Recruiting Tips for Leaders

Hiring sometimes feels like searching for treasure without a map. You know what you want in an employee, but you have no idea how to find them. If you’re tired of the constant struggle of being on every job board or getting burned by candidates who don’t show up on the first day, it’s time to update and refine your hiring process.

In our webinar the 12 Components to a Good Hire, Dave Ramsey recommends lengthening the hiring process so HR and business leaders know they’re hiring the right person for the right role. Here are the 12 tried and true principles the Ramsey Solutions leadership team follow when they hire new team members.

1. Pray.

Prayer might not fit your company culture. But since the very early days of the company, Ramsey Solutions has included prayer in our big decisions. And hiring is a massive decision. We pray that God will bring us the right candidates and that everyone involved will make the right decisions.

2. Get referrals.

Our team members know what it takes to work here, and we encourage them to refer friends who could be a good fit at our company. We take referrals seriously because they are a big source of quality hires.

3. Do a 30-minute drive-by interview.

The very first interview should be a short 30-minute call that helps you figure out whether you want to continue with an applicant. It’s basically a phone screening.

During these calls, we like to use the 2:1 ratio. We all have two ears and one mouth. So we should only talk for 10 minutes and let the applicant talk for the other 20 minutes.

4. Check the resumés and references.

All hiring managers know people can stretch the truth on their resumés. We still read them, but we also call references. Why? Mainly to see whether applicants took the initiative to let their references know a hiring manager might call them. It’s not hard to do, but so many people don’t. Do your due diligence and call references!

5. Use testing tools.

We have potential hires take a personality test called the DISC assessment . The results don’t rule a candidate out from joining our team. We just know team chemistry adjusts every time a new hire comes on board, so it’s important to know a candidate’s personality type and communication style ahead of time.

6. Ask yourself, do you like them?

Have you ever sat in an interview with an applicant and thought to yourself, Thank goodness they’re not joining my team! It’s never a good idea to hire someone you don’t like. You’re going to work with this person every single day. Being good at the job isn’t enough. The whole team has to get along.

7. Look for passion.

You can’t fake passion. You see it when a candidate’s eyes light up when they talk about what they do—whether they’re a web developer, writer or house framer. And ideally it doesn’t stop there. It’s even better when you can see the passion for what they do in the context of doing it for your company and your mission.

8. Review their personal budget.

We ask applicants to make a budget with our proposed salary to make sure they can live on it before accepting it.

It sounds weird, but here’s the deal: We don’t ask for a budget to invade a candidate’s personal life. Ramsey leaders are servant leaders. And one of the ways they serve their teams is to make sure no one accepts a role they can’t afford to take just because they’re bought into our company’s mission.?

9. Discuss compensation.

Benefits and compensation are a big reason people apply to jobs. You could waste their time (and yours) if you don’t talk about compensation within the first few interviews.

We also go over our core values with applicants. Reviewing our core values gives applicants a chance to see what our business is like before they start. People may find they don’t align with certain things and take themselves out of the interview process, which simplifies our job!

10. Create a Key Results Area (KRA).

A KRA is a simple document that lists what a team member is responsible for—what they primarily do in their normal, everyday work. It’s a great tracking method for employees and employers that gives role clarity and sets clear expectations for what winning in the role looks like.

11. Go on a spousal dinner.

A spousal dinner is not an interview for the spouse, but it’s an important part of the hiring process. It’s an opportunity for the hiring leader and their spouse to get to know the potential new hire and their spouse. Why is that important? Spouses can have a lot of insight on whether the role, mission, values and personalities fit. It’s another step that makes Ramsey’s hiring process unique—and effective.

12. Implement a 90-day probation.

Although new hires might only meet with HR for two days for onboarding, all new team members have a 90-day probationary period. That means both the employee and employer make sure the new job is a good fit for everyone. And if it doesn’t work out for one reason or another within the first 90 days, we part ways.

How Will You Change the Way You Hire?

Directionless hiring will burn you out and leave you with the wrong hires. Knock your hiring game out of the park by changing the way you do things. Learn how SmartDollar can help you better serve your team and future hires.