Adding the “Right” People to your Organization.
All teams are comprised of people and every team’s success depends on the right people executing their roles. Adding people to your team is one of, if not, the most challenging aspects of leadership. There are so many variables at play - people’s backgrounds, their skillsets, their character, their ability to adapt to a new environment - the list goes on and on. How is it possible to know a person well enough to know for sure they are a fit? Simply put - you can’t. There is always the possibility that you will select the “wrong” person.
So how do we move forward if there is no guarantee that the people who join your team will be a fit? This article will give you some tools as there are ways to maximize the chances of adding the “right” candidates to your team.
EGO CHECK:
Before getting starting the hiring process you need to check your ego at the door. Honestly, any article on leadership could start with that very phrase, and I’ll probably type it again in future articles, but it is especially relevant for finding the “right” people. Why? First, job turnover is being scrutinized by every company out there. There are good reasons for this, but when turnover becomes another KPI to “manage” rather than an opportunity to look at health of the team culture, it is easy to prioritize limiting turnover at the expense of building culture with the “right” people for your team. Second, new leaders and hiring managers looking to make their mark, it is easy to attach our ego to how well we hire. We’re told hiring is “a challenge” or “the hardest part of management.” Both could be true, but if you’re like me, you want to defy the odds. I wanted to hire all the right people the first time and never hire again! This created a bond for my ego that blinded me when it was clear one of my people did not belong on my team. Leave your ego at the door. Nobody hires perfectly and not everyone is a fit for your organization. That is OK.
KNOW YOUR VISION:
There is massive opportunity when intentionally hiring the “right” person for your team. The good news is: you get to determine what “right” is. This starts with your vision. When talking to candidates, know the vision for your team. What qualities to they need to possess in order to fit, and build, the culture you envision for your team? Be specific! What do you want your team to look like? What characteristics do you want your team to be known for? Whether it be personality, energy, or specific skills/roles that the team needs filled - leaders need to know what they are looking for! If you don’t know what you’re looking for and you don’t know what your organization needs, how can you possibly find it? Take the time to write down what you are looking for in your team members and take that with you into your interviews. If you’re stumped or need help, take the time to collaborate with your peers and subordinate leaders. The leaders on your team will want to have input on who you are bringing in to work with them so if you can, build that vision together!
OBJECTIVE INTERVIEWING:
When I began my role as a hiring manager, I had a vague idea what I was looking for in candidates, but no way to communicate to job candidates what I expected from them if they joined my team. I had somewhat of a vision, but I had no objective tool to use to determine if they would likely thrive on my team. I naively believed people would enter into the team with an inate understanding of what it took to win with the team. Wrong! What was the result? In my interviews, I would “go with my gut” or following a “hunch” as to whether someone was going to be a fit or not. The results left me dissatisifed with my ability. So I searched for ways to improve my ability to hire strong candidates. On a peer’s recommendation, I read the book Who, by Geoff Smart and Randy Street, which outlines their approach to hiring. Through their book, they introduced me to the idea of a “scorecard.”
This scorecard is not a test that you put new candidates through but is a document that holds you accountable to hiring the “right” person. It is an outline which you can use to guide your questions. This objectivity will allow you to stay focused on the goal, which is to determine if this candidate is a fit for the culture of your team. Simply, it is a listed series of characteristics and skills you need to observe from your candidate during the interview process. If integrity is important to you, what examples from your candidate’s previous job history do you need to hear about for them to convince you of their integrity? If you need someone reliable, what evidence from their past convinces you that they are so? Objective interviewing is not about whether someone sells themselves well. It is about digging in and determining which candidates have previously displayed the skills and the characteristics you need for your organization. Take it seriously and approach it with intentionality. It doesn’t have to be lengthy or “fancy.” It’s a tool for you. As you and your candidate talk, use it as a guide to maintain objectivity in scoring how well your candidate is matching what you need in a team member.
TRANSPARENCY:
The reality is nobody has to join your team. Any leader looking to force, coerce, or trick people into joining their team is on a path to their own downfall. The scorecard must be realistic, but you should also be transparent about the challenges of the job. If you are in a rebuilding phase for your team, be transparent about the workload your candidates can expect. If your team is running on all cylinders and you need someone to step in and not get swept away by the pace and workload, be transparent. Too many leaders paint a beautiful view of their team without the transparency of reality. Why is this a danger? Because nobody has to stay with your team and if the “selling points” of your job are non-existent in reality, or are mitigated by negatives which you left out, you have lost influence and likely wasted your time on hiring that candidate.
All leaders need people. Without our teams, we are not leaders. The role of hiring can be very challenging, and there is no perfect science, yet the four principles outlined here will help you maximize your chances of hiring great people to grow your team. Be transparent, because people don’t have to work for you. Transparency allows your candidates to walk in day one with their eyes open to what is expected of them. Be objective and don’t get sidetracked by charm and charisma. What have your candidates done in the past? Create a scorecard to keep you and your hiring managers on track. Hiring without intentionally embracing a vision for your team dramatically decreases your ability to find the right candidate for your team. If you don’t have one, develop a vision! Know who you’re looking for. Leave your ego out of it. You will not be a perfect hiring manager and expecting yourself to be so opens you up to holding on to the “wrong” candidates for too long.
References:
Cover: <a href="https://www.vecteezy.com/free-photos/crowd">Crowd Stock photos by Vecteezy</a>
Smart, Street. Who. 2008. Ballintine Books, New York.
