As leaders, few decisions carry a price as hefty as hiring the wrong person. It costs us time, money, productivity, morale, and, in extreme cases, relationships with clients and team members.
In this episode of One Next Step, we’re going to discuss this issue with Krisha Buehler, BELAY’s VP of Human Resources. She’ll share a few tips on how you can more effectively identify the right people, avoid the wrong people, and safeguard your company culture so you get the help you need without compromising the help you have.
Here are some takeaways:
1. Take your time and hire slowly.
Interviewing is an art, not a science. And the truth is, rushing on the front end will cost you on the back end.
When you're in growth mode, it's easy to get caught up in a sense of urgency. Maybe someone just left, and you need to replace them, or you're expanding and you need to add positions. It's easy to feel like you need all the hires right now! But rushing on the front end of hiring will cost you a lot more on the back end.
Take your time. Be intentional. And trust your process.
Interviewing goes beyond words. It's about observing body language, environment and overall fit. At BELAY, we screen candidates for skills and cultural fit. If they pass, we focus on power skills and situational awareness.
Our goal is to peel back the layers and uncover the authentic person.
While resumes can be polished, we seek genuine moments to reveal our candidate’s true self. This is crucial because it shows who they truly are, the person who will be working with your team and clients daily. Once you’ve seen their authentic self, then dive into situational questions to assess how they would react in real-world scenarios.
2. Put somebody you trust in front of you in the hiring process.
This person is your “gatekeeper.” With them taking on the first interview or two, you know that only the best of the best are going to come across your desk.
When you put that third person in the process ahead of you, you're only getting those pre-vetted winners when it comes time to conduct your interviews.
This will save you time and energy, decrease you frustration, and make the hiring process a whole lot smoother and easier.
3. Make sure you're looking for connections with culture.
Does the person you’re interviewing have questions for you? Do they have questions about the company? Are they passionate about your mission? If not, then you should see a big red flag in those situations.
Few things are more stressful with hiring than bringing someone on, and then realizing they are not a fit culturally. You should be getting a better sense of how and where this person will fit with each interview. If not, you're probably not interviewing the right person.
Remember, this person is going to be representing you and your organization to clients, prospects, or even just other partners in the industry. After making sure they’re a good cultural fit, make sure if they’re going to be working remotely, that they have a professional environment and that they continue to look professional.
When you’re interviewing people remotely, take a look at their surroundings. How are they showing up to the interview? Are they showing up too casually? Do they have a professional background?
Consider these follow-up questions when assessing your hiring process:
What does your interview process look like? What are its strengths and weaknesses?
What should you change about your process?
Talk about your best and worst interviewing experiences — as both the interviewer and interviewee.
What is your go-to interview question? Why do you think it is so effective for you?
At BELAY, we are always interviewing and hiring people - because that’s what we do!
We provide Virtual Assistants, Accounting Services and Social Media Managers to busy leaders all over the United States. So, if we are hiring great talent, we are matching that great talent to our clients.
Here is our hiring checklist and a complete guide to the various stages of the hiring process including interview protocol, applicant evaluation, and offer etiquette.