Finding the right people for any organization is one of the most challenging aspects of running a business. Every department requires different skills, yet all employees need to work well together to create a positive corporate culture. So how does a manager go about finding just the right person for the job? Here are three quick tips:
1. Hire for Talent
Let’s face it, we have all been duped by a flashy resumé a time or two that touts a candidate’s years of experience in a particular role. We may even hire that person based on experience alone — only to find out that they may have the years under their belt, but actually lack the strengths needed to do the job.
The interview “process” may seem excessive and drawn out for a potential candidate who is eager to work, but there is a reason for the process on the hiring side. Over the course of phone screenings, in-person interviews, skill assessments and reference checks, the glitter should fall from the resume and the candidate’s true strengths will emerge. For me, the goal of hiring someone is to find out if the top three things that they are already naturally good at are a fit for what the position and the company needs. If you are a fan of StrengthsFinder, this approach probably sounds familiar.
Of course, the idea of hiring someone based on strengths is certainly not new; however, sometimes to find the right candidate, we have to be OK with throwing the experience qualifiers out the window if we have a solid candidate who can handle the position, has a natural inclination to be successful in it and is excited about it.
Experience and skills can be built up over time if the right candidate has a natural strength that is relevant to the role and that fills a gap in the company as a whole.
2. Don’t Hire Well Rounded People
I have been involved in many interviews throughout my career and one phrase that always makes my hiring senses tingle is when someone says that the candidate is “well-rounded.” Hiring a well-rounded candidate may seem like a good idea, but over time it becomes obvious that a well-rounded person often ends up being mediocre at a lot of things instead of a rock star at a few critical things that can make the business grow and stand out.
Hiring managers should instead focus on creating well-rounded teams. A variable set of strengths within a department can go a long way for a company.
This is very much like building a sports team. As a former swimming coach, my two-hour practice sessions were spent coaching my sprinters on how to be even better sprinters and my distance swimmers on how to be better distance swimmers. While there were some kids who fell into the “all-around” category who could be counted on to fill an event or a relay team here and there, they were never my star athletes who went on to compete at higher levels.
By hiring candidates who are using their top natural strengths on the job, managers will not end up spending valuable time trying to build a well-rounded individual into something they are not.
3. Invest in the Person
Once you have hired a candidate based on their strengths, it is important to find training opportunities to continue to nurture those strengths. Many companies equate employee training with employees learning programs and methods that focus on the tactical functions of their positions only. Training opportunities should extend beyond what an employee’s role is today into where she sees herself evolving down the road, hopefully with your company.
The more you invest in your employees, the more invested they will be in your company which will bring even greater growth and innovation to your company.
Kim Garcia is Director of Marketing for PSA Security Network. To request more info about PSA, please visit www.securityinfowatch.com/10214742.
