How to hire in a competitive market: 7 tips to help you grow your team

It’s an action that can make or break your team — hiring. Getting the right person on board can strengthen your department’s structure through an influx of new ideas and energy. A new colleague can lighten the load while expanding what your team can collectively offer the organization. Each new hire is an opportunity for your department to shine a little brighter. But only if you get it right.?

We’ve all worked with people who we’ll call “less-than-ideal-colleagues.” Perhaps they’re only interested in climbing their own corporate ladder, will little to no regard for helping those around them climb too. Maybe their slightly inflated ego prevents them from seeing the possibilities of ideas that aren’t their own. Sound familiar? While it’s possible to work alongside such folks, it probably wouldn’t be your first choice. That’s why I love hiring.?

This week I’m wrapping up hiring for a new position on my team. And I couldn’t be more excited to get this individual on board. But finding the best fit for any role is work. It’s something I take very seriously, because as mentioned above, if you screw it up, it can have major negative impacts on your existing team members. And no manager wants that. So in an effort to help those struggling with hiring, particularly in the world of Community, below are few tactics that have helped me find success.

1. Decide and define what you need. How often do we see job descriptions that ask for far more than the role really requires? A lot. For instance, if you don’t have a four-year degree, but have relevant work experience, I’m game. Think through what you can and can’t teach, and create your requirements around that list.?
2. Hire for qualities you can’t infuse in others.?In Community, it’s incredibly important that my team members are empathetic, open minded and passionate. While those are traits I could help strengthen over time, it’s much easier if they’re naturally engrained in the employee from the start. For me, these trump most of the hard skills I can teach.
3. Dismiss qualities that don’t align with your values. If someone isn’t humble, I won’t hire them. Humility is a must-have quality for my team, because I know how it translates to an environment of support and openness. For me, no matter the level of experience, it’s not worth bringing someone on if they aren’t humble. Determine your values and stick to them. They are your guiding light.?
4. Take your time. I know this is difficult for many hiring managers — especially now when so many new opportunities mean quick, competitive moves among employees. But if it’s possible, don’t rush. Properly vetting candidates can mean the difference between setting your team up for long-term success or introducing them to an unnecessary new hurdle.

With all this said, I’d be remiss to gloss over the fact that now, more than ever, people have options. The boom of the acceptance to work from anywhere shifted the Great Resignation to a?great re-shuffle, and people are taking advantage of the flexibility it brings. While this can make it difficult for organizations to keep their talent, it also presents a huge opportunity to find folks who were previously outside your geographical hiring area. But…new possibilities also mean new challenges. Your hiring pool is bigger, but so are the amount of orgs searching for those qualified candidates. So how do you stand out?

Yes, organizations need to be more compelling with their offerings (e.g. salary, benefits, flexibility, travel opportunities, etc). But you likely can’t change what your company offers potential candidates. You can, however, shine a light on your particular role and make it more appealing to applicants. Here are some tips that have worked for me:

1. Introduce yourself to the talent pool. Say what?!? Think for a second…if you had the opportunity to learn about the hiring manager of a role you were applying for, would it make a difference? For each position I post, I record a short video of myself sharing a little about who I am, what the role is and information about the team. I’ve had applicants tell me this video gave them more encouragement to apply. You can see the last one I posted here . It might be a bit uncomfortable, but it makes a difference!
2. Have top candidates interview with colleagues outside your department. I love getting diverse perspectives when hiring. That’s why I have my top three candidates also meet with four to six of my colleagues (two at a time). They always pick up on things I miss, because they look through a different lens. And let’s face it, candidates sometimes act different when interacting with folks other than the hiring manager.?
3. Be open and honest with applicants. A lot of what I infuse in my hiring process is the opposite of what I didn’t like about the processes I went through earlier in my career. Let’s talk about transparency. How often have you felt totally in the dark when applying for a job? What’s the timeline? What are the next steps? I always take time to share as much as I can with candidates. If they’re the first person I interview, I let them know how long they’ll wait for the next step. I also inform them if they’re moving forward (or not) as soon as I can (because no one likes to wait). These simple pieces of communication establish early trust — one more thing that sets you apart from others.

It’s a competitive market, yes. But if you have a great offer, candidates will come. Of course they need to know about it, so don’t solely rely on HR (they’re busy!). Use your own network to drum up interest. Have your existing team share the opportunity on their social accounts. And when the applications roll in, take your time to evaluate the values and skills that best compliment your team. Enjoy the process, and even more, enjoy the results from gaining a fabulous new team member!

Bonus tip: If you haven’t read Patrick Lencioni’s “The Ideal Team Player” check it out. This book helps ensure you’ll build a hungry, humble and smart team.?

Jeni Asaba is an award-winning community manager who uses her passion for people to fuel her work. She shares her interests, fears and weaknesses with her community members as a way to forge genuine connections and trusted relationships. In addition to overseeing Community at Jamf, Jeni also founded two nonprofits (Building for Bridget & Project Prom) and is inspired when groups come together to support a cause bigger than themselves.