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Article:
Five Secrets to Hiring Great People'“'“And How to Be One Yourself by: John Uprichard Bad news. Your senior vice-president, your marketing director or your accounting department head has decided to retire, move to Okinawa or start his own business'“'“and you're left staring, horrified, at a polite letter of resignation. The timing couldn't be worse. You've now got a vacancy to fill, and you need to do it...well, yesterday. Is there any ray of hope? There is. But first, let's get one important fact out of the way: No one truly enjoys the hiring process, no matter how favorable the circumstances. It's a nuisance, an irritation, a drain on both your time and energy. It can also be a professional land mine. No matter how savvy or perceptive a recruiter you may be, you're treading the uncharted territory of some total stranger's professional qualifications. Every executive can tell horror stories where, despite the best of intentions, he wound up saddled with a salesperson who couldn't sell, a trainer who couldn't train or a manager who couldn't manage. The result? More time and energy, not to mention money--'“drained and lost. Yet the guidelines which encourage successful hiring are remarkably simple, as long as you plan well in advance. Here are the five essentials: Hire only people who excite you. You actually can't afford anything less. Due to the downward shift in our economy and our increased technology, most companies are no longer supporting the head counts they once were. Instead they're keeping fewer people and expecting them to absorb more comprehensive duties. So at some point during that initial interview, you'd better be sitting on the edge of your chair, panting with anticipation at the prospect of adding this rising star to your existing team. Sure, it's a tall order. But settling for someone who's mediocre, or worse, 'should work out just fine'¯ isn't good enough. Getting revved up during the first-impression stage isn't enough, either. You should feel that same energy during every follow-up meeting. Remember: This person who rivets you will also rivet your clients, his or her fellow employees and your general public. A lukewarm response from you, on the other hand, will virtually guarantee the same from others, both externally (outside your firm) and internally (inside it). But do you dare to be that picky? Absolutely. Read on. Don't take risks when hiring. Well-groomed appearances and impeccable manners can be distracting, if not downright misleading. Look past them. Also, don't take resumes too seriously. So this applicant has an accounting degree. So what? How do you know he/she can really do the job? Find out by checking into past performances. Ask lots of specific, quantifiable questions: 'How much money did you save your former employer?'¯ 'What sort of impact did you make on the company?'¯ And most important of all: 'What was your single, most significant contribution? Was that a team or an individual effort?'¯ While the ability to work independently is a definite plus, beware of too many 'I-me-my'¯ answers and not enough 'we-us-our.'¯ Also, watch for a chronic inability to furnish specifics or a heavy reliance on workplace-oriented jargon. If you keep hearing statements like, 'I helped to optimize my firm's profitability'¯ and 'I feel that I achieved sustained results,'¯ pretend you're Columbo. Scratch your forehead, act confused and then probe deeper'“'“up to a point, of course! Eventually you'll either strike gold or just bump into more and more boulders. Develop a winning job description. You'd be amazed at how many executives admit to a dirty little secret: They loathe the task of writing a description so much that they often won't even bother to do it! No wonder new employees can be seen scurrying around, looking clueless. That description must be clear, concrete, concise and in writing. It must include not only responsibilities, but also expectations in all areas'“'“exactly what your new employee is being hired to accomplish and exactly how his/her success will be measured. That kind of clarity is essential for both of you. At the end of one year, a performance review should be a breeze. If he or she has accomplished A, B and C, then he or she has done an excellent job. Again, quantifiability is key. Hire only people who will be challenged by their new positions. Would you, as a former CFO of a $'150
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