Let's talk hiring

What Makes the Perfect Hire?

Hiring the right person is crucial for any organization. A company is made up of individuals, and the success of a company ultimately depends on the people working within it. In short, if you can hire the right people, you can create a thriving, successful organization. However, finding the right person for the job is a complex task that requires a lot of thought and consideration.

So, what makes the perfect hire? Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to this question. It's one of the most challenging questions companies face when recruiting new employees. Creating a list of qualifications, skills, and experience that an ideal candidate should have can be a good starting point. However, it's still difficult to determine precisely what makes someone the perfect fit for a particular role.

Hiring is a tricky process, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Some companies rely on resumes and cover letters, while others prefer to hire experts or go with their gut instincts. The truth is, there is no right or wrong way to approach it. It's all about finding the method that works best for your organization.

In this edition of Biweekly Thoughts, we will offer some insight into how you can approach hiring new people and introducing them to your company. While we can't promise any definitive answers, we hope this edition will help you nuance the way you think about hiring, and ultimately, make better hires. Whether you're a manager looking to hire new employees or an employee looking to become more attractive to potential employers, this edition will hopefully provide you with valuable insights and tips to help you navigate the hiring process.

So, let's dive in and explore what makes the perfect hire and how you can find them for your organization.

Hiring Philosophy - Different Approaches

At Altostruct, as entrepreneurs and consultants in the tech business, we are always interested in learning and drawing inspiration from other players, both in and out of our field. A common question we find ourselves asking other people in the same space nowadays is, "How do you go about hiring?" The answer and approach can range enormously, from "I talk once with someone and then go with my gut," to "We have pre-screenings, four different interviews with cases, and then a long trial period." Sometimes, however, you hear more philosophical answers, as demonstrated by Mark Zuckerberg in a recent podcast with Lex Fridman: "Can I see myself working for this person?"

As you can see, there are many different ways of viewing hiring, and companies put varying amounts of effort into it. We are a company that's around three years old and growing quickly, and we find ourselves putting a lot of effort into hiring. This is mainly due to the fact that cloud computing is such a dynamic business, making it difficult to know exactly what skills we need in a potential hire. Furthermore, larger companies have the advantage of experienced candidates actively seeking them out and applying, which isn't always the case for smaller companies. Therefore, we need people who are interested in joining a company that is actively growing and progressing.

The Willingness to Learn

If we were to distill the core of our hiring philosophy, it would probably boil down to something in the lines of "someone's willingness and openness to learn." Of course, we value specific skills, and education, along with an impressive résumé, is, of course, never a downside. Still, it is important for us that our hires are open to learning and evolving, mainly because the volatility of the tech business simply demands it.

The tech business is always changing, and we need people who are willing to keep up with the industry and learn new things. This can sometimes be an issue if you aim to hire experts, who are sometimes not so open to changing. However, if we hire someone who is willing to learn and adapt, we can train them in the specific skills they need. (If you are interested in a more in-depth take on the topic of experts and generalists, check out this previous edition of Biweekly Thoughts.)

The Right Fit

The second thing that you will undoubtedly notice when it comes to hiring is that you can do everything right, and it still might not be the right fit for that specific position. People are different, and more importantly, they thrive in different contexts. Therefore, it's hard to know for sure if someone is going to be a good fit until you've actually hired them and seen them in action. Sometimes, we find someone who is a perfect match on paper, but they don't align with the company's vision or just isn't the right fit in that specific context.

We believe that the right fit is essential for success. We want to create a work environment where everyone feels comfortable and can thrive. We work hard to create a culture where everyone's ideas are valued, and everyone has a voice. We believe that when we have the right fit, everyone benefits.

Getting into the groove

Lastly, we would like to say something regarding how we introduce new employees and what the on-boarding process might look like. First of all, we put a lot of effort into introducing new hires to all the services we use within AWS and how we typically use them. We require our developers to be certified through AWS, so we, of course, help new hires start that process if necessary. Furthermore, we use a variety of different internal tools that we also introduce.

According to us, an essential part of being a part of a company is to find a balance between asking for help and trying to solve a problem on your own. This balance can be quite hard to achieve, and it usually comes from experience. However, we like to set up some ground policies for our newest employees so that they know how to navigate this in the beginning: For example, if you can't solve the problem after thirty minutes, ask for help. You are, of course, allowed to ask for help whenever you please, and we will always assist you, but we do believe that a little bit of friction is sometimes necessary when solving a problem or learning a new tool, for example. This friction keeps you on your toes and stops you from making mindless decisions.

Some final words

At Altostruct, we believe that hiring the right people is essential to our success. We value someone's willingness and openness to learn and adapt as much as we value their specific skills and education. We also believe that the right fit is essential for success, and we work hard to create a work environment where everyone can thrive. Lastly, we think that the on-boarding process is essential to set the tone for new employees, and we strive to create a balance between asking for help and trying to solve problems on your own.

Different organisations will have different approaches as to how they hire people and introduce them to their company. Our way, as presented in this edition, is of course just one way of doing it. However, we hope that you can draw some inspiration from the ideas presented here and hopefully help you make some great hires in the future.