Before we start, there’s one thing I want to emphasize about all of my podcasts, blog posts, and coaching materials. I love to read, and I read all types of business books voraciously. But the majority of these tips come directly from years of working with small business leaders and owners, sales professionals, etc. These aren’t some pie-in-the-sky tips. These are things that really work. So today we’re going to look at 6 incredible tips for hiring. They come directly from the mouths of owners who have successfully hired as well as lessons learned from mistakes.
1. Hire people who are smarter than you. This is a goal that many people have a hard time going after because they want to be in complete control. They want to be the smartest person in the room. But the reality is that if you can hire people who are smarter and better than you, you’ll have a more successful business. Plus, you’ll have the ability to delegate more and empower your team to run things when you’re not there.
2. Hire more for attitude than skillset. A lot of times people get overly focused on the skillset of the job. Instead, hire for attitude. Make sure candidates are willing to do what it takes to be successful, and then offer training to help them grasp the skillset later.
3. Before you hire someone, understand what motivates them. Are they motivated by internal, one-on-one recognition, or are they more motivated by public recognition? Are they motivated by financial gain, or are they motivated by a sense of purpose or higher calling? When you’re hiring people, it’s very important to understand what motivates them before you bring them on the team.
4. Learn their communication style before hiring. I recommend DISC, which is an assessment you can use to really learn someone’s communication style. It’s not necessarily something you’ll base 100% of your hiring decisions on, but it’s a good tool to gauge how people like to communicate, as well as how they will fit into the company. Make sure you figure this out before hiring.
5. Don’t hire out of desperation. It is worth waiting and hiring the right person. Hire slowly is a good mantra, and don’t just hire someone to fit in the gaps. This can be very hard when you’re in a small business and there’s a lot of pressure on other people in the team. But seriously, it costs so much if you make a hiring mistake, so take the right time and never hire out of desperation.
6. Pay more than the competition for your people. Again, this is generally from the mouths of other business owners. It’s worth it to pay people more, as the return is going to be much greater. Don’t just pay people the average, and never below average. Shoot for 20% more.
So these are some great hiring tips. Take action with this information on the next person you hire, and make it a better than amazing day.
