Recruiting those really exceptional, âextraordinaryâ people wonât ever happen if you stick to legacy notions of simply matching skill levels to the companyâs job description.
Whatâs important is what Geoffrey James, a staff writer for Incâs SalesForce column, came away with from a leadership conference attended by numerous âCEOs and sales execs.â
âHow to Hire Extraordinary Employees: 7 Rulesâ is not a randomly acquired list; the thoughtful tips go beyond the traditional skill-matching process to incorporate a deeper understanding of the applicantâs desires, wants, and even disappointments.
- Define your âExtraordinary Employeeâ – This step requires you to focus on the successful employees in your organization and understand their âtalents and skills.â Interview questions around these traits will bring out any skills and character attributes that look to be âexceptional in your specific organization.â
- Always be Interviewing – Instead of waiting for the day you need to fill that opening, always be looking ahead and creating an inventory by âinterviewing candidates all the time.â Use this along with your social media channels – and email – as a way to find applicants who look like they have that something âextraordinaryâ to contribute.
- Ask Questions That Reveal Character – Donât throw them the âol soft-ball question, like âWhat was your greatest achievement?â Get deep-in-the-weeds with this one and ask them to bring up âachievements from grade school, two from high school, two from college ⊠â and make sure they can tie-in a business-related achievement as well.
- Seek People Who Have Overcome Disappointment – Youâre looking for those telling and âdefining momentsâ that show they possess resiliency, which is crucial to assessing how they will cope in your business environment.
- Donât Confuse Success with Motivation – How many times have you heard that almost-clichĂ©-type phrase, âself-startersâ? Make sure the âself-starterâ mantra is only working when heavily supervised.
- Hire for Attitude, Not Experience – Hiring based on the applicantâs past track record is not enough; instead you should decide if they have the right mojo and the right attitude to contribute to the companyâs future.
- Get a Real Reference – Step away from the candidateâs resume when checking references and do your own sleuthing to find the references you need ⊠ârather than simply calling the ones on the ⊠resume.â
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