Many of my coaching clients or participants at my speaking engagements often ask me if there is a magic formular for hiring the best people successfully? Great question. Most managers and business owners struggle with this when they go through the entire hiring process, thinking they have found the right candidate, only to realize they hired the wrong person 6 months later. Ouch! That has to be very frustrating. I get it. It has happened to all of us.
However, consider this. We scrutinize potential employees, but how closely do you scrutinize the job to know what you are actually looking for in the position before you start the hiring process. Do you have clarity in what you want in the job. In other words, what is the role the candidate will be playing in the position not just what tasks need to be completed.
I like to advise people to look at the role of the position and identify the skills, behaviors and hunger that the job requires in order to find a successful candidate. You need to plan ahead and identify the criteria for all three ahead of time in the process. Let’s take a look at all three.
SKILLS
Make a list of what skills it will take to successfully do the job. Technology savvy? Verbal communication proficiency? Accurate attention to details or numbers crunching? It is important to identify these skills that are required to be successful in the position. However, ask yourself, do you need an expert in these skills or perhaps someone who is merely proficient. Ask some of your existing employees to help you identify the skills needed and how important they are or are not. They certainly know best. Skills are certainly important but might not be the most important.
BEHAVIORS
Look at what behaviors the job demands. Decision makers? Cheerleaders? Extraverts? Warm friendly approachable personality? Good follow up? Define what you are looking for before you hire someone. Think about our own experiences. How often have you walked into a doctor’s office for the first time and experienced a dismissive, no personality receptionist? How did you feel? Probably like a transaction. “NEXT!”
However, if you really looked at what behaviors and role the receptionist should play you might have wanted to hire someone with a warm, friendly and courteous greeter as a primary requirement with the skills of computer efficiency, appointment setting, cashiering, and insurance filling secondary. Especially if you only get one chance to deliver a good first impression.
HUNGER (MOTIVATION)
Ask yourself, how hungry does the candidate need to be in the position? Do they need to be excited or enthusiastic in the job to inspire others? Do they need be motivated to upsell your products or services. Must be compassionate and really care about helping and serving customers? Do they need to thrive on solving problems, completing tasks, getting results? Do you need someone to take charge of projects, solving customer complaints or do you prefer to micro manage and babysit them to get the job done?
If hiring isn’t your strength, at least know what you are looking for before you start the hiring process. Remember, most candidates walk into the interview with their “game face”. Your job in the hiring process is to know what you really want and what is the most important role that the candidate must play to make them the right fit for your business. Now that would be “MAGICAL”!
DO YOU KNOW THE BEST QUESTIONS TO ASK CANDIDATES DURING AN INTERVIEW TO GET BETTER HIRING RESLUTS?
Need help? Although, it is important to know what you are looking for ahead of time, also knowing what exact questions you need to ask the candidate during the interview process is just as important to make sure the candidate actually can perform the role that you want. If you struggle with that or just keep asking the same boring non effective interview questions and getting the same bad hires, and want proven successful questions that work then contact me to schedule a quick FREE STRATEGY CALL and I will provide you 100’s of the right questions to ask. Just CLICK HERE or email me at info@johnformica.com Happy to help!
John Formica is America’s Customer Experience Coach, team culture expert, keynote speaker, and Top 10 Global Thought Leader and Influencer on Customer Loyalty. For information on customer experience evaluations and programs, leadership training, how to find and hire great people, affordable tailored training programs or to book John to speak at your next event, contact 704-965-4090 or visit our website at JohnFormica.com.