You thought you had found the right fit for your business but alas, things are not going well. Whether they are not performing, upsetting other employees or not being reliable; each is equally as stressful.
As a Business Coach and Consultant I work with businesses across many industries. I find this problem comes up again and again, no matter the size or industry. One client had an employee that trashed property and wrote negative reviews online. How do you avoid these nightmare scenarios? Should you hire a recruiter or go it alone? Below I set out my key experiences and findings from helping people in this area:
1. Clear Job Description
Not spending enough time creating a specific job description is where you can go wrong. The more specific and detailed you are, the more likely you are to find the right match. I understand it is a tough market, but it always pays to wait and find the right person.
2. Improve Your Interview Process
Even when you think you have done everything, there is always more. Sometimes it is a matter of changing one thing to get a different result.
Remember to listen to your gut instinct and ask that extra question. Often people feel something is not right, but they hold back from digging that bit more. One extra question can make the difference between finding the right fit or the wrong one.
3. Extended DISC Behavioural Profiling
Behavioural profiling works for both recruiters and business owners. I’ve had some business owners later regret not utilising EDISC.
DISC is common, but most people don’t know there are over 50 types of DISC. Extended DISC is a hundred times more accurate and reads a person’s emotions. EDISC has an 86% accuracy rate and over 700,000 profiles have been undertaken across the globe. More and more businesses are relying on this tool, which has been in existence since 1951.
In a nutshell EDISC puts people into four main categories – D, I, S or C energies. We all have all four energies within us, it is a matter of knowing which is the most dominant. It is not so much about putting people into a ‘box’ as it is knowing where best to place people.
One of my clients recently recruited an employee who didn’t have any ‘C’ energy. The C energy is a Compliant person who is detailed, analytical and introverted. C energies work well in repetitive roles.
Unfortunately, this person’s low C energy was a problem. Being accurate was essential. My client was having to amend her work and was getting frustrated having to look over everything. This is why it is important to match the specifics of the role to the person.
The benefit of an EDISC assessment is that it includes a 24-page report. This report will include lots of information about your potential employee including their:
- professional and personal behavioural style;
- strengths;
- development areas;
- motivators; and
- how they are feeling about their career right now.
This is something to be undertaken between first and second interview.
4. Second Interview
Businesses tend to wait until they are desperate to hire someone. The more time that you have, the more likely you are to make the right decision. It’s best to take your time during the process especially as some people do not interview well. This is why I often recommend a second interview.
5. Key Questions to Ask
Values based questions are questions people tend to miss. These are key when assessing cultural fit. For example:
- Why is this role or your career important to you?
- What do you find takes up the most of your time when you’re working?
- What do you enjoy most about your role right now?
- What inspires you the most about your career?
- Where do you see yourself in 3 years’ time?
6. Ask Your Coach to Sit in on the Second Interview
A coach has expertise in listening and reading between the lines. They know you and your business well, and they have no attachment to who you choose to recruit. I often work alongside a recruiter to help the employer make the right decision. This usually involves profiling and sitting in on the second interview and asking key questions.
7. Trial Day
A great option is to ask candidates to go along for a trial day. You can pay them if you wish and this is generally recommended.
A trial day gives you the chance to see how a future employee works, and how they will fit into your team and culture. This also gives those that aren’t good at interviews a chance to shine. I have seen clients end up employing someone who was terrible at the interview but amazing on the trial day. They turned out to be an amazing employee.
8. Should You Hire a Recruiter?
No matter the size of your business I would say that the right recruiter is going to be worth their weight in gold. You do still need to be careful about who you choose to hire though.
One of the benefits of hiring a recruiter is the amount of time you are going to save. Furthermore, recruiters are well trained in uncovering the truth from people. This is not easy to do.
Due to COVID19, a lot of industries are struggling to find staff. They are also paying ten to thirty thousand dollars more per year for them. A good recruiter will be able to find the best person, even in a tough market.
A trustworthy, honest recruiter is going to be fantastic. Like any industry, there are people that do not fit into this category. I often give recommendations of a good recruiter to my clients.
About Jade
Jade is a Certified Leadership and Business Coach and has been in business for 9 years. She coaches business owners and senior leaders to bring out their best so they can grow and manage their businesses and themselves.
Next Steps
Mention this blog and what you learnt and you will receive a 50% discount on an Extended DISC profile for recruitment.
