Your company has two kinds of positions for a new hire.
First, you have the positions that are, or have been, occupied. Someone already fills the role and for whatever reason, you need to fill it again. Maybe they’ve moved on, or maybe you’re expanding the role. Instead of one customer service rep, you need two.
The other kind of position is a brand new one — a new department or a new project that needs people to take on the challenge. No one has filled the role before, so a big part of it will be figuring out exactly what needs to get done to hit the goal.
Hiring anyone comes with its share of risks. While these tips are applicable for either, for the second kind of position, though, these tips can help you avoid disaster.
Look internally first
When you need someone to take on a new challenge, whether that’s a new team or a new direction for the company, I always recommend looking for them among your existing staff. Not to add more workload, but who can switch roles to take on the new challenge?
There are many reasons why this is beneficial: You already know they’re a good cultural fit, you already know what they’re capable of, they’re already invested in making your company a success, and so on.
However, the primary reason I like finding someone internally first is because of the intangible benefits that come from internal domain knowledge.
I’m not referring to the generic knowledge of how your company’s industry works. I’m talking about truly understanding the inner workings of your company. When they get to more than just how things are done at your company and into understanding why they’re done that way. Knowing why things are the way they are at your company can help save time when your projects might require a change to your systems and procedures.
This way, they’re focused on figuring out the new role instead of bringing someone onto your team that needs to figure out both your company and the new role. Even if you intend on hiring someone to fill their vacated role, you’ll be able to track their success better because you know what’s expected at that role.
Hire for heart
Internal hiring isn’t always the right path to take. When hiring anyone, you should always put your company’s core values first. It’s more important than an impressive resume filled with skills and certifications.
This is especially true when hiring for any sort of a leadership role at your company.
You need someone who will uphold your company’s core values to make sure the systems and procedures they figure out for the new role will fit in with the rest of your company. If they already align with your values, you know the decisions they make and the projects they lead will be done in a way that adheres to your company’s core values and mission.
Train the hands
Everyone gets excited when they land a new job. On the other side, you’re excited to fill a much-needed role and the growth potential that brings. How long do you think that’ll last? After that initial excitement wears off and they’re no longer trying to impress their new boss, will they bring the same level of passion each day?
“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”
The old proverb may never be truer than when it comes to motivating your employees. We all know how important it is to consistently better ourselves on the job. When you hire someone, their willingness to keep learning can be the deciding factor in their success at your company.
You can train skills. You can’t unlock someone’s passion for their work if they don’t believe in your core values.
On the other side of that, when you hire someone who is passionate about their work, they’ll go above and beyond to keep getting better. Then it becomes less about having to constantly make sure they’re doing their job and more about clearing roadblocks so they can have the room to grow.
Finding the right person to join your tribe isn’t easy. The time it takes can be a difficult pill to swallow as you’re trying to grow your business. Hiring the wrong person, though, can introduce a toxicity to your culture that leads to more problems than it solves.
Be patient. Stick to hiring by your core values. The result will be happier employees which leads to better productivity and more stable long-term growth for your business.