I suspect “the perfect hire” doesn’t exist.
However, the perfect person for any position can be developed. It takes time, patience, preparation, skill, and a little luck.
There are several common denominators to finding the best person though; organizations, whether “for-profit” or “not-for-profit” should always start by finding the best person available when they “go to market” to fill a position.
“Going to the market” requires preparation, beginning with as clearly as possible defined roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Next organizational leaders need to decide which specific skills, attributes, and experience are non-negotiable and which are “bendable.” Additionally, what the organization can realistically pay to fill this position is important, as is how the new person will fit into the existing structure. These specifics; however, are beyond the scope of today’s post.
Today’s post is about those common denominators all organizations look for or should be looking for during the recruitment, selection, orientation, and subsequent development phases of an associate’s timeline with an organization.
Honesty/Integrity – Perhaps the most important of all attributes. Finding a person who can be trusted and who can build trust should be the primary attribute of any hire. In practice too many organizations have a sliding scale of integrity without realizing the only difference is the size and/or amount of the cost and that there really is no difference. Trust is a binary, and organizations that do not appreciate this risk losing time, resources, staff morale, and most importantly customers and clients.
Reliability – Someone who does what they say they will do. This attribute encompasses arriving on time when scheduled, working when they are supposed to be working, and following through on the commitments they and the organization make. Arriving on time doesn’t mean just showing up at the scheduled time, arriving on time means being a work 10-15 minutes early, so a person is ready to start work at the time scheduled. Ideally, everyone in your organization should be able to answer the question, “Is what you are doing right now adding value to the organization?” positively all the time.
Critical Thinking/Knowledge/Intelligence – Perhaps these words are synonymous; however, finding an applicant with these attributes can only help your organization. A mentor once told me finding people who can constantly determine relevant facts, evaluate the best options, and then make the best decision possible in the allocated time was their primary factor in making a hiring decision. Finding, encouraging, and developing people with this skill will make your organization stronger and more effective.
Unbound by comfort zones – Few organizations have a monopoly on good ideas and few can afford to only rely on one person for new ideas and concepts. Effective leaders do not want or have to be the smartest people in their organizations. Hiring people who can suggest new ideas or concepts can help drive organizations to continuous success.
Personal initiative/Ability to Execute – Finding self-starters, people who can recognize what needs to be done and “step up” when required or without prompting to get a job done; are always valuable additions to any organization. This attribute is rarer than most people believe.
Bringing Positive Energy – Organizations should look for people who contribute positive energy to their teams. People who constantly require “their tires to be pumped up,” or need constant “stroking,” siphon energy and enthusiasm from other people and should be avoided, if possible. People who bring positive energy are also usually self-motivating, while appreciating it, do not constantly require it to function.
A builder of people and processes – Some people believe their value comes from being indispensable, of being the only person who can do certain tasks; avoid hiring these people. No organization can succeed over time dependent on one pivot point. Hire people who will make your organization better because they share ideas, are well organized, teach, develop, encourage people to make decisions and think for themselves, and believe the organization can function whether they are present or not on any given day. While not always required, people who are more organized and prepared are usually better builders.
Vision and perspective – Finding people who can connect short, medium, and long-term goals and tasks can be difficult, but worth the effort. Having the ability to view problems and make decisions based on a variety of perspectives at the moment can make the difference when serving a customer or client in a “for-profit” organization, or in a “charitable-community setting” equally well.
Willingness to do what is necessary – Whether a menial task is required of a senior person or working extra is necessary when everything is “flying apart”; having a person willing to do what is necessary is key to helping any organization to succeed. These people believe they earn their money when “stepping up” is required.
Providing Leadership even if not in a leadership role – Leadership is not always about being in charge; leadership is also provided by the example set by someone, their work ethic, and their respectfulness of people and processes.
Conscious of how they appear to others – While not bound by appearances, finding people who appreciate how their appearance can affect their performance can provide direct benefits to any organization, perhaps as demonstrated by a Home Furnishings Salesperson who demonstrates flair and creatively in how they accent a standard sales uniform, will likely earn more trust than someone who just wears a standard golf shirt.
Healthy – Hiring a person who appreciates the value of their own health is not always an obvious attribute for recruiters. People who take care of their health demonstrate personal discipline, may be more reliable, and are more likely to have more stable emotions and moods because they acknowledge the effects of proper nutrition, and healthier staff may be less likely to suffer from preventable illness over time.
Potential – On occasion, an organizational leader may take a chance on someone who outwardly possesses few of these attributes. Organizations can benefit from a “project.” In my career, I have seen something in a person I believed was worth pursuing, someone who could be more than they seem. If your instinct is correct, your organization could benefit as much or more as the individual will.
These building blocks or common denominators can help organizations find and develop the best person/people available to become the perfect hire for your organization. These attributes should be sought, found, used, added to, modified, and adapted to suit your organization.
I would be remiss in not acknowledging the sources for this post; throughout my career, I have sought out the opinions of my mentors, co-workers, customers, and clients about those common denominators they believe are the most important. As always, please add your comments on things I have missed.
Good luck,
Paul.