The Complexity of Hiring People for Your Business

Let’s face it, interviewing and hiring employees are not the most glamorous responsibilities for any business owner. However, it may be the single most important task a business owner can do; none-the-less “do right”. Many business owners don’t have a plan when they start the recruiting process. This is a problem because bad hires cost 15x times their salary* and most business owners would never equate that cost to hiring. Companies have the expense of pre-employment processes AND the expense of employing a bad hire. Bad hires waste time, are inefficient, and spread bad habits or affect morale. So what should business owners do?

• Have a plan – Don’t conduct interviews unprepared. Figure out what you will pay and how you will schedule the position. Create your list of questions ahead of time. If you haven’t researched wages, reviewed budget/labor for scheduling, and decided on the skills or experience you require, then you shouldn’t start interviewing anyone.
• Interview for fit not for fill – How many times have you hired someone just because you needed a body? You may be doing more harm to your business than good. Make sure the person fits the core values of your company. Most people can be trained for skills but values are an inherent part of the person’s being. Values can be hard and not the traditional feel good and fuzzy. If you value aggressive sales over personality, that’s okay just make sure the value is real and true to your company.
• Be prepared to let a bad hire go – After you find who you think is the right candidate, make sure they “ARE” the right employee. If you find out within the first couple of weeks that they aren’t as great as you hoped, don’t be afraid to let them go. They aren’t contributing to your business and they become just a body to fill a void. Even more, they are wasting your money and resources.
• Plan for the plan – Lastly, keep planning. Just because you filled a position doesn’t mean it stops there. You should be proactive and always have the next candidate ready to fill a need.

Business owners need to hire individuals who share the same values of the team and contribute to all aspects of the business. Hiring can be super complicated, much planning needs to go into the hiring process and it’s not something that you can do overnight. It takes work and dedication if you want our business to grow having the right people working for you.
*Topgrading Dr. Michael Lawrence