WANTED: ROCKSTAR
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42)
Holm advises being straightforward and transparent about
expectations, seasonality, workload and training opportunities. “Use a team approach and include a current superstar
in the interview process,” he recommends. “Finally, articulate
your brand vision and culture so if a candidate is not a fit, he
or she can tell you.”
Aside from articulating during the interview process what
is expected from team members, Lisogar-Cocchia says it is
also important to put skill sets needed a top priority. “This
will ensure you hire the best fit for your team and your area of
need,” she says.
HIRE SLOW, FIRE FAST
Heslop warns that, even with the best interview techniques,
there are no guarantees. A candidate may finish a series of
interviews with flying colors, but then would later bring
personal issues into the workplace. Instead, his advice is to
“hire slow, fire fast.”
“I don’t sell the job to candidates, they have to want it,”
Heslop says. “I’d rather have them decide not to work for us
now than after we have hired and put in a lot of money and
time into them.”
Pankey agrees that there is no fool-proof strategy when it
comes to hiring. “It is frustrating when you make a bad
hiring decision,” says Pankey. “No matter how experienced
you are, it is possible to be fooled by a great interviewer who
turns out to be a less than great addition to your team.”
Pankey says there are advantages and disadvantages to
immediately spotting a bad hire. “The advantage of realizing
this person may not work out is that you have the time
to work with them one-on-one and give them every opportunity to improve,” she says. “The downside is that most of
the time, your gut is right. This is why I feel so strongly about
hiring to your business culture.”
“People do business with people, not with
your logo. Every organization is as good as the
people that run it.”
— Paul Heslop, Owner and CEO, Salt of the Earth
As a company, Salt of the Earth understands that no amount of product branding can help them succeed without building the right team first.
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June 2016