As an entrepreneur, finding the best people to work for your company is one of the most crucial aspects of your business’ success. That’s why the hiring process can be so tricky. Do it right – you’re on a roll. Do it wrong – you can be left with a whole world of issues to deal with.
People being people, it’s often difficult to judge how that person is going to perform in your business. So how can you ensure that you’re doing all you can to hire the right people?
Hiring another you
As humans, we tend to gravitate towards people like ourselves. So, if you’re hiring only people that are similar to you, knowingly or unknowingly, you’re heading for a fall. Every company needs a variety of skills, and a whole host of personality types to keep the organisation in balance.
Hire for Personality
No matter how great an interviewee’s CV may look, no matter how articulate they are, or how well they present themselves, if they lack interpersonal skills, there’s little chance they’ll fit in with your company. The best employees are the ones who are positive, upbeat and with a can-do attitude. This helps not only to get the job done in a more efficient and pleasant manner, but also for the morale of the entire team. Skills, people can learn. Personality? There’s no changing that.
The Best Fit for Your Company
Find people whose values are in line with that of the company. When people have a common goal, and have the same vision for the company, all the energy flows in the same direction.
Listening
Oftentimes, interviewers spend their time talking, losing a valuable chance to get to know the interviewee. It’s amazing what you can learn if you really listen to what the interviewee is saying.
Soft Skills
Soft skills such as social and emotional intelligence are often overlooked in an interview. But those with high social intelligence will know what to do when there’s a problem within the office, say with another employee, or when there’s a problem with a client. Creating a great team isn’t just about getting all the right skills together, it’s about creating the right dynamic so that employees are motivated, happy in their jobs and satisfied.
Staff Retention
Once you have recruited the right person, you then need to ensure you can retain and motivate them so the new employee will commit to your organisation for the long-term. Building a company culture where staff feel valued and appreciated is essential. By promoting a business culture that employees can buy into, they will become more motivated and work more passionately to make the business a success. Creating meaning for employees and giving them the opportunity for continuous learning and upskilling, will ensure your staff stay for the long run.
Alison offers a number of human resource management courses, that offer some great tips on how to hire and retain the best people.
