn, how you work with others, what your values are, and where you can make the greatest contribution. Because only when you operate from strengths can you achieve true excellence.” —Peter Drucker

When everyone wants to do their jobs and is excited about what they're doing, you'll find that your entire team works better together and your turnover rate is low.?

If you can find the right people who not only pass the GWC test but also balance out your organization with the strengths and passions they bring to the table, you won’t just be a 10/10 organization, but the sky will be the limit!