Have you ever had that sinking feeling that you made a terrible mistake in hiring someone? We’ve all been there.
Most of us have experienced it: the sneaking suspicion when we first meet that person, the growing excitement as we get to know him or her better and then the fateful question we ask ourselves, “Could this be the person that could bring us to the next level?”
We do our due diligence, make the first approach, and the prospective employee shows interest. One thing leads to another and before you know it you have a new team member.
At first things start out great. The team member show up on time, all anxious to make a great impression and start things out on the right foot. But soon the signs turn.
It is almost always something small at first: a side comment, an off conversation, or a gut feeling.
Then a cold front sets in. Suddenly, the new addition to your team is not as excited or interested any longer. The frost spreads to other team members, who are reacting to the recent temperature drop. The complaints begin, along with drama, politics, and various other problems.
You ask: “Where did the person we hired go? And who is this?”
Those are great questions. The problem is that we usually don’t bother to ask those questions until we fail to get the results we were expecting.
Most times, we focus on the question, “Can this person do the job?” rather than, “Who is this person?”
Imagine if we used that criteria when choosing a spouse, romantic partner, friend, or babysitter. There are thousands of people who could “do the job” in these arenas, but precious few who we would consider a good fit, not to mention a perfect match. Additionally, there are quite a few people who could “do the job,” yet who personally I would never allow near me or my children.
So why do we assume that someone who simply “does the job” would succeed in working with us for 40 or more hours a week? Is personal fit irrelevant for us in the workplace?
Many people would argue that anything “personal” IS irrelevant in their professional lives, as if we can somehow separate out parts of ourselves and bring only sections to the workplace (those same people lament that their employees aren’t fully present and engaged in their jobs).
If then, personal fit is important in hiring the best team members for our organization, how can we find these people?
The first step is understanding ourselves as leaders. Who are you as a person? What is the core purpose that drives you? What are your values? Are you the type who values a fun, laid back, creative culture? Or does that type of thing annoy you? Do you have a clear sense of “me” and “not me?” Do you value yourself and believe in your style of business, believing that there are others — both employees and customers — who will be attracted to that style and set of values?
Once you have clarity about yourself, the second step is understanding your organization. How well can you articulate why the organization exists? Can you communicate its core values and definition? What are the guiding principles that will attract and fuel its team members?
This clear picture of ourselves as leaders and our organizations as a whole will give us an entirely different measuring stick to judge if a prospective employee will fit well on a team. In an almost contradictory way, this clarity will come with more creativity in your ability to think outside the box, look at your team in a new and innovative way, and see new possibilities for growth.
The third step, considering the person who walks in for an interview, will flow more smoothly once you have completed the first two steps. You will be able to come up with the right questions, discern the important and relevant information to filter, and understand the personal fit on a deeper level.
When it comes to these three steps, where are you? How can you find more clarity in your hiring process?
