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Hiring Done Right!

24 Apr

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28 Comments">28 Comments

Leadership

Hiring Done Right!

April 24, 2012 | By | 28 Comments">28 Comments

Two hiring posts back to back? Well…yes. Yesterday, I talked about things not to do in the hiring process. (Which were all signs to those actually hiring.) Today on the EntreLeadership Podcast, I have an incredible guest discussing hiring the right way.

If you can’t see the image, click here.

Clint Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Emma, the web-based email marketing and communications service. Emma has done an incredible job with its hiring process and getting the right people onboard. On top of that, Clint’s a really good air hockey player. (Just so you know.)

If you missed 4 Things You Should Never Do In A Job Interview, go back and read it. Not just the post, but the amazing comments, which are full of even more great information.

Here are just a few things from today’s podcast:

  • Revamp Quickly - In Interviewing, Why Do You Still Do It The Same Way? Clint explained that they learned early on that their hiring process was broken. Most companies continue making the same mistakes—short interviews that turn into short term hires. They never change the process. You have to see the mistake and make adjustments before you waste any more time.
  • Don’t Shop Hungry - When I asked Clint what differences they’ve noticed since making the change, he said the quality of candidates went up dramatically. The reason? The longer the process, the more you learn about the interviewee. Before, it was like shopping hungry. They overbought and were unhappy with what they ended up throwing out. (OK, he didn’t say it quite like that. It’s my take.)
  • 30-day Trial - So many leaders feel that they have to make a full-time hire. You don’t. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with allowing someone to work as a temp for 30-90 days to see if they work out. If they don’t, then you don’t hire the person. This is a little more difficult for high-paying jobs. But if you have a question about your prospect, give it a try and see.

These were just a few tidbits from this solid podcast. We also spent a few minutes after the podcast discussing things that you will only get here:

[powerpress]

Question: What lessons have you learned that have made your hiring process better?

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  • http://www.unwillingtosettle.com/ Greg Gilbert

    Great podcast! This will be a double (listen twice). I had just written a blog on how expectations always accompany an expenditure of money or time and how this relates to the employer/employee relationship. Total unity and success in business occurs when the expectations of both parties are met. Dave’s advice on hiring was great. Pay now or later. 

  • LouiseThaxton

    Great idea to hire as a temporary 30-90 days. If you did that then you would know within that time if the new hire were personality fit also within the team they were placed.  That is always one of my huge concerns – will they fit into our “family”?  You are right that this might not work for every pay level – but for some it definitely would.  Thank!

  • http://epicenterlanguages.com.mx/our-blog Aaron Nelson

    Ok, burning question for me. I run a small business that is based on freelance employees. We expand as demand for our services expands. I am totally getting the idea of slowing down the hiring process, planning for the position you are trying to fill BEFORE you need it. (No more shopping hungry.)  - but do you have any advice for when you’re not exactly sure when you’ll have new business, and then have that all important talent ready to fill in? I mean my two first clients landed after a year EACH of wooing them. That seems to be pretty normal – it takes a long time (if they go for you) for prospects to cross over to clients. How do you plan for that?
     
    I mean, it’s frustrating for the candidate to make it through the process only to not have something ready to roll for them yet. Get me?
     
    What I enjoyed about this podcast: EVERYTHING! Ha. Shopping hungry – man, that’s such great advice of what NOT to do. 
     
    I also thought the – was it 10 questions – idea that is part of the MyEmma recruitment process was really easy and smart to implement. I think I’m going to adopt that right this minute. (Autoresponder? Hmmmm.) 
     
    But the best advice for me, is just how important it is to SLOW WAY DOWN in the recruitment process. We expanded our process to three stages after the first podcast which you all did around recruiting…but now hearing this message again, I think we may need to consider more steps. (Adding to that how long and weird our prospect to client conversion process is.) 
     
    BTW: @ChrisLoCurto I have a sneaky suspicion that your link to Emma in your blog intro is not pointing to the right Emma. I see Emma.com not myemma.com. 
     
    I also liked the bonus material. That was a neat idea. 

  • http://www.ricardoequips.com RicardoEquips

    I’m not going to lie to you, I’ve been using the hiring process out of the Entreleadership book just to recruit people for ministry. I know. It sounds weird, but IT WORKS! The most important thing that I have learned through the process (I believe the EntreLeadership book is 12 steps, ours is 13 which adds a video ‘Welcome’ orientation) … through the process you learn more about the person and they learn more about you and your business and ministry. And all the way through the process you can determine if they are a right fit and they can determine if they are a right fit.
     
