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Who Should I Hire?

Posted 20 July By Hanju LeeEntrepreneurshipNo Comments

Who Should I Hire?

Do you know what’s interesting to me? When I observe different businesses and start getting to know their staff, a lot of times they all seem to have a similar vibe. Like this one time, I got off the freeway and realized that my tire was flat. Not having a spare, I had to quickly call the tow truck and have it towed to the nearest repair shop. Well, the person that answered the phone was quite rude and condescending. He did not consider my emergency situation to be urgent on his end and had zero empathy. In fact, I got the sense that he hated his job and was taking it out on me.

I decided to write a review explaining how it made me feel as a customer to deal with a difficult person during a difficult circumstance. Well, wouldn’t you know it, the owner of the company replied to my review and chewed me out. No apology, just rudeness. Similar vibe.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I walked into a busy coffee shop to get my flat white, and was met by an energetic and friendly barista who greeted me with a smile and joked around with me to lighten the mood. He told me about how the flat white is made and how they use a unique blend of creamer to make the drink pop. Then, I noticed his supervisor in the back – running around with high energy, whistling a tune, and playfully talking to the other baristas working away. Big smiles, friendly service, excellent coffee. Similar vibe.

My conclusion is that we tend to hire people that get us…and who are like us. We like to hire someone that understands our values and even shares them.

Vibe = Culture

But just because they fit our vibe, does that automatically make them the best person for the job? How do we identify and hire the right person, and not just the perfect resume? Other than finding someone with similar values, what are the best ways to evaluate important factors that will make a great hire?

Here are some to consider…

1. Do a Culture Fit Assessment
According to a study by Leadership IQ, 89% of hiring failures are related to attitude, not the technical skills that tend to be represented on paper. By evaluating cultural fit in advance, you can ensure that a candidate is aligned to your company’s beliefs, values, and unique style. A culture fit assessment is a survey that you include in the recruiting process that asks about a person’s motivation, goals and preferences that can bring these dynamics to the surface. Questions about their dream job, ideal schedule, the amount of support they expect from a manager, or work/life balance can help shed light on their fit within your organization.

2. Implement Job Auditions
Can we really trust every word someone says in a resume or interview? Job auditions are an emerging new way to cut through the BS and see how a candidate engages the actual work you’re hiring them to do. Whether it’s inviting the person to come spend “a day in the life” at your company, paying them to do a contract assignment that’s applicable to their position, or giving them an extended tryout in the desired role, a job audition is like the dressing room of the hiring process – both sides get to try it on and see how it looks before making a final decision.

3. Make Hiring a Team Effort
At BOS Media, we believe in being better together, especially in the hiring process. Having multiple perspectives will help mitigate your own blind spots or biases. Ideally every candidate should be interviewed by at least two people in your organization—preferably three—from different departments, with no single individual having the overriding vote. This might take extra work, but it’s worth it to find the right person that everyone loves to work with.

I hope this helps you hold up a mirror to your hiring process. If you find yourself too busy and stressed out to give thoughtful consideration to who you bring on board, don’t be surprised if you end up surrounded by busy, stressed out employees… Similar vibe.

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