Hiring is tricky

Hiring is tricky. Employees are the nuts and bolts of most companies. Your company mojo comes from the spontaneous vibes your people emanate. Your company productivity comes from the fulfillment your people feel. Your mistake ratio comes from the pride your people share. Your company loyalty comes from the voice or your people being heard. Your company absenteeism comes from how happy your people are at work.

Hiring the right new person to fit into your company family is tricky. In 38 years, I have used every method possible. I have hired people via the newspaper, telephone, internet, snail mail, and employment services. This year I did my first Skype interview. I really liked it. But no matter what method you use, or how good their resume, or how due diligent your research, it is still a crap shoot.

First thing I learned is not to talk during their interview. This is really hard for me because I am either talking or waiting to talk, but interviewing is the process of listening and observing. Years ago, one of my employees enacted a rule; if you didn’t want to have a drink with the interviewee, then don’t hire them. That worked for a while but we outgrew that philosophy. Today it is more about skill level and team building. Do they have the skills to do the job? Do they have the intelligence to learn the job and improve it? Do they have the work ethic to work as a team. American companies, with all our perks, don’t have the luxury of just hiring warm bodies as place holders for a position. Every man in the company has to be contributing and improving to keep up with 21st century business today.

Yes, managing personnel is a never ending process, so get used to it. Don’t be lazy and keep a poor performing employee too long. It could muck up your company mojo.