In yesterday’s post, Towns with more churches tend to have more criminals, I proposed that you need to look beyond prior job experience when building a team. It takes more than just wisdom to sort through all the factors needed to assemble the right team. So, let’s explore some of the factors and strategies I have successfully used to consider potential when assessing candidates for my teams.
If you have fallen into the trap of hiring based on past success, you’re focusing on rewarding candidates for what they did for others, not what they can do for you. Put another way, if you pay someone a hiring bonus because of the work they did previously, then sometimes you are rewarding them for building your competition! (and for having driven business away from your door!) Sometimes, this is acceptable, especially when you are certain they still have untapped potential to deliver even more value to your business than they did to your competitors. I’m not opposed to hiring bonuses, but they should be based on what they can do in the future, not what they did in the past!
Above and beyond all else, cultural fit must always be a primary consideration when hiring. When there is a cultural misalignment, it’s almost impossible to overcome. I like to assess that aspect first. It doesn’t matter how skilled a person is; if they don’t share the same values as the team, there will be unnecessary conflict and toxicity.
But if the values are aligned, and the cultural fit is clear, then you can ensure that the candidate has the core skills needed to perform their duties AND that they possess the ability to learn new skills to grow and drive value. This potential is what you need to identify and nurture.
Let’s explore strategies to help you assess potential more effectively and build a team of top performers.
Nine Steps to Hiring for Success
- Look beyond a person’s resume. Past experience is not the best indicator of future success. As Adam Grant has commented on in various interviews, studies have found virtually no correlation between experience and current job performance. Instead of focusing solely on years of experience, consider the candidate’s recent accomplishments, skills, and attributes that align with the role’s requirements. Most importantly, take the time to learn what they are passionate about, and consider how it relates to their role. When your job aligns with a passion, you are far more likely to succeed.
- Before beginning the hiring process, clearly define the key attributes that are key to your desired corporate culture. These may include things like attitude, enthusiasm, adaptability, work ethic, and interpersonal skills. Prioritize finding people who possess these attributes. The right people learn what they need to succeed. With the right attitude and relevant experience, candidates with the potential to thrive in your organization will emerge. They may not have every skill mastered before they start, but people with the right attitudes learn the relevant skills.
- During interviews, ask candidates how they’ve grown their skills, taken on new challenges, or achieved notable results. People whose attitude is focused on continuous learning and improvement will bring that growth mindset to your team.
- As mentioned, a person’s ability to fit into your organization’s culture is just as important as their skills and experience. Look for candidates who align with your company’s values, communication style, and work environment. Ask them behavioral and situational questions to gauge how they would mesh with your existing team and contribute to a positive workplace culture.
- Evaluate potential when hiring for entry-level positions. Someone who starts off pouring coffee at Starbucks might just become the company’s CEO someday. When you are hired for a job, the expectation is not that you remain in that role forever. The expectation is that you learn the role and grow into taking on a larger role. When you are hiring people, you hire them for today’s work and tomorrow’s potential, so focus on identifying candidates with the right raw ingredients for success rather than extensive experience. Look for signs of eagerness to learn, adaptability, and a strong work ethic.
- Consider transferable skills. The best candidate may not have direct experience in your industry or role, but they may possess transferable skills that could make them even more successful than a ‘perfect match.’ For example, a candidate with a background in customer service already has the communication and problem-solving skills necessary to thrive in all sorts of sales roles. They intuitively know how to overcome objections. By introducing team members with a broad variety of transferable skills, you expose your team to more knowledge and wisdom and increase the potential for everyone to grow.
- Discuss growth opportunities and learn what excites people. If you are hiring someone for their potential (hint: every single hire), then why wouldn’t you take the time to learn what excites them before they are hired? If you are going to build a great team, it’s essential to provide people with opportunities for growth and development. That growth path has to align with their existing interests and introduce new experiences. When people know that there are training programs and mentorship opportunities available to support them in their journey, their level of interest increases! By discussing what excites people during the interview process and determining how you can support them along their path, you will have started investing in their growth before you even hire them! Allowing people the space to self-define their interests creates the opportunity for you to help them reach their full potential and contribute even more value to your organization.
- Discuss how continuous learning blends into their day. If you want to ensure your team embraces continuous learning, everyone needs to share this attitude. People talk, and a culture that values continuous learning and improvement attracts (and retains) high-potential employees.
- Set clear expectations and goals and confirm that they align with the candidate’s attitude towards work. Expectations have to be reasonable all around, and there has to be a work-life balance. Without mutually agreed-upon expectations, there will be no balance! Consistency is key, and being clear about expectations at the outset and holding to them isn’t just about accountability. It is necessary for both you and your team to remain engaged, motivated, and on track for success together.
By searching for team members based on potential and not simply based on matching experience to job requirements, the likelihood of building a winning team increases tremendously. By spending the time to have meaningful conversations about attitudes, attributes, and cultural fit, you will identify candidates with the untapped potential to drive your organization’s success.
Once you’ve hired high-potential employees, it’s essential to provide them with opportunities for growth, foster a culture of continuous learning, and regularly assess and provide feedback to help them reach their full potential. By approaching your team building based on what people can become, you will build a team of top performers who will help drive your organization in innovative ways you would never have imagined.