    I just brought on a new person to our team and it was a perfect fit. By the end of the second week she knew our mission statement IN HER OWN WORDS. She took it personal and we laid out her, what we call ATD (Anointed To Do List, which is like your Key Result Area), and together according to her strengths we took each portion of the vision and matched her strengths and passions to the vision and set goals for her to reach and she went running! On our Friday Praise/Prayer Reports she had met … no exceeded every goal as our ministry recruiter/evangelist.
     
    Because of her we are now networking with several other ministries and churches to fulfill a bigger purpose in our area of interests. My head is still spinning. She’s making me look bad. lol! Naw I’m just kidding! But I love it when someone has the same or more zeal then I do in something we all agree on. This 12 Step hiring process has helped tremendously. I wish I would have did this earlier. We’ve lost too many people because they were not a fit with us. The unity was not there and my leadership was a failure. I had to step up look at me in the mirror, point to myself and say, “Fix it!”
     
    Thank you guys for your EntreLeadership materials! Love you all!
    Ricardo

  • http://www.lilykreitinger.com lilykreitinger

    Great podcast, as usual!  I think this should be mandatory material for HR recruiters.  The costs of a bad hire are diluted in a large corporation, like the ones I’ve worked for or interviewed for.  In a small organization, those bad hires stand out like a sore thumb, out of sheer statistics.  It can be that 25% of your team (1 person out of 4) is not a good fit and it’s devastating.  I’ve done the “fog the mirror” test in hiring.  I hired people that were ‘nice and friendly’ and I liked them, but they proved to be just looking for a j-o-b.  And they were two out of our team of four, so 50% of our team was not great.  Very costly!   If I would’ve spent a lot more time getting to know them, I would have definitely made a very different decision. 
     
    I’d love to walk into a new position where the adjustment period is pleasant because we already know each other from the lengthy interview process and it’s the natural next step in the relationship. I know what’s expected and what to expect and I wouldn’t feel like the new kid on the block. Wow!
     
    Small business leaders and entrepreneurs can build such great cultures that are beating the “big guys” in terms of quality because they can achieve a closeness that carries over in everything they do. Team members are treated as such and not numbers in the payroll. 
     
    Spoiler alert!  Great content in the extras!  Establishing relationships with people as opposed to mass-mailing and pushing your products or services makes so much sense in today’s world!   Loved it!
     

  • http://ChrisLoCurto.com ChrisLoCurto

    Did anyone listen to the extras? If so, what did you think? 

    • http://www.indueseason.net skottydog

       @ChrisLoCurto That was sweet!  Nice bonus material.  Loved the discussion on automated email for potential customers and staying on top of the technology.
      Guess this means I have to get rid of my “Star Wars’ background now! ha-ha!  

      • http://epicenterlanguages.com.mx/our-blog Aaron Nelson

         @skottydog  @ChrisLoCurto You have Star Wars background? Is that voicemail or e-mail? Either way, I’d contact you just for that. But I’m kind of weird. 

  • http://www.lifeofasteward.com/ Loren Pinilis

    Wow, all of these are great points. I think the idea of not shopping hungry is especially great. I remember reading about the process that Dave Ramsey goes through in hiring – and I was blown away. But then again, the results speak for themselves.

    • http://ChrisLoCurto.com ChrisLoCurto

       @Loren Pinilis Definitely my fav!

    • http://www.indueseason.net skottydog

       @Loren Pinilis Yeah, it’s Dave’s very own “12 Step Program”!   Too bad more companies don’t do that!  I have a friend that is going through the process now, and has made it to “Step 12″…the spouse dinner.  He thinks he’s done well, but doesn’t expect to hear anything until JULY!!!!
      (I told him he’s doing great if he made it to “the dinner”!)

  • http://www.jonahenry.com/ Jonathan Henry

    I would say that it is less about the process, and more about the character. 
     
    It would seem our culture is more about outward charm than inward character, and that our typical (failing) hiring process is a reflection of that difference. From cover letters to resumes to  a round of interviews, to get from one step to the next you “need” to have charm. You charm yourself into a job, and then try to prove that you have the character to stay there while your employer tries to justify that you’re the right fit?  
     
