4 Tips For Hiring Great People

Business Owners often say: It’s so hard to find good people…
Good People say: “It’s so hard to find good jobs”. So, where’s the disconnect coming from?
Just like your ideal customers are looking for companies that can help them solve their problems, your ideal job candidates are looking for the same thing. Only their problem is not about buying it’s about finding a great company to work for.
When thinking about hiring, always think in ideals. And I don’t say this because I live in fairy tale land but because thinking about ideals helps you to dream about what is possible. For something to be created, first, you have to be able to see it in your mind. In the case of hiring, get clear on the ideal candidate. Who is the absolutely perfect person for the role you want to fill?
Once you are clear on that person, now ask yourself – “what sort of company would that person be drawn to work for”. This can be hard to do because you need to put yourself in their shoes, not yours. There are going to be logical things like good pay, job security, close by etc – but I want you to think of the less tangible things such as the four below.
What is the quality of: Your Business, Your Vision, Your Culture, Your Leadership?
By quality of business I mean is there some level of professionalism and organisation or are you in chaos. Do you have some good customers and clarity on how you want to get more or are you dealing with deadbeats and whiners? Do you have some systems that ensure consistency or are you and your team winging it?
The quality of your vision is – do you know where you (the business) is going. Can you see it, does it excite and inspire you. If you are not excited and inspired, you can’t expect others to be.
The quality of your culture might be self-explanatory but it is about what it’s like to work in your business. How does your team interact and behave? Is it positive, challenging and supportive – or are complaining and gossip present … or perhaps somewhere in between.
Lastly, the quality of your leadership refers to how you view your people. How much do you care about them? How much do you invest in helping them grow? Leadership is a massive topic so we won’t aspire to cover it here, but essentially ‘what’s it like to work for you?’
With all these things, you don’t need to be perfect but you do need to recognise that you will only get the quality of people that you’re ready for. You will attract a quality of person that matches the identity of your business. And the identity of your business is largely made up from the four categories outlined.
Attracting great people is a journey. See the quality of the people you are attracting as a marker of your progress toward building a great business. Keep at it and have fun.