Bassackwards Hiring
"It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards" Lewis Carroll
I'm hiring in my small business and I hate the word. Of course, I must use it to define clearly what I'm doing but I think too many organizations and leaders get hiring wrong. I've been doing a lot of speaking about this lately as most organizations struggle to find and retain talent. I'll focus here on the hiring act and leave retention for past and future blogs. Keep reading and get your friends and colleagues to sign up. Go here!
Here is the bassackwardness summarized.
What: organizations focus completely on the job description, expected duties, qualification prerequisites, pay, and benefits, and overlook what might attract a person in the first place.
Why: a cause, culture, social and environmental impact, and an opportunity for growth. What is required for sure, but why goes missing. I want to know what but i'm mildly entertained by it and I believe most people are.
When I created my job description I certainly included all of what. I wanted to be crystal clear on requirements, expectations, prerequisites, and pay and benefits. But I placed more emphasis on things like our vision to "serve our customers and serve our community," on how I'm offering an opportunity for personal and professional growth, and a chance to join a great team. I shared with whom and how we give back to our community - our cause or our why.
What I find bassackwards is that those leaders hiring or overseeing the process stop at what then wonder why nobody comes knocking or why they have a turnover issue. I assure you what is long forgotten once the job starts. Why is everything and each day the new teammate (not employee) arrives, they will be looking for why. I wrote why into my job description with the full intention of fulfilling it. In the interview, I'll do my best to get to know the person, then I'll describe who we are as a team, what we stand for (our why), why I bought the business and what, beyond what I'd like to do for them. Moreover, I'll know in the interview that this person is on loan to me. They will eventually move on to something bigger and better and I'm ok with that. I'll invest in them and create the environment they never want to leave.
Do your diligence when it comes to what but invest time and energy in why. A future hire is looking for exactly that. Don't be bassackwards!
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell