A Bad Hire

I read an article today, “The Mindset of Great Leaders“, that had a few interesting statements on hiring that are worth repeating…

We hire people based on the number of years of industry experience they have, and then wonder why our company is just like our competitors.
Remember the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. First off, recruit, don’t hire. Always be looking for great people in all industries and walks of life. Limiting yourself to listing a job opening in the newspaper and careerbuilder.com will bring you the same turnover and results you’ve always produced. Need a new teller or new account rep? Find an employee at Wal-Mart doing a remarkable job. Need a new support person? Find a stay-at-home mom that’s now looking for a job since her kids are grown. She managed a home, she might be able to manage an office. Getting the picture? These two suggestions are real-life examples that I’ve seen personally.

We hire for skills, not values, and then wonder why we don’t have good teams.
Understand that skills can be taught but values are who a person is. Just because a person can list 10 skills that fit the job you’re trying to fill, doesn’t mean that person will be a fit on your team. Focus on how the person will compliment or improve the team. Does the employee’s core values match the core values and culture of the organization and team? Hire for value and then train the employee in the skills needed. The lazy manager doesn’t want to train and develop so he will focus only on skills.

Having a remarkable organization and team takes a commitment to recruiting the right people, developing your culture and implementing your plan. But without the right people and teams, you’ll be stuck on square one with everyone else.