At BELAY, our clients struggle with “finding the right people.” Being unable to find the right team member is one of the most common challenges business leaders have. Joining us in this episode is William Vanderbloemen. He is one of the best people to help because he knows how to get it right.
As the founder and CEO of Vanderbloemen Search Group, William and his team specialize in helping Christian organizations like churches, nonprofits, schools, and values-based businesses find executives.
He gives us a peek into how top organizations promote their positions in a way that attracts top talent.
Here are some takeaways he shared:
1. Don't hire people like you.
This is a common mistake business owners and leaders make, and one we made at BELAY many times early on.
There’s nothing wrong with referrals, but you have to be cautious because you’ll end up with entire teams of clones. So, whatever the leader needs to improve in, the team is probably weak in that same area.
Encourage leaders to think intentionally and hire people unlike them to fill those gaps, using communication and personality tests to help them find the additional types of people and personalities they need on the team.
2. Job descriptions are important, but they're not everything.
It’s not about words on a piece of paper but identifying what the true need is, why you’re hiring for the role, and putting some thoughtful intention into what winning looks like for this position.
Job descriptions are essential, but they're only a part of the hiring puzzle. It stresses the importance of looking beyond the surface-level job description and delving into the genuine organizational needs and the role's strategic significance.
In addition to the job description, include a Key Results Area (KRA) that helps each team member know what is expected of them. It encourages a more strategic and purpose-driven approach to hiring, offering valuable insights to business owners and leaders in this context.
3. In this post-COVID era of hiring, agility is incredibly important.
You might consider putting “other duties as necessary” at the top of every job description (kidding, sort of). The point is that everyone has to have the ability to quickly pivot. What works today might not work next year.
And what works next year most likely won’t work five years from now.
The older your business, the more difficult this is – as a 2-year-old business is naturally more “flexible” than one that’s been around for decades. Be intentional about hiring for agility, and you’ll make it a key factor in your organization.