Hard to find the right person?

Why is it so hard to hire the right people?

Why can’t we post a job, interview, and hire the right person?

“They” say that people don’t have the same work ethic as “back in the day.”  What day?

Do you think that’s true? I don’t. Or I don’t want to believe it. (Who’s “they” by the way?)

I think hiring is a lost art.  Or maybe I’m giving too much credit to the art of hiring. Is it a 50/50 proposition? It doesn’t matter who you hire, there’s a 50/50 chance they’ll fit in and stay more than three months? That’s a sad state of affairs if that’s the truth. 

This has been my experience as an entrepreneur.  My success rate in corporate America was about more than 80% that my hire stayed and made a positive impact. 

You may be thinking, “if that’s accurate, then why have you fired or lost four contract employees in the past nine months?”

I have a few ideas as to why this is happening:

1.      I’m hiring too fast. I’m desperate. I’m ready to scale and to do so, I need to hire contractors. So, I hire a person based on a personal recommendation…didn’t work out. I hired a person based on one zoom discussion…didn’t work out. I hired a person based on an in-person interview and test project…didn’t work out. Why?

2.      Didn’t explain or emphasize my core values. I mention them sometimes but don’t stress how important communication is to me and my leadership style. No communication means no longer working for me.

3.      Accountability meetings. I am a strong believer in accountability. Then why am I not stressing accountability meetings during the interview process? Why am I not having accountability meetings on day one?

4.      No KPIs. Key Performance Indicators. I love metrics. Then why am I dragging my feet to establish KPIs per role and weekly measurements?

Can you relate to this list? What would you add?

I know better.

My guess is that you’re struggling with the same issues. 

Are you tired of hearing negative news about the next generation?  

              “Generation Z job hops.” “No one stays at companies for decades anymore.” “It’s so hard to find    good employees or any employee at all.” “They don’t show up for interviews.”

“I have to take what I can get.”

Do you? Do you really have to take who applies? I don’t buy what society is selling.

I believe that Millennials and Gen Zs have the same work ethic that we do. Yes, I’ll admit not everyone in those generations have the same work ethic but wasn’t that the same in the Baby Boomer or Gen X days?

If true, then how do we find the right people?

How do we sift through tons of job applications and resumes the applicants didn’t know they applied for? (Remember, bots apply for jobs too).

Check out the following ten strategies that I will employ to find the right people for the current open positions in the Grace & Salt Leadership Academy. (They are in no particular order.)

1.      Take my time. I will follow a proven hiring process regardless of how long it takes.

2.      Probationary period. There will be a 30 – 60 day probationary period depending on the role.

3.      Explain my core values thoroughly and ask questions on which core value resonates with them the most. And to give examples that demonstrate that core value.

4.      Job description. Write a complete job description prior to the job posting. Be specific. Do not include generalities. People want to know what they are truly signing up for.

5.      Communication practice. This is a biggy. With everyone that I hired in 2022, the main reason they were let go was due to the lack of communication and ghosting. I’ll include sample projects on communication and how it relates to the position.

6.      High expectations. I have high expectations for me and for everyone that I work with including vendors. These expectations will be communicated to whomever I work with.  One mistake I made was to not hold my contractors to the same expectations as I hold myself.  In doing so, I became frustrated because they didn’t communicate or their projects were late. Was it their fault or mine? Probably both.

7.      KPIs and accountability. KPIs will be established for the role prior to the interview.  We’ll discuss the KPIs and the expectations of attending the weekly accountability meetings prepared.

8.      Paid project. Before we sign on the [proverbial dotted line], they’ll be tested with a paid project.  Success criteria will be established which includes communication, accountability, and accuracy.

9.      Personality test. The Predictable Success quiz has been successful when reviewing applicants. Check it out. Take it yourself and tag me with your results.

10.   Build a database. This is a lesson I learned a long time ago but forgot about it. Always be hiring even when you’re not.

Wish me luck!

If you have tips that have worked for you, please share them. In today’s environment, it’s important that we use creative and proven strategies to not waste time, money, or momentum.

Happy Hiring,

Melissa

Founder / CEO

Grace & Salt Leadership Academy

P.S. We’re #hiring: Website designer, Funnel creator, and Copy writer. E-mail: applicants@melissa-mccormick.com if interested.

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