Doug Dwyer, Contributing Editor

Professional Remodeler Magazine

Many business leaders have a vision that one day their business could run without them working full time.  The motivation for this varies.  It could be to spend more time with their kids as they grow up, to start another business, to do volunteer work for their church or other organization, or to take a much needed vacation.

The reasons will differ, but this motivation is critical to thinking differently about recruiting.  One key element is envisioning giving up some of your current duties, even if it is years down the road.  This foresight will cause you to look at recruiting people with greater potential than what is needed for the current role you need filled. 

This is a distinction most leaders don’t consider early enough in their business career.  Yet the leaders who get the greatest results in the shortest period of time do understand the importance of proper recruiting. It is similar to the saying used by many business experts – “To begin with the end in mind.”

With the right frame of mind and motivation, what are some of the practical considerations to recruiting “A” players?  1) How to find them,  2)  How to interview them to make sure they are the right match,  3) How to secure them as a new employee/team member, and 4) How to retain “A” players.

1.   How to find them?  There are three basic ways to find new employees.  First, is observation prospecting.  This is where your team and you observe people you encounter on a daily basis to see if you discover someone who may have the qualities you seek.   Second, is to ask for referrals from people you know in business, or create a referral program that rewards people for giving you a lead that results in a hire.  Third, is through advertising or recruiting companies.  I have found all of these to be effective, yet I prefer the first two because the expense and time invested is typically less.  That said, my experience is it takes utilizing all three to fill every position you have available.

2.   How to interview them to make sure they are a right match?  First have a clear, written profile of the qualities, characteristics, skills and experience needed for the position.  Then, have a planned and disciplined interview process.   Some key elements might be to A) collect resumes and rank candidates based on how well they fit your profile, B) do an initial phone interview to decide if you want to meet them in person, C) interview the candidate in person to discuss their work history and to discover if their likes, interests and skills match what you need, D) use psychological testing to double check your assumption, E) call their references to see if they validate your findings, F) set up peer interviews with your team members, G) if it all lines up, hire them, and if not, pleasantly thank them for their time and wish them the best.  Recruiting is part art and part science. With a disciplined approach you can avoid some very costly miss-hires.  If you are not already using all these steps, then, at a minimum, add one or two to your process and watch your results improve. 

3.   How to secure them as a new employee/team member of your company?  Develop a company culture and compensation package that is desirable to new hires.  A good way to know if you have this right is to ask yourself this question – Would you want to work for your company and you?  If not, start working to change that.   It takes time to accomplish this so don’t be discouraged.  We all have to start somewhere.  Congratulations to those that could answer an enthusiastic “yes”.

4.   How to Retain “A” players?  One key is to have a proactive growth culture with continuous opportunities to learn and prosper.  As human beings we are happiest when we are challenged and growing.

All the best in building your “Dream Team”!