Three Ways to Ensure You Make the Right Hire

Hiring the right people can make or break your business. There's no guarantee you'll get it right every time. Knowing the specific behavioral traits and skills of a potential employee are crucial. Once you understand those, implementing these three things will help you ensure you make the right hire.

1. Meet the team

Chemistry is one of, if not THE, most important things when hiring. Interviewing can be extremely stressful for the interviewer and interviewee. Candidates know they only get one shot to make a first impression and things don't always go according to plan. A great way to get them out of the 'interview zone' is to have them meet the team. Lunch with the team, coffee, happy hour, or even a tour of the office will allow them to let their hair down and be themselves. It will also allow you to see how they interact with the team, the restaurant staff, leadership, etc.

Know what you're looking for and pay attention to these things. Are they listening as others talk? How personable are they? Are they interested in what others have to say? You're looking for the intangibles here, having someone that meshes with your company and culture is important.

2. The 'Job Audition'

One of the best ways to know if a candidate is the right fit is the 'job audition.' Having candidates prove their skills is absolutely crucial. This can be something different for each industry and can be done before or after a formal interview. Some that I've seen in Wealth Management are: putting together a financial plan, do a role-play on their sales process, and have them put together a business plan.

This will give you insight to how their problem solving mind works and if they have the skillset you need on your team. Most people don't like role-plays, I love them. Every company's sales process is different, knowing they have a cogent process in place will give you an idea how they will relate to clients and if they're open to coaching.

Don't forget to be creative. To summarize, here are a few things you can do:

As part of the application process, ask: In 150 characters or fewer, tell us what makes you unique.

Create a scenario similar to what they would face in the position, have them come up with a solution and next steps

Present a role-play that will allow them to show what their process is and how it has helped them be successful

3. Be Patient

“Hiring the right people takes time, the right questions and a healthy dose of curiosity. What do you think is the most important factor when building your team? For us, it's personality.” - Richard Branson

Again, you're not going to get every hire right. If you can’t find the right person for the job, wait patiently or reassess your hiring strategies. Even if you need someone in the seat quickly, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT hire in haste. It almost always backfires. Be patient and continue reevaluating your process. While patience is very important, it is also important not to hesitate if you do find the right fit. Involve your team in the decision process, get their feedback. All these things will help you find the right person every time.