Hiring good staff, growing their talents, and keeping them motivated may be the hardest challenge facing every business and nonprofit. So we asked Phil Blair, Executive Officer of ManpowerWest, to give us the 12 most important rules for hiring the right staff the first time.
Once again, as a public service, the team at CRT is pleased to provide insights guaranteed to help every organization to improve your operations and profitability. They’re proven, effective, and sure to fatten your bottom, regardless of what you sell.
And be sure to check out our other guides for smarter ways to run your business. Like all of the services provided by Chairmen’s RoundTable, they’re all ABSOLUTELY FREE!
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- Get referrals. Ask your team and clients to refer people they’d want to work with,
- Do a 30-minute short interview. Start with a short get-to-know-you conversation where the candidate does most of the talking.
- Check résumés. It’s too easy to make stuff up, so do your due diligence and make sure everything that’s listed as a credential is legitimate.
- References. Talk to past reports or hopefully someone you know that is not a given reference.
- Use testing tools. Skill assessments with hard skills are part of the job
- Trust you gut feeling. Skills matter, but relationships, character, and culture fit matter more.
- Look for passion. Watch whether they light up about the role and your mission; lack of passion is the easiest tell of someone who just wants a paycheck.
- Discuss compensation. Share it a few steps into the process and be sure there is alignment
- Discuss key results that are expected. Spell out what results the person owns and what winning looks like in the role.
- Final in-person interview. Be sure it is at the work site, so they are familiar with the company.
- 90-day onboarding and probation plan. Set them up with good orientation and a probation period so everyone can confirm the fit.
- Check their attitude. Does this person have a can do, positive attitude? Are they the type of person you’d want to have lunch with or hang around with outside work?
Of course, there’s never a guarantee that the hire and the job will fit perfectly. But if you follow these simple guidelines, they should significantly improve your chances of success.
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Phil Blair is a prominent San Diego business leader who built Manpower of San Diego into the nation’s largest Manpower franchise, generating over $150 million annually and providing approximately 3,500 jobs daily across five markets. An author, University of San Diego executive professor in residence, and widely recognized employment expert, Mr. Blair is a leading voice on workforce development, career advancement, and employment solutions.