How do we find and hire the best people?
That’s a great question … and a deep one. The recruiting process for leaders and non-leaders is a process-driven event that will test every level of discernment and intuition you have.

Let me say that again. It is a process ... not an exact science ... and it must be honed every single day. When someone leaves a company or is terminated, we must take a look at why we hired that person in the first place.

Do you need to change your selection process, your culture or on-boarding program to help you better predict whether a future candidate will be a good “fit” for the job, your team and your culture?

Do you have a leadership problem or a people problem? When a good, productive employee leaves, we need to check our own culture, which includes our leadership.

• What does your selection process look like?
  
• Who is involved?
  
• How many people are given the authority to say, “We hired the best!”?
  

To hire the best, consider these four key questions:

1. Can they do the job?
   
2. Do they want to do the job?
   
3. Are they going to be coachable and humble?
   
4. How long are they going to stay?
   

Learn what the candidate stands for … his or her strengths, weaknesses, failures, successes, education, and their past leaders.

Will they enhance your team or pull it down? Can you as the leader deal with it and coach these issues to a level that will be acceptable?

Yes, past behavior can be indicative of future performance. At the same time, people can be transformed and move beyond past habits to create new paradigms.

Remember, we are trying to narrow our decision to get the best candidate for the job, leader, and culture. Therefore, realistic probability is a discussion you must have with your selection team in this very ambiguous process.

Try not to be blinded or hide anything that may hurt your team. You must fully identify and reveal the good and bad and determine if the negative is manageable, and consider its potential impact on your customers, teammates, and profits.

Top Priorities for Hiring the Best:

• Are they coachable and humble? (I look at this before I look at their skills!)
• What are their skills, attitude and character; what in their history can help you identify examples of each?
  

Leaders, are you hiring to fill a chair or are you hiring to secure the future of the company?
Leaders' hiring mindset must be to secure your future . Include different angles and perspectives with each interview. After everyone has interviewed a candidate, bring everyone together and discuss questions 1-4.

My process of Hiring the Best outlines different questions that delve deep into a person's thinking and background to help you gain factual information based on their past performances, life challenges, and successes. This process will help you determine if your candidate will pull your team down or help secure your future.

Look for people who can energize your culture … or at least maintain it. You definitely don’t want to hire a drainer or a problem. Responsible leaders know this from the start!

Hire the best person that fits your current culture or who can help you change or transform your current culture into the one that will secure your future!

Bottom Line – you must get results!

Make a play today by having hard, honest, respectful conversations that help you HIRE THE BEST !