Hiring 101: Before the Interview
By Whitney Hagarbome of Innovative Energy
Finding, hiring, and keeping the right people for your team is arguably one of the most important areas to master as you attempt to grow a successful business. Unfortunately, it’s no easy task. I perceive the quest to create your dream squad has actually gotten more difficult, but don’t be discouraged. There are several things you can do to increase your chances of connecting with the ideal person for your position, securing them for your team, and then riding off into the sunset with both of you loving your jobs.
Lucky for you, none of them require asking interview questions about what superhero someone would be. Newer team leaders can get so caught up on interview questions that they miss crucial steps that can set them up for success in the hiring process.
Whitney Hagarbome
So, where do we start?
At the beginning, of course. These first steps have nothing to do with the candidate and everything to do with you and your business.
Before you add anyone to your team, it’s important to interview yourself and be clear on who you are as a business. Start asking yourself questions, and be sure you can answer them clearly.
Why are you in this business, and how are you different?
What things, and qualities, are important in your business and on your team?
What is it you’re trying to accomplish, and what values will you stand on to get there?
Why all the questions?
If you can answer these, it will help you keep your sanity as a business owner, but it will also help you paint a clear picture to each new person coming in. This way, they will know if they will fit in and how to succeed on your team.
Connect the Dots
Evaluate whether your answers and your business match, if not, get to work.
Write down your core values and start to incorporate them into everything. Think about whether your policies and processes correlate with the things you said were important. The decisions you make and the way you guide you team should match these written values. When someone walks into your business and can see the connection to what you are telling them in the interview, it helps them start to build trust. Remember, interviews are not just a chance for you to get to know the candidate. It is also a chance for them to get to know your business and whether this position will be the right fit.
Team Members are Not Mind Readers
The next part is thinking into the details about what duties you want this new person to do. Think about the systems and processes you have in place in your business. If you haven’t really had clear ones and have been winging it up until this point, that’s okay, but this is a great reason to start getting organized. As founders, we tend to get a little worried that no one will do it exactly the way we do. Well, team members are not mind readers, so can you blame them? If you give clear instructions on exactly how you do things, new hires have a better chance at duplicating that for you. Get those processes written down, and create some guides that will be helpful training tools. Having these tools available will allow your new hire a chance to feel competent and valuable early, which reinforces the good decision they made to join your team. It also gives you a few free minutes to focus on the duties you decide to keep.
Create and Keep Your Ideal
Lastly, even in desperate times, please do not try to land any person who walks in or the person you know is a good time. You are trying to find an ideal match for this specific position. Think about what qualities or experience that ideal person would likely have. Yes, there is some benefit of enjoying the person’s company, but mostly, you want them to be a great fit for your business culture and the available position. It may seem fun to hire friends at first, but it will end up causing you stress in the long run and require you to start the process all over if they were hired for the wrong reasons.
Now, I think you might just be ready to take on some interviews and find your dream team. You will head in more confident and be better prepared to not only choose the right person but set them up for success on your team ahead!