    I am not charming. I have purchased every web domain I can afford with the word “introvert” in it. I fail miserably at the charm bit, but do my best to follow up those initial steps with an after-the-fact insight that is my strong suit. The long and drawn out hiring processes play very well with giving more opportunity to share those insights, and do a much better job at revealing my character than my initial attempts at charm. Of course, I’m brutal on the other side of the hiring table because I’m oblivious to the charm part, and follow up the subsequent steps of the hiring process with in-depth, targeted questions. 
     
    The bottom line, the more drawn out and intentional the hiring process, the better chance you have to pull out the character… and match that character with your organization.
     

    • http://www.lilykreitinger.com lilykreitinger

      All I can say is wow. For a non-charmer, that was quite charming insight :)

      • http://ChrisLoCurto.com ChrisLoCurto

         @lilykreitinger @Jonathan Henry I’m just going to say it was cool…cuz ME saying it was charming would be….weird. 

    • cabinart

       @Jonathan Henry I’d hire you based on your blunt honesty – speaks of trustworthiness to me, a HUGE character quality. 

  • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ uma_maheswaran

    True Chris! In my experience, I have found that it always better to go slow on hiring and vice versa on firing. But, in reality, we do the exactly the opposite one . This precaution prevents us from so much of discomfort and unnecessary pain.
     
    Secondly, following our gut intuition and hunch works in right way at times. Hiring is not only a technical process.It’s more than that.
     
    Thirdly, compromise never yields the desired result. Instead, it is important that we stay grounded and not lose perspective while we hire.

    • http://ChrisLoCurto.com ChrisLoCurto

       @uma_maheswaran Wow!! “compromise never yields the desired result” I love that!

  • http://www.indueseason.net skottydog

    Great information as usual, Chris.   We have learned to make our hiring process better by watching the new hire closely during the the probationary period of 6 months.  It usually takes a few weeks before new team members “let their hair down” and stop being on their best behavior.
     
    After about a month, you really see what they are about–how they handle stress, how they interact with the rest of the team, and how skilled they are.
     
    If red flags appear early on, it can only get worse from there.
    We have learned to select new hires more slowly to really find the right fit for the position, and remove them quickly when they don’t fit.

    • http://ChrisLoCurto.com ChrisLoCurto

       @skottydog Now if we can get that to be the norm!

  • http://about.me/jonedlin jjedlin

    Great podcast! I was able to listen to it while driving to work this morning!  The “shopping while your hungry” image will always stick with me.  What I found most interesting about the interview was the part right after that…Clint says, “The first day of work for them (newly hired employee) they’re running in the door and we’re there with open arms because we already know the person!”     Wow!     Love it!

    • http://ChrisLoCurto.com ChrisLoCurto

       @jjedlin It’s true. So many people show up, know nobody, aren’t sure what they’re doing, and have to start work. What’s that all about? 

  • tbric1

    Just read the past posts by Chris.  They have great insights into the hiring process.  We have slowed down our hiring and use more part time employees to fill in gaps while we look for permanent team members.

    • http://ChrisLoCurto.com ChrisLoCurto

       @tbric1 It’s crazy how much that helps you not hiring the wrong person. When in doubt, go temp. :-)

  • http://epicenterlanguages.com.mx/our-blog Aaron Nelson

    Hurray! Another podcast. Thank you! I’m really looking forward to listening and learning. Already the summary has me hooked – short interview leads to short hire. Never hire hungry.(Great advice there.) 
     
    I have made both mistakes and regret it. 
     
    Have a wonderful day, and thank you for what you do!

    • http://www.bluebridgecomm.com/ JoelFortner

       @Aaron Nelson I hired hungry once, too, and it was going well until they started working!!!  Ugh.

      • http://ChrisLoCurto.com ChrisLoCurto

        @JoelFortner @Aaron Nelson HAHAHA…it’s always good until they start. What’s up with that?

        • http://epicenterlanguages.com.mx/our-blog Aaron Nelson

           @ChrisLoCurto  @JoelFortner  I have no clue. But it sucks!! 

      • http://epicenterlanguages.com.mx/our-blog Aaron Nelson

         @JoelFortner Yeah man, it’s funny how that works. :)

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