Don’t you love hiring new people. Once it is determined that a position is needed and it is going to be filled it is like getting a gift card. The money is already spent so you don’t feel guilty. Now you just have to find the best book, electronics, dinner or dress you can find with your gift card.
The entire market place is your store. Your goal is to find that purse that matches your wardrobe or that cell phone case that fits like a glove.
Finding a new person for your team is the same. You don’t go and buy a pair of shoes that doesn’t match anything in your wardrobe. You want something that compliments or coordinates with the rest of the closet. And we all know what happens when we buy the shoes that look great but kill our feet…they stay in the closet.
When you start looking for a new employee you need to figure out what characteristics and credentials will best match you, your team and your business. And if you are a small business owner your team is probably small so you want to make every team member count!
Be Picky – Stiff Requirements Are Okay
Jesus spent a good amount of time building His team. There were twelve of them and they would serve an eternal role. Jesus had some stiff requirements:
Leave everything and follow me. Leave your job, your family, and your home.
Lot’s of travel is involved.
It will be awesome. You will see miracles, healing, and learn a ton.
You will be a part of an eternal mission serving the one and only God of the Universe.
Jesus chose to build a diverse team from fisherman to tax collectors.
His plan was to lead by example. He didn’t ask the disciples to do anything He wouldn’t do. As a matter of fact, Jesus held himself to God’s standards whether any one else could achieve them or not. And we know the answer is “or not”.
He also was a servant leader. He washed His disciples feet and served them.
This Is The Person That Your Team Will Be With Approximately 2000-2500 Hours/Year.
Jesus was with His team nearly 24/7.
Consider this.
Whomever you hire will be with you or with others on your team for 40 -50 hours per week. Between 2000-2500 hours per year. Choose carefully!
Here are some guidelines:
Make sure you fully explain what the job is and what your expectations are for the ideal candidate.
Sell them a little on your company, your vision, your team. To get a really good candidate the opportunity needs to be exciting for them too.
Consider how they will fit in with the team. Do they fit your company’s culture? Will they get along with everyone? Will they add value to the team overall?
What are their long-term plans? Turnover is expensive. Will this job meet their needs for awhile? Will it be challenging enough for them for 3-5 years? Or will you have other opportunities by then?
Maybe your team will not bring salvation to the world, but it is the group of people that will achieve God’s vision for your business. Again, choose carefully because the return policy on a poor hire is a lose/lose situation for everyone.
If you are not confident in your hiring, Crossroads Professional Coaching can help. We have programs specifically designed to help Christian small businesses build their teams. Let us know if we can be of service.
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I love the point you made about Christ picking a diverse team to support His ministry. I think we often tend to hire people more like ourselves, and by doing so we miss the opportunity to bring people that compliment our weaknesses. I also love your point about selling the vision of your company. It really does start in the interview process. My experience has taught me that you can quickly learn who is jazzed about your vision and who is not.
Yes, Jesus kind of called his team into a whole new world, and yet the gospels don’t say much about the interview process. You wonder if he knew these guys in advance through social networks, and had them already picked out in his mind as the “high-potential” crew.
Regarding choosing the right team, you give some good advice here.
Also, every Sunday in the BUsiness Section of the NY Times there is an intereview with a leader on P. 2 where they are asked exactly this question: How do they choose the right people? What questions do they ask of them? How do they know if someone will be the right fit? It’s always interesting to hear the responses… it gives you so many new ideas for selecting the right people.
Hey Bradley, Thanks for the resource. I think in general small business owners don’t have the quantity of interviews to learn it all by experience. Hearing how others successfully interview is a good learning tool. I know there are processes and great questions to ask, but I still believe in intuition too. Sometimes you just feel that a person is a good match and hopefully has the credentials to back it up.
Thanks for commenting.