Ever work with a bad apple? Whether they were a part of your business, or a co-worker in a previous job, you KNOW how challenging this can be in your work day. We’ve all worked with people who were great on paper, but end up being a bad fit for the company. So – how do you go about finding the right people to work for you?
Hire for Core Values Before Skills
The first step is to identify your company’s core values. What is your company about, at its foundation? What are the qualities that you pride your business upon? What is your company’s heart and soul?
Once you’ve identified your core values, you need to focus on hiring for these factors before skills. Here’s the thing… you can teach someone how to do anything in your business, but you can’t teach them how to be humble. If humility is one of your core values, you need to ensure that someone representing your company possesses that attribute.
Interview for Core Values
Your interview process needs to have your company core values at the center of your hiring process. Here’s how you can do this:
- In your job ad, ask applicants to send their resume and in the body of an email answer a question relating to your core values. For example: “In your email, please share an example of how you’ve dealt with a difficult client.” This allows you to screen applicants before they get to the interview step.
- In your interview, ask a question that gives you a feel for whether they possess each one of your core values. If one of your core values is having fun, then ask: “Talk to me about what you do in your current job to ensure your team is having fun.”
Make Core Values Part of Your Employee On-boarding & On-Going Training
In order for your company to have a strong culture, everyone needs to be drinking your core value Kool-Aid. Your operations should have core values woven throughout employee onboarding, training, and operational guidelines. Here’s how you can do this:
- During your employee onboarding, make sure you take time to talk about the company core values. (Make sure they’re part of your onboarding checklist and employee handbook.)
- During your training, ensure that core values are part of your checklists. This gives your employee a roadmap for their daily tasks that incorporate your business philosophy.
- Employee reviews should incorporate core values. Employees should be rated on how well they embody the core values. Are they living out the ‘fun factor’ for your company? Let them know how they can improve on this – or how they are exceeding this expectation. An employee’s performance isn’t limited to the actual tasks of their daily work… but what they contribute to the company’s culture.
Most companies hire for skills. You’ll typically find good performers, but you won’t always have the right people for your business. A company’s success goes way beyond employee skills. Once you begin to hire the right people you’ll build a strong culture – and that strong culture is what visionary brands are known for.
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