Marcus Straub
The quality and character of the individuals essential to the operations 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 choose to hire, the more happiness and success you’ll derive from your company.
As an executive business coach and consultant, every business I work with has at some point experienced issues with its team members. A reality for every business is the potential for people on staff to continually inhibit the smooth operation of the company and harm the work environment.
These team members typically don’t handle themselves or their positions well. They’re not easy to communicate with, exhibit negative attitudes and consistently have complaints and personal issues. They also could lack the necessary skills and attributes; are likely to be resistant to learning and change; and, due to one or more of these factors, exert a drag on the overall morale and success of the entire organization.
Owners and managers must frequently spend a great amount of time and other resources working with these team members to improve performance and attitude. Alternatively, they might find it easier to avoid them altogether because they don’t know how to effectively handle the situation. In the end, these people must be let go and the position refilled with “hopefully” a higher-performing individual.
There’s a better choice. By hiring potential superstars — individuals with a positive attitude who are solution-oriented, with a willingness to learn, a desirable skill set and strong character — you’ll position your company to operate far more effectively and achieve new levels of happiness and success.
In hiring potential superstars, the first step 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 must replace them. 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 because they don’t have qualified candidates ready to replace them. By compiling a list of solid individuals to choose from, you’ll be better positioned 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 very best person you can by considering candidates who embody the values, mission, goals and objectives of your business. By doing so, you’ll make a strong choice for your company, your team, the clients and customers you serve and yourself.
I work with companies to hire potential superstars through the proven process of Job Benchmarking. When this is correctly employed with the assistance of key accountabilities, high-quality candidate assessments, comparison reports and a final interview before hiring, the success rate rises dramatically.
I recommend that final interviews 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 also in their tone and body language.
Quality professional assistance can also position you to ask questions that provide clues into a person’s level of commitment and involvement. There’s typically a significant difference between a person who spends a great deal of idle time on the computer or watching television and one who seeks out opportunities to learn, read and stay physically active. The more engaged a person is in their personal life, the more likely they are to be an engaged team member.
There are no guarantees you’ll hire the best person for the job and the company every time. But when you do your due diligence through sophisticated hiring practices with the guidance of a competent coach or consultant, you’ll position yourself to make the best choice possible in identifying potential superstars for your team.
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