How successful is your recruitment process?

"It's the headspace from which we business owners can't escape. I'm constantly thinking about operations, hiring, terminations, suppliers, taxes, and personal issues with our staff. It's all I think about. The pressure of maintaining the energy and the positive mindset to push forward with so much on my plate is suffocating. If I could find people who did what they said they were going to do, took ownership, were accountable, and were committed, I would take care of them. At this point, I'd take anyone who would actually show up for work and consistently deliver. That seems impossible.”

This is the ongoing conversation I have with clients and business owners through mentoring.

As a business owner, you find satisfaction in growing, hiring, building your brand, and winning.

But what happens when you grow but you are still the one, as the business owner, putting out fires, getting involved at all levels, and essentially, putting your nose into tasks that were under the responsibility of others?

There is confusion, feelings of distrust, and a break in communication across all levels.

As business owners, we are the ones who should be shaking hands and kissing babies, so to speak. We are the visionaries, the creators of strategies, and El' Capitano of the ship.

What happens when we are paying people to do a job that we are, essentially due to "owner control,” still partially doing? Why did we hire them? Where could our efforts be better positioned?

You, as the business owner, can have more impacts on your business by being out in front of your clients, working on tenders, engaging with key stakeholders, versus order stationary, checking reports twice, updating the database, negotiating with suppliers, invoicing clients etc.

Some companies struggle with recruitment as a service. The fees are too high. The recruiter may not know what is really needed in the business because they aren't in it. What if they don't work out?

On the flip side, what happens if you, the business owner, hire badly due to ego or hiring bias? What happens if you don't hire at all? Owners have been through it in the last few years with poor hiring choices but also poor onboarding and retention. It's easier to just manage it yourself with the staff you have but what if someone leaves, what if your clients leave and engage a larger company with more capability?

Our roles as recruiters are to recruit, source, interview, headhunt, vet, champion your company, and protect your brand. This is our day-in, day-out role. We are more skilled; we have the experience, the time, and the network to do it successfully provided we get all the information, role clarity and the green flag to recruit.

Your focus should be to run your business, create more opportunities for growth, and create a strategy for sustainable growth.

I spoke with my longstanding client about a position he wanted to create. Someone who would essentially replace him long-term and help him grow his business so he could work on it, spend time with his family, and have a healthier work-life balance.

Three things were paramount here:

• The client was ready to hire and allocated time to work on the PD and was comfortable with where this role sat in the organisational chart.
• They understood they were doing more than what they were capable of managing and their time was better spent elsewhere
• They removed their ego and insecurity about someone taking on some of their key operational tasks.

The goal was to double his revenue in the next two years at the point of hiring, in January.

We worked together on a PD, ran three interview rounds, and I strategised with both clients and short-listed candidates around a 90-day plan that involved successful integration into the team, process improvement, and a framework around working towards sustainable revenue growth.

The recruitment process took a month, from role creation to placement.

Transparency is key

The interview process was quite thorough and intensive, and the client and I worked together on questions and how to best position the role in the most transparent way possible.

The candidate that was placed came from a similar industry, had worked across a few different countries as well as role functions, and was leaving a position where he was unable to make decisions based on the owner's inability to give him access to the right information. It is fair to say he was wary of moving from one role to one that sounded similar on paper.

The interview prep from my side was transparent, and I encouraged him to be very honest about his concerns, hesitations, and what he was seeking in his next role.

Any seasoned operational professional knows that you are essentially “the grim reaper" as the new General Manager — you're the one that comes in, makes changes, fires and hires, disrupts the balance, and scrutinises the operations at every level. Not only is it isolating, but it's also not an easy role to recruit, and the fit, like any senior role, is paramount.

Positive outcomes

The candidate has been there for three months, and the company is on track to double their revenue by March next year. Truly amazing!

The strategic implementation of processes has resulted in streamlined operations, increased productivity, staff retention, and noticeable changes. There have been some spicy conversations, a few exits, and slow but impactful changes. Both parties were aware of this and knew what they were entering into from the get-go.

My client has since been on two family trips and a well-earned fishing get-away with “the boys." (YTB!). It’s nice to be able to get more than five minutes of his time when we pop in, have a chat about his future plans, and see the notable change in his stress levels.

My candidate (now a client as well) has owned the role, worked with each department, and built solid relationships. The position has truly invigorated him, and it's a delight to see his smiling face when we visit, his growing confidence, and his hectic playlist blasting over the speakers as he literally bounces from one task to another.

I love seeing the transformation for both the client and the candidate when they have both found the perfect fit. It was truly satisfying, and I am so humbled to be part of this journey.

Hire or don't hire but you will always lose out with poor hiring decisions. A good recruiter (internal or external) and a thorough recruitment process will have positive short and long-term impacts that will benefit you, your family, the team and the company.

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