Hiring the right people at the appropriate time can propel your business forward.  Hiring the wrong person or hiring in the wrong order can be a drain on resources, energy, or worse.  Jim Collins, author of “Good to Great”, uses the phrase of “putting the right person in the right seat on the bus”.

Hiring shouldn’t be done quickly.  It may take several months to find the right fit. Time should be given to what the needs of your company are and when they should be added.  When adding a team member consideration of their ability to grow in the position is critical. Not just if they can fill the current job.

What is the Right Order of Hiring?

Too often a small business or solopreneur gets so busy they add someone to ease their work load without consideration of what the long term consequences will be. Adding a virtual person to do accounting, administrative work, or some other task is the great first step.  Adding someone to do sales on commission is also a good first step.

Have Clear Work Requirements

Using KRA’s (Key Result Areas) is critical to define what you expect.  KRA’s layout in simple terms what it looks like when a team member is winning.

• A good job description
  1. The position requirements.
  2. The position experience.
  3. What it looks like to win in the position.
• A clear compensation schedule.
• A non-compete schedule if needed

Check References

Yes I know applicants put positive references down to contact.  However, you can still learn a great deal about the person you are interviewing by their references.  Try to determine how enthusiastic the contact is about your potential employee.

Use Personality Tests

This can be a great way to help determine how the person interacts with other people, including your customers.  There are several that I recommend:  Strength Finders 2.0, DISC personality profile or How to Fascinate.

Use Your Spouse As Part Of The Interview

A good way to do this is have dinner in a relaxed setting.  If your spouse has a bad feeling about the person you are interviewing, look deeper. It may also work to the possible applicant’s advantage if you are on the fence and your spouse is positive on the candidate.

Getting the right people on the right seats in the bus is an absolute.  Taking time even when it may seem like we don’t have time to do all the steps will save time in the long run.  Having KRA’s to define if the team member is winning is a great help.

Make your next hire a step to expand your company and lead it to being Great!

Question of the Week:  What hiring mistakes have you made?

Quote of the Week: “Start with good people, lay out the rules, communicate with your employees, motivate them and reward them. If you do all those things effectively, you can’t miss.” – Lee Iacocca