Finding the Right Fit – Recruiting Potential over Experience

Bottom line: Antiquated recruiting strategies are not only time-consuming but also ineffective in finding the right people for your organization. Traditional methods result in your business losing both time and money, as the cycle of hiring and firing becomes costly and disruptive.

Yuck.

So, how will you find the right fit for your beloved business?

The conventional approach – and why it falls short:

The standard approach to hiring typically involves posting a job description, conducting interviews, and making decisions based on a cookie-cutter model that doesn’t align individual talents with specific roles. This method often overlooks the passion, hunger, potential, and unique abilities of candidates, focusing instead on a rigid set of criteria. To boot, there’s often a lack of emphasis on professional development, leading to stagnant growth for both the employee and the organization.

In many businesses, the hiring process is seen as a mere formality. A job description is created, candidates are interviewed, and a new hire is selected. This process fails to address the real needs of the company and the individual. It doesn’t consider the unique talents and potential growth of the candidates, resulting in a mismatch that can lead to dissatisfaction and high turnover rates.

A radical approach to finding the right fit:

To truly transform your hiring process, you need a transformative approach that focuses on recruiting tactics designed to identify candidates who will be a good fit for your organization and the specific tasks or gaps that need to be filled. This means looking beyond traditional job descriptions and interviews. Consider alternative methods like workshops and camps that allow you to see potential employees in action.

One effective strategy is using recruitment charts or systems to identify the characteristics that are most important for your organization. For example, on page 61 of ALL IN, I created a chart that highlights key areas such as experience, potential, and innate abilities. This method helps ensure that you are hiring individuals who not only fit your company culture but also possess the skills and potential to excel in their roles.

Once you get that perfect, passionate person in the door, how do you onboard them? It has a lot to do with whether your new superstar stays just that. We’ll get into more details about onboarding later, but it’s important to integrate this into your recruiting process – because when you’re interviewing your new employee, they’re interviewing you, too. This is a crucial time for you as a business owner because you’re building trust that will support your working relationship and the health of your business going forward.

Here’s a little story about my first day at work:

Let me illustrate the importance of this approach with a story from my own experience. When I got hired for my first job it was because my resume said I could complete the tasks. And, let’s face it, I’m quite charming. On my first day, I was told, “You can’t sit in an office!”, and was pointed to a dusty cube in a bullpen of other confused-looking new hires. My desk wasn’t set up to start work, I had no idea what the login or systems were and had to find all this stuff out on my own. This was the beginning of a challenging period where the tasks I was expected to perform were not communicated effectively. The constant fear of being fired loomed over me, not because of my performance, but because the expectations were never clearly outlined. Worst of all, I felt like a number – a number with an expiration date, and not a human.

This experience taught me the critical importance of clear communication and aligning job roles with the right individuals. It also made me realize how badly we need a dynamic approach to hiring, one that goes beyond the static job description and seeks to understand and leverage the true potential of each candidate.

Lessons from Kip Tindell of The Container Store:

Kip Tindell, co-founder of The Container Store, offers a compelling example of innovative recruitment. Tindell’s approach focuses on hiring individuals who are a perfect fit for the company’s culture and values. By prioritizing cultural fit and potential over mere qualifications, The Container Store has created a workforce that is not only highly skilled but also deeply committed to the company’s mission.

Visualizing your new recruitment strategy:

Imagine replacing your traditional job descriptions with a dynamic recruiting chart or system. Picture a visual chart that identifies the key characteristics of potential hires, such as experience, potential, and innate abilities. This approach allows you to see beyond the resume and understand the full spectrum of what a candidate can bring to your organization.

In ALL IN, on page 51, you’ll find a chart that categorizes candidates based on their experience, potential, and innate abilities, providing a comprehensive view that can help you make better hiring decisions. Alternatively, visualize the dramatic image of burning a traditional job description to signify the end of outdated hiring practices and the beginning of a more insightful, strategic approach to recruitment.

One of the best new recruiting methods I see working today:

Workshops – This may sound time-consuming, but it’s far less depleting than having a rotating door of employees. When you run a workshop you get to see how potential employees will work in real time, what their potential is, what their passions are, if they’re truly interested and invested in the impact your business can make, and how they interact with others.

Now, when you hold a workshop you don’t necessarily let people know it’s for hiring purposes because it can leave those who weren’t hired feeling terrible. So, consider:

• A workshop can be any kind of educational or experiential training where people learn or enhance a skill.
• You can tell participants are attending an educational event – they are students.
• Once they’re “students” you’ll see who people really are rather than who they’re trying to be to impress others. Now you’ll see their passion, interest, desire, and thirst.
• This workshop can come in any form that works for you. In-person, hybrid, charge, no charge. It’s up to you.
• As the workshop progresses, observe indicators of potential such as excitement to learn or passion about the material.

Of course, there are more steps, particularly for setting up your own ultimate workshop and what to look for, but for that, you’ll have to attend an ALL IN training. Just kidding. Get the book or stay tuned for more intel in the coming weeks.

Finding the right employees requires more than just filling a position. It demands a thoughtful, strategic approach that aligns the unique talents and potential of candidates with the specific needs of your organization. Build an unstoppable team by embracing innovative recruitment tactics and focusing on fit, you can build a team that is not only capable but also committed and aligned with your company’s goals.

I built an unstoppable team. You can too. Wishing you massive success in your business.

-Mike
For more insights and strategies on transforming your recruitment process, dive into ALL IN. Let’s leave behind the old ways and embrace a new, more effective approach to hiring.

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