How to Hire the Right People & How to Keep Them

In a recent Terryberry webinar, our Chief People Officer Krisha Buehler joined Terryberry’s Brian Snodgrass to discuss strategies for recruiting and hiring the right people for your company, top reasons why people quit and how to prevent turnover through employee engagement. And now, we’re sharing it with you.

Hiring the right people and then keeping them long-term is an age-old challenge for managers and leaders. Mostly because employee turnover can be costly for businesses — both in terms of money and lost productivity. 

And while losing employees is costly, keeping someone who isn’t engaged in their work can be just as troublesome.

Learning how to hire the right people, and then engage and keep them for years to come is the secret recipe every company is in search of. There may not be a one-size-fits-all formula, but there are strategies any company can use.

Don't just hire for hard skills. Look beyond the resume!

Skills can be taught.

So while you need a candidate to have the basic competency for the role, almost anything beyond that can be trained. 

And while those skills are important, having a good fit with your team and organization is even more critical. 

Consider these questions when hiring.

• What soft skills are non-negotiables based on your company culture?
• Where are there potential gaps within your team where you can benefit from thought diversity and/or experience?
• Will they work well with the existing personalities and working styles already on your team?
• Do they care about your company and your mission?

This is our secret sauce at BELAY. We have an award-winning culture, and that’s not always something that can be taught. You have to consider that in hiring.

Spend a lot of time on the job description.

Do you know exactly what you need in this hire? 

Consider your gaps and what you need this new hire to do regarding responsibilities, leadership, and team contributions.

• What does success look like in the role? How will it be measured?
• What are the expectations?
• What's the best way to meet your company's actual needs with your next hire?
• Can it be remote?

Knowing what you need will keep you from hiring too quickly and realizing they're not what you need.

At BELAY, we like to keep our interviews very conversational to get to know our candidates as people and their experience — their soft and hard skills. Knowing when to go deeper on a question or topic is key. Peel back the layers of that onion.

Ask questions that give you insight into what they’re already passionate about and how that might align with your company.

• What specifically about [insert your business name] makes you want to work here?
  Why: This can help you identify if they have done their research and align with your organization.

• What has given you the most pride or sense of accomplishment in your professional career?
  Why: Use this to get an idea of what motivates them and brings them joy and satisfaction.

• Where/how do you see yourself adding value to this role at [insert your business name]?
  Why: This provides insight into what they believe to be their strengths.

• What specifically about [insert your business name] makes you want to work here?
  Why: This can help you identify if they have done their research and align with your organization.

As always, we ask them if they have questions. You want someone interested in your company and the role as well as demonstrating curiosity. 

Interviews are a two-way street. It’s important to remember you are being interviewed by the candidate as well.

Be thoughtful to hire and quick to fire.

This can save you so much time, money and lost productivity. At BELAY, we used to say, ‘Hire slow and fire fast.”

However, In today's landscape, you simply cannot be slow. People have multiple offers and want to move quickly. 

It's about having tight processes and clear next steps in place to move someone swiftly through. This is where it matters most to ensure you are asking the right questions and having them meet with the right people.

Whether hiring intimidates you or you’re a hiring pro, we have some resources for you:

BELAY’s Job Description Template & Go-To Interview Questions

ONS: When to Swipe Right on Your Forever Hire

Hiring Isn't Hard: 9 Secrets That Make It Easy