Help Wanted! Help Me!!!!

“Hiring the wrong people is the fastest way to undermine sustainable business” – Kevin Donaldson (Entrepreneur & Business Coach)

Whether you are a startup entrepreneur, a seasoned professional, a manufacturing manager, or a delivery driver, I can guarantee you have felt the results of poor or non-existent hiring standards.

If you're like me, the weight and looming responsibilities that follow someone on your team telling you "We need to hire more people" can be enough to make you want to stall growth and eek out an existence as you are. As you also know, this is rarely an option and never the right answer.

I have sat through countless phone and in person interviews over the past 25 years, and they never seem to get any easier. It is either something that you love to do or something that you hate to do, but for the betterment of the organization, it needs to be done. No matter how well you craft your job description and hiring ad, you will inevitably be faced with under qualified and overqualified applicants as well as a few that cannot for the life of them put together a solid resume. My dad always told me “You’re hiring them because they can do the job, not because they can write a resume". He made a great point, but that also means leaving no stone unturned.

Over the years, I have made some observations.

The Truth Counts: When you're speaking with a potential hire, honesty is the best policy. This may seem like it goes without saying, but you may be surprised how few applicants feel they are being spoken to honestly. I have found that applicants tend to share more about their talents and experiences when the position is clearly defined and explained, both the good, bad, and ugly parts.

Build their confidence, not your image: Don't be afraid to celebrate the accomplishments and milestones listed on a resume. It's important to showcase the sexy opportunities for a new hire, but picking the highlights from a resume and celebrating them is a great way to kick off what could be a long-term relationship. No matter how amazing of an opportunity the position may be, it's still the lessons and experiences of the applicant that you are relying on to push your team forward.

Shut up and listen: You’re speaking with a candidate to learn more about them and to see how they fit your needs. While it is important to clearly describe the position and expectations, the center of the discussion should be the applicant. In a tough hiring market, you may only get one opportunity to hear their pitch. Give them the chance to share it.

It's a marathon, not a sprint: Block off a long enough time to be thorough. Take extra time to listen to your applicant, explain the position, show them around and meet a few team members. Showing them not only where they work, but the projects and people that they will work with will help them gain a better understanding of the workplace and culture.

Don’t Assume: Different people are looking for different characteristics in a workplace. If you assume that someone is looking for a fun, interactive and social workplace, you may scare them off if they are an introvert. Your workplace culture should be accommodating for all walks of life, and you should make that known.

Save the war stories: We have all had that one past employee (or employees) that have created a kind of misfit lore around the company. I know I can tell you hours of stories of past team members that would leave your head spinning in disbelief. While these are usually entertaining stories, they do not belong in the interview process. Stick to what’s important, which is the position, the company, and the candidate. Save the war stories for the company Holiday Party.

I am far from a hiring expert or professional. However, like many of you, hiring is a practice that falls on my lap and must happen time and time again.