Payroll, benefits, etc., all added up, can make up 70% or more of the total cost of doing business. The process of recruiting, interviewing, and hiring can be a huge burden for businesses. For these reasons, when hiring, it’s important to hire the right person for the job.
I worked in the financial industry for 25 years before starting my new career in the non-profit sector. Through my years of international work, I have interviewed and hired hundreds of applicants from different cultures with unique skill sets. And I learned a few things about what to look out for when building your team.
You don’t need a big team, just the right team
I’ve been lucky in business and have been surrounded by good people. When I first arrived as CEO of the nonprofit I lead, there were a few things that needed fixing.
First and foremost, there was the question of how the needs of the community it was designed to serve were met. Additionally, the company is underutilized by technology, has fairly high turnover at the top, and pays high salaries, especially for a charity entrusted with spending resources donated by the general public to meet social needs. was paying
I rolled up my sleeves and immediately set about fixing the problem. That included a careful look at organizational positions and the people holding those positions. We are proud to say that he has streamlined more than two-thirds of his staff into a lean and efficient team. So there are far fewer people today, but they are the right people.
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Find your character first
Don’t get me wrong. Skills and education are important. But the number one thing I look for in a candidate is personality. Everything else is malleable. The ability to look a candidate in the eye across the table and recognize their true character, behavior and morals is critical to successful hiring.
People go crazy for candidates who are good interviewers and have great resumes. But when it doesn’t work, I wonder why it didn’t work. It gets to the core of who the person is. Interview alone may not be enough. I need to know who they are and how they treat people.
In my case, I observe how someone treats the people around them: their boss, co-workers, subordinates, and strangers. When someone treats everyone in an organization and its environment in a way that shows respect and a sense of value, it shows true character. Whether in business or in life, how you treat people is the most important thing. In my eyes, it far exceeds even the value of an Ivy League education.
Build a diverse team
This point cannot be stressed enough. Building a diverse team is essential to success. Having a diverse team, including members of different genders, ages, and ethnicities, ensures that the team has diverse mindsets, worldviews, and ideas.
In the ‘third sector’ of business, government and non-profit activities, the communities and customers we serve are often highly diverse groups. How can we adequately serve them without an internal representation that equally reflects heterogeneous perspectives and experiences?
Many companies shy away from diversity, which is a big mistake. One of the reasons I’ve been so successful with a small team and can accomplish more than a large team is because we have voices representing different interests. We have a better understanding of what the community wants from us.
Hiring a team of people who genuinely care about other people and are passionate about their work is always more important than having the best degree or a great resume. Is it possible to find talent that has both? absolutely. But if you focus on personality first, you’ll always be able to hire the right people.