Written by: Desiree Bolin, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Who is the best fit?
With numerous factors to consider, it’s tricky navigating the sea of qualified & unqualified applicants. I wanted to take a moment to fill your arsenal with tactics that work when it comes to hiring. Feel free to shoot them down, but don’t be afraid to implement them. I’ve seen them work first hand.
Culture
Consider, before you actually begin the process, looking within your company at the current culture. The last thing you want is chaos & disruption to workflows. The wrong team member can throw a wrench into the entire plan. Survey your team to gain a clear understanding of how your team functions & find out what is missing. Predictive Index analysis – both behavioral & cognitive – can also be highly beneficial to culture clarity.
Competency
As you begin to initiate the hiring process, an in-depth knowledge of your tech stack is essential to clearly define the competencies that any new hire should have. For full comprehension, you should analyze it in its entirety to ensure maximum efficacy. Too many changes at once can also be highly disruptive to the company’s flow. You have to have total cognizance of what your company is using to hire confidently & ensure competency in the correct areas.
Experience
Most companies won’t “go green” for the hiring process. Unless your company is that rare gem, professional background is an important factor to consider. However, considering someone’s educational background can be just as effective for experience and might even save you money. Ideally, before interviewing, you will have the Scope of Work (SOW) & Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for each position available. Also, transparent descriptions of the role(s) you are attempting to fill, along with accurate requirements & responsibilities, are essential to ensure the first round of interviewees are qualified candidates. This will save you an immeasurable amount of time during the process.
Mindset
This consideration ties into the cohesiveness that exists with your current team members. One person with the wrong mindset can detrimentally damage workflows and relationships. Say you’ve found a candidate both competent & experienced enough to handle the profession. Now you should conduct a thorough qualitative interview to determine how that potential would handle certain situations. For even more insight, record the interview and have a deep analysis done prior to making any decisions. You may even consider a round-robin type team interview, where your current team becomes involved with the interview process. This can be invaluable feedback since they will be working closely with any new hire.
Methodologies
Last but certainly not least, the working style of any entrant is, again, essential. People all have a different way of accomplishing tasks / overcoming obstacles. Some of these styles will be more compatible than others. During the interview proceedings, ask if they prefer constant or intermittent collaboration, a boisterous or tranquil working environment, a lackadaisical or hurried air around deadlines & turn around times. Rapid-fire, qualitative questions that are unexpected, such as these, will be the most telling of your new superstar.
I endeavor to ensure that you step away with some novel ideas & that you choose to implement some (or all, I won’t be upset) of these thoughts. As you know, decisions like these are among the hardest to make. Your judgment will not only shape one person but multiple. Because of this, management positions are often refuted due to the inevitability of confrontations that come with them. There are a few things that you should keep in mind.
You were chosen. Your deliverance is valued.
Be strong, but be armed.
Be proud. You are perfecting the process.
Desiree Bolin, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine
Desiree Bolin is a highly recommended EVA and OBM, passionate about helping business owners and C-level executives create repeatable, scalable processes that have never failed to decrease stress and overwhelm. With no heavy lifting required, she will help you drive change and growth within your organization. She has helped companies of many different industries and structures attain exponential success. She will continue to provide high-level support and friendship to all who need her.
