Turnover. The very word strikes fear in the hearts of leaders everywhere. A leader once told me: “The only thing worse than having someone who is a bad fit on my team is the time and effort it takes to replace them.”
We all know the time and effort involved in constantly having to find, hire, and train new people for our teams. It is a wonder that we’re able to get anything else done.
But what if there was a way to attract, interview and effectively screen out only the absolute best fits for your team or organization — every time — so that (barring the occasional team member who leaves for reasons outside of their control) time-eating turnover becomes non-existent?
We’ve all heard the expression: “People don’t leave jobs; they leave bosses.” Now, as reductive as that might seem, when was the last time you hired someone who just didn’t have the required skill set for the position? They woke up one morning and told you, “Hey, I can’t do this job any more. Sorry, but I’m out of here.”
I’m not talking about all the BS reasons people give for leaving a company or team: “I found a better fit somewhere else” or “I found a shorter commute.” We all know these are just politically correct, but made up, reasons for leaving dysfunctional relationships at their current position. Ultimately, if they had been happy, they wouldn’t have been looking elsewhere.
So, if the vast majority of people leave their jobs because of dysfunctional relationships, and not because of competency or skill set deficiencies, why does 90% of our hiring practice revolve around the latter? Shouldn’t our hiring processes be focused on culture, team, and values fit first, and skill sets and competencies second?
“Of course!” you say. “We hire for character first and skill sets second.” I can’t believe how often I hear that. Yet when I dig into the actual hiring process of the company it always starts with a resume.
What does a resume tell you about the potential employee’s personality, communication style, values and personal culture? The short answer is: nothing. Most resumes are lists of skill sets, capabilities and achievements. “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” It’s true of investing and it’s true for hiring as well.
How then does one hire for character first? Well, first you have to know what you’re looking for. What is the culture of my team? What are our values? What mission or common cause drives our cohesiveness and sustained performance?
As a leader, you need to have clear and accurate answers to these questions before you even start the hiring process. Otherwise, you will have no idea what to look for in the person you’re trying to hire.
Once clear on why your team exists, how it behaves and communicates, you will be in a position to design a hiring process that can effectively screen out only those people who authentically share your team’s purpose, values and unique style.
My next article will outline the process of getting clear on your team or organization’s purpose and values.
