To HIRE or Not to HIRE?

Friday, September 1, 2023

I remember sitting in a job interview many years ago and being told I did not have enough experience to be awarded the job. How in the world was I supposed to GET experience if they would not hire me?? That particular ‘experience’ would season the way I would hire people as a business owner in the future. Experience is a double-edged sword- we often gain experience by figuring things out while we are on the way to becoming proficient! When we are looking at filling positions here at TMC, we definitely ‘consider’ work experience but not how you might think!

Here are the top 5 things we are looking for before we make a HIRING decision (in the order in which we feel they are important):

1- The Ability to Follow Instructions: This seems simple however when we ask candidates to submit a cover and resume, 50% of applicants do one or the other. The act of following simple instructions will play out time and time again once we bring team members on board which is why the very first thing we want to know is can you follow instructions? Having a team member who can follow instructions makes it easier to train and integrate them into your team. It also makes problem-solving much easier and equates to better overall customer support/service.

2- Written/Communication Skills: We typically write the way we speak and since a majority of our business is completed over the telephone, we listen for and look for great communication skills. Someone who sounds sleepy, tired, or disengaged over the telephone will most likely not make a great support rep. Someone who struggles with complete sentences and word usage will most likely not make a great sales rep. We can certainly add additional training in these areas but if a candidate cannot hold their own in this department we would probably pass on moving them to the next phase of the interview.

3- Core Value Alignment: I was tempted to put this FIRST because of the importance of core value alignment however- we do not get the opportunity to get to know someone if they miss on items one and two. Our core values speak to the way we show up at work and the way we serve our clients and referral partners. When we are interviewing, we are looking for and listening for core value alignment- do they SMILE? Every single person has gifts and talents but not every person shares the values of your company. We pass on GREAT people who are not in alignment with our Core Values because long term, they will not find the job satisfaction they desire.

4- Wired For Work: Each individual comes naturally wired to perform certain tasks. If we asked a FISH to try to chase after prey or a Cheetah to swim in the ocean, both creatures would fail miserably! The same is true with potential candidates. We use a DISC Personality Assessment to try and determine each candidate's natural tendencies- this gives us both the best chance of finding the best candidate for the best position. When job assignments are completed by those wired for the tasks- work is completed more efficiently and is way more FUN for all parties involved.

5- Willingness: Finally we are looking for team members who love to grow and develop relationships with the team, their clients, and our referral partners. Nothing is a better indicator than a person’s willingness to participate, provide feedback, take feedback, and perform tasks. When we have team members who refuse to participate or who do not exercise constructive pushback- in other words, they have a lack of willingness, there is not much we can do to help them become a success on our team.

Interestingly- I never mentioned experience but it is important! I review the resume to see if any of the tasks are related to the tasks I need to have done here at TMC. I then weigh that up against the 5 items listed above. This is why someone with a TON of experience might NOT gain a position on our team when someone with NO industry experience is given an opportunity.