Okay,  now there is actually hiring going on out there and that brings up many demons. Remember when you hired the customer service staff that hung up on the customer because he was angry? Oh yea, remember when you asked your staff to complete an assignment by 5:00pm, and they dropped by at 4:45 to say they had to leave a bit early, and they didn’t get the project done. Remember the hire that became their evil twin after the probation time was over.  Oh the memories…..

They do make for some great stories over a case of wine some days but when you are in them it doesn’t feel so funny.

I started out my human resources career in the talent industry and learned a great deal about assessing those who are playacting (because they really need the money) to those who would shine in the roles available.  I have always believed if you get the right people in the door the first time all the other programs you need to nurture and support your staff are so much easier and a lot more fun and profitable. I have continued to develop my skills to assess individuals and I have found the answer. I can with a great deal of accuracy tell you if someone will do a good job for you in the function you are trying to fill.

However,,,,, there are a few things you must do first.

1. What stage is your business functioning at? You need different people for start ups than you need for not for profit. Keep these factors firmly in mind. Many a good intention hiring manager goes off the rails right here, at the beginning.
2. Understand what type of skills and temperament qualities you really need.  Do you need someone who is capable of going with the flow or someone would thinks in processes? Please don’t put the wrong type of skills in the job as they will be looking for a new role after the first day. They will know when you have made a mistake and then you get to do this whole thing again. Yikes
3. Ask the right questions. Now this is where you can really shine. Ask questions that look into their “learning agility”. This is the secret sauce of success. Learning agility is a very fancy way to say street cred, or school of hard knocks. These are the people who learn from experience and then can apply that learning to new situations. These people are always learning and adapting their performance and behaviour. Find these people and you are have made a great hire. Have you ever wished you could clone one or two of your staff? It is likely they are very learning agile.

I am currently working on a series of tele-seminars on this very subject as most of my clients are continually ask for details on this process. I will keep you posted and until then, happy hiring.

Read more about Leadership or Systems.

P.S. Want to share this post? Please do. Just be sure that it remains intact and includes the following bio. Thanks!

About Judy: Judy Mackenzie, MBA, CHRP, CEC PCC, owns and operates TEVO Consulting Inc. (www.tevosmallbiz.com), providing services and guidance to small and medium businesses. TEVO’s mission is to assist companies in reaching their strategic goals by developing leadership and people management systems that allow employees to be at their best. Judy believes engaged employees are fundamental to business success, and she designs support and management systems to help people and companies achieve their full potential.