One of the hardest tasks of a business owner is hiring the right people. Top performers must have the right work ethic to fulfill expectations, but also be a good fit within the company. A bad hire could result in serious repercussions, as the business’s reputation could be tarnished by their actions.
Having built three successful businesses, I know a thing or two about the process of hiring top performers. Here are my seven best tips to help you hire your dream team:
Recruit The Right Candidates
Make sure you’re putting out the right bait to attract candidates. I usually refer to this as “filling your funnel.” Here are some traits about your company that you should share with candidates:
- Culture and environment: Company outings, family picnics, lunch and learns, appreciation days, etc.
- Attire: Whether there’s a dress code — if it’s business casual, business formal, and so on.
- Employer prestige: Your retention rate, company history, tech opportunities, awards won, etc.
- Travel: Company trips, seminars, conferences and training.
- Compensation and benefits: Incentives, bonus structure, stock, 401(k), holidays, company car, healthcare, etc.
- Personal advancement: On-the-job training, cross-training, education, certifications, employee awards and promotions.
Know The Type of Candidate You Want
It’s important to determine if the candidate is expected to handle easy tasks, or deliver on business deals that require more effort and creativity. You must have a clear understanding of the skills and personality needed to fill the position before beginning the interview process.
If you’re not too familiar with what their purview should entail, I recommended going to the source. When I hired my controllers, for instance, I had my CPA interviewing them to make sure they were qualified. We also make sure that their attitude matches those of our existing team members.
Ask Pertinent Interview Questions
Conducting an interview with candidates is the most important phase of the hiring process. Ask questions that help bring out their personality and professional demeanor. These are my top three:
- “Why should I hire you?”
- “If I called your old boss, what would he or she tell me you need to work on?”
- “How you would handle X situation?” (Make it a situational question that requires creative reasoning skills.)
Check References
A job candidate must provide a resume and references before their interview. Take the time to verify each credential, job skills and their work experience. Oftentimes, the references are former supervisors, co-workers or college academic advisors: Ask them for a detailed critique of the candidate’s skills. The main question to ask here is, “Are they re-hirable?”
Commit to Excellence
Is the candidate serious enough about the position, or do they view it as just a temporary opportunity? You must take a closer look at their employment history, especially if they move from one position to another without much explanation. The following is a great question that helps you uncover the candidates’ last experiences and let you know what type of person they are: “Tell me what you would change about the last company you worked for, and what you didn’t like about its management.”
Check Social Media
It’s very important to conduct a social media background search on all job candidates. Their entire social media profile should be available online, as this will provide a better perspective on how the candidate’s personal and professional life intertwines. Be on the lookout for insights that tell you whether or not they fit your culture.
Hire Interns
Most business leaders would disagree with this, but hiring interns for full-time positions is the best approach you can take. There’s no introductory period, as you already know their strengths and weaknesses. Competency is still the most important factor in the hiring process, and their performance in the workplace if they’re truly cut out for the gig. If they get along with every co-worker and their direct supervisor is advocating for them, then this person probably deserves an offer for a full-time position.
At the end of the day, business is all about people. Finding the people who are able to get things done and who believe in your company’s vision is what will make your business thrive, and consequently attract more top performers. Making millions is not easy. The key is to always be topgrading, even if you think your team is already perfect.
BusinessCollective, launched in partnership with Citi, is a virtual mentorship program powered by North America’s most ambitious young thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners.