All business owners will have to hire help from time to time. It’s a very common process and may seem like an easy one.
But, making the wrong hire — or approaching the hiring process the wrong way — can be catastrophic to your business. Recruiting the right person for the right job is an essential component of a successful business.
Businessman Brian Colpak shares three things that every entrepreneur should consider when they are hiring.
1. Focus on Skills
The old way of hiring would focus on a candidates’ education and certifications. This method doesn’t really address the specific needs you have for your open positions.
Instead, focus on skills-based hiring. This method will ensure that you are getting the right person for the right job — based upon their likelihood of being able to complete the job rather than on whether they have a degree or not.
Skills-based hiring often results in more inclusiveness and diversity in the interview process and ensures you are filling open positions with qualified candidates.
To take this approach, you’ll need to refine your job descriptions in order to target candidates where they are. This could be a completely new plan on how you recruit and where you post job openings, but it’ll be worth it in the end.
2. Make Sure the Person is a Fit for Your Culture
There are many candidates who could do a particular job. If everyone worked independently and didn’t rely on co-workers to achieve their goals, then it wouldn’t be important to bring culture fit into the picture.
However, as most entrepreneurs should know, next to no one works on an island anymore. Teamwork among employees is essential for success in business. It not only emphasizes a variety of ideas and approaches, but it also keeps employees feeling happy and appreciated.
When you’re going through the interview process, assess whether you think the candidates would be a good fit for your culture. Do they work well with others? How does their personality jive with the work environment you have and want to encourage?
Culture fit is almost as important as skills fit.
3. Strive for the Best
When you’re hiring, Brian Colpak emphasizes that it’s important to be patient. When you’re in a rush to fill a position, you could be tempted to hire someone who isn’t a perfect fit for the job. They may not fit with your culture or have the specific skill set that you’re looking for.
In the end, if you hurry the hiring process, you could end up making a bad hire — and this could set your company back rather than moving it forward.
Instead, approach the hiring with patience, and search for the most talented people. Talent trumps everything else, but it’s often difficult to find. Shoot for the best, and you’ll get the best. Just know it may take a while to get there.
About Brian Colpak
Brian Colpak is a tech entrepreneur and the founder of Continental Global. After spending most of his career in managerial positions, he founded and led a company that was recognized as one of the top 100 fastest growing companies in Massachusetts before starting his current company. These days his main focus is on an upcoming project in Dubai.
