Hiring is the ultimate make or break for every business as people are the greatest engine in the process and in the modern world of instant results finding, retaining, and growing people can be harder than ever. Here are a few key lessons we have learned to increase your recruitment speed, efficiency, and retention.
Have a very developed job role that you stick to:
Too often, people are hired for a certain role today and within weeks find themselves doing tasks very separate from what was originally proposed to them, especially with high performers. As entrepreneurs, we need to understand that even though some people have high ownership of tasks at work doesn’t mean we should bury them in whatever we need off of our plates. By giving a person a clear role and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), you will equip them for long-term success and help them grow in a specific area.
Have a growth and development plan custom for each hire:
When you invest the time and attention it takes into each person to give them clarity on how they can grow and the opportunity in front of them it raises retention dramatically for a few reasons: They feel like their career path and your company align, they see that you are a leader that looks at the person and not just the numbers, they build themselves in the vision by accepting and signing off on the plan. Putting a signature on a growth plan by a new hire is a firm commitment that only within your company can those goals be achieved.
Hire to fit the manager and culture not just the culture:
Using analytical-based testing allows us to benchmark not only new candidates but the entire current team to ensure new hires can fill the gaps and match the personalities of the amazing people you already have. Too many companies just aim for the high performers and not people that compliment the leadership styles of the direct managers which can cause quick turnover and conflict. Make sure to take the time to analyze your teams and know who is on your bus and what seats to fill.
Do an active interview that involves critical thinking:
What really allows an interviewer to see what someone is made of is doing an old-fashioned business case interview to evaluate problem-solving and critical thinking skills. What we do is different for every role but always has the same elements.
- We Set the stage- Create a real-life day-to-day example of the more difficult tasks or situations this person will encounter with all the present variables.
- Give them an end goal and an outline of considerations
- Ask them to show you their work and how they would achieve the goal taking into account (systems, people, budget, clients, and any other important piece to that role)
- Have them present the solution back to you as if they were already in your company and in the role you are interviewing for
This will provide you with a strong snapshot of their critical skills and reduce onboarding because they do an immensity of research before the interview.
Use a reverse interview:
We ask our new candidates in the final stage to interview 1 or 2 people in the company and current role to ask anything that they may be interested to know. This helps weed out any issues that could arise and allows your current staff to resell themselves on why they work at your company. I know this is a scary step but if you are a leader who will stand behind the quality of your processes, staff, and systems this will produce massive gains in retention and company cultural belief.
These are some of the simple things we do to gain the best people and help them grow with us for years to come. We hope this has helped you and if you want to explore ideas further please book a time with us as this is only the tip of the iceberg.
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