Do you remember how your stress melted away the time you hired someone who was extremely productive shortly after being hired? You can take more control in the hiring process and provide the work “platform” that will nurture new employees and your team and when you do, it will pay off big time affording speedy project completion, big time savings for you and your team bringing people up to speed. Moreover, the chances of the productive, new employee becoming a long term fit are excellent.
The formula for hiring people who “hit the ground running” is easy. Hire and nurture people who have thrived in a similar environment, management style and process/resource or how work is done. Your goal in the interview process is to ask the questions and evaluate the candidate’s responses as to how they map to your environment, management style and resource/process. When you get this right, you will make yours and the entire team’s lives so much easier.
Here are a few ideas that can help you hire people who “hit the ground running”:
BEFORE THE HIRE, ASK THE RIGHT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS-In your interviewing, ask questions about where the candidate did their best work using the skills (both technical and interpersonal) that are closest to the skills you need. Focus your interview questions on: 1.how things were organized in their department, 2.how the work was distributed, organized and monitored, 3.where the candidate went when they got stuck, 4.the toughest part of it all, 5.how (and how quickly) they learned, 6.what their role was on the team, 7.how everyone gauged excellence. Look for similarities to your department. Was their success in a company that is similarly organized and with a similar culture? Is your management style similar to the candidate’s description of that manager? Are your timelines and deliverables similar to what the candidate has succeed in?
AFTER THE HIRE, PROVIDE THE PLATFORM FOR SUCCESS-Develop an on-boarding process that is repeatable and team-oriented. Delegate some of the onboarding activities to your team. Organize your department operations by using one common receptacle for new employees so they know where to find things. If you don’t have tools that can organize, use free tools like Google Drive to store important operational information, training documents, log ins, etc. You must communicate the overall mission and vision, project-success map. ASSIGN A “GO TO”– Select someone on your team to be the new employee’s resource for general questions, introductions and help. This is a great role for someone who has leadership potential and can motivate them and take pressure off of you. PROVIDE TIMELY FEEDBACK-Agree on check-points in the first ninety days, giving and receiving feedback on areas of success and where improvement is required. You can head any issues off at the pass and build confidence in your new employee.
Use these tips and enjoy quicker, more successful project delivery and ultimately, better service and efficiencies for your internal and external customers.
I am here to assist you with finding and engaging top I.T. talent. Please call or email me for a quick response to your I.T. hiring needs.
Evelyn Milani [email protected]
