Hiring for the right reasons
How to find that perfect match
The number one complaint among entrepreneurs is that they can’t find the right people.
That interesting. Because when you talk to the employees they usually have a similar complaint they
can’t find that perfect boss. So why is there so often a mismatch?
The problem is that we hire and apply on the wrong terms!
We hire for skills. We apply for money and job description. Or even worse,
we settle for what is available at that moment. And like in any relationship or friendship, that
is not likely a recipe for success. Even when there is a match on skills and job related experience, that only tells half the story.
When you are looking for a lasting match to ensure a meaningful contribution
to an organization and personal development, it all comes down to sharing the same Core Values (link to website CoreValues).
Prioritizing values over skills can feel counterintuitive. You feel
prone to focus on the qualified person with the higher degree. But whereas most skills and experience can be developed, values are
fairly consistent over time. And a mismatch in values can cost you a lot of money, head ache andtime which can be prevented if you
know what values to look for when you are hiring.
Here are 5 tips for hiring on Values
Hiring on values
1. Invest in a healthy culture & clear Core Values
New employees will always adapt to the existing culture, not to the intentions in a document. I
f your values are not represented in your current team, the new employee will
most likely adapt to the existing situation instead of changing it.
You need to invest in healthy value based culture first before you bring
in new people!
2. Verbs in your values
Your Core Values need to be understood in terms of behavior by the employees as well as the
people hiring them. Only if you are clear on your expectations of the behavior in the workplace you
associate with each value, can you do a targeted search for those behaviors while interviewing candidates.
What does integrity mean in the line of work you do? What attributes does an employee need to have to
work with integrity in your company? How do you measure that?
Practical tip:
It pays of to make a list of what value based behaviors you are looking for during a job
interview and score each participant on those behaviors.
3. Believe what you see not what you hear
The behavior that an applicant shows before, during or after a job interview tells you a lot about their true
values. Most people have a good story, but small habits and unconscious behavior tell
you more about their true values. A candidate that smiles during the interview but is rude to your assistant on
the telephone might not be as costumer orientated as she tells you.The devil is in the details. Make notes of those
little behaviors (positive and negative) on your scorecard.
4. Interview on values
Integrate questions on important value based behaviors as part of your standard interview.
Candidates that are aware of what is important to them when it comes to values,
workplace conditions, fulfillment and meaningful development are less likely to be a mismatch. If their values
are a good fit with yours of course. Ask them what their value are and let them give practical examples of behaviors in the workplace
that represent those values. Ask them what gave them fulfillment in previous jobs.
The right candidate usually has a clear understanding on what they need and offer to make a meaningful contribution to your company.
5. Test for Values ( in tester)
Asking for values might not always get you a straight answer. A good candidate should have
researched you and prepared their answers. Use examples of practical situation or case
histories to test their values. Test applicants case studies that provide a realistic moral dilemma they could come across. What does their
answer tell you about their moral standards? Or even better, ask if the candidates are willing to do a tester.
Invite your top 2 to join you and your team on voluntary basis for a couple of hours. It tells you something
about a candidate if they are not willing to make that investment. On the day of the tester, look for the connection with the team, are they
showing the values you want to see and are they the person they promised to be in the interview. Who
shows the characteristics of the person you need to contribute to the culture you aspire.
Interested in finding out what your Core Values are?
