Every business I work with has at some point experienced challenging and unpleasant issues with its team members. A reality for every business is the potential for individuals to interrupt the smooth and effective operation of the company and harm the work environment.
Team members of this caliber typically don’t handle themselves or their positions well. They have negative attitudes, are difficult to communicate with and consistently have complaints and personal issues. They also could lack the necessary skills and attributes; resist learning and change; and, due to one or more of these factors, create a drag on the culture and success of the entire organization.
Owners and managers frequently spend a great amount of time and other resources working with these team members to improve performances and attitudes — or find it easier to avoid them all together because they don’t know how to effectively handle the situation. In the end, such team members must be let go and the positions filled with what’s hopefully higher-caliber individuals.
The quality and character of the individuals of a company directly affect the efficiency and effectiveness of the business — not to mention the pleasure of those who own and operate it. Simply put, the higher the caliber of those you hire, the more happiness and success you’ll derive from your company.
By hiring top performers — individuals with positive attitudes, the needed skill sets and behavioral styles, who are solution-oriented and have a willingness to learn and a strong character — you’ll position your company to operate far more effectively and achieve new levels of happiness and success.
The first step in building a team of top performers is to stack your bench. Think of your company in terms of a sports team. Should a member of your team need to be replaced due to underperformance, a bad attitude or lack of commitment, you’ll need a replacement. Unless you have qualified, motivated and effective players to bring in, you’ll be hesitant to make a change.
Many business owners and managers fail to let go of ineffective team members that inhibit operations because they don’t have qualified candidates ready to replace them. By gathering a list of solid individuals from which to choose, you’ll be better positioned and more likely to make the necessary changes that will enhance your team and, therefore, the performance of your business.
As with any successful team, it’s vital you don’t just fill a position with the first available person. Instead, strive to hire the best person you can for the position by carefully considering top candidates who not only possess the skills necessary to do the job, but also align with the values, mission, goals and objectives of your business. By doing so, you’ll make a strong choice for your company, your team, the customers you serve and yourself.
I work with businesses to hire top performers through the proven process of Job Benchmarking. When this is correctly employed with the assistance of Key Accountabilities, Subject Matter Experts, high quality Candidate Assessments, Comparison Reports and a final interview before hiring, the success rate rises dramatically.
I believe these final interviews must be conducted in person. The vast majority of communication comes to us through body language and tonality, with spoken words accounting for a mere 6 percent of the actual message. Knowing this and preparing to interview with the assistance of a qualified coach and consultant can help you understand what an interviewee is telling you not only with their words, but more importantly, in their tone and body language.
A qualified professional can also position you to ask questions that provide clues into a person’s levels of commitment and involvement. Typically, there’s a significant difference between a person who spends a great deal of idle time at the bar or watching television and one who seeks out opportunities to learn and stay physically active. The more engaged people are in their personal lives, the more likely they are to be engaged team members in your business.
There are no guarantees you’ll hire the best person for the job and company every time. But when you do your due diligence through sophisticated hiring practices with the guidance of a competent coach or consultant, you position yourself to hire top performers for your team.