Kingdom At Work
[The information referenced in this blog is extracted from May’s Kingdom at Work Webinar on the topic “Finding the Right People,” presented by Betenbough Companies Employee Support Director, Casey Brewer. You can watch the full webinar here.]
Both finding the right people for your team and keeping them can be tough, but investing the proper time, energy, and resources into selecting your team members drastically increases your chances of keeping them.
First Steps to Finding the Right People
A good selection process begins with clearly defining: 1) who you are as an organization, and 2) the process of finding great people.
Great people who align with your company will defend your culture. Average people will foster disunity. To learn more about culture building, watch this webinar.
Finding Candidates
When it comes to screening candidates, you’ll be putting them through three main filters:
- Culture fit. Do they already demonstrate the values that define your organization?
- Job fit. Can they actually perform the work required?
- Team fit. Will they be cohesive with your team?
Remember that hope is not a strategy here. You need to see existing evidence of the right fit in all three areas.
Specific Steps
- Provide a clearly-defined job description that includes both job functions (a summary of the role’s duties) and job values (characteristics needed for this team member to succeed).
- Use an effective job application that asks great, relevant questions so it can function as a strategic filter for applicants.
- Follow a strategic approach when casting the net for applicants. Referrals are your best friend.
- Include a personality assessment to narrow the field and add another layer of confirmation.
- Design a high-impact interview journey that includes repetitious interactions such as a phone calls, one-on-one interviews, group interviews with other management, a senior leader interview, etc.
- Require a job-specific simulation to assess if the candidate can actively demonstrate competence in the role.
- Consider using a problem-solving assessment for roles that require a high level of resolving dilemmas and reacting to diversions.
- Check references, both personal and professional. Ask great questions such as “How will I need to help this person grow?” and “Were you sad to see this person leave?”
- Run appropriate screenings such as background checks and drug/alcohol tests.
- Schedule a casual interaction, possibly including the applicant’s significant other, such as coffee or dinner to get a different perspective on the applicant.
As you go through the journey of finding the right people for your organization, remember that you are stewarding God’s ministry in the marketplace (a.k.a. your business) and the applicants, whether you end up hiring them or not. Partner with God to do this well.
To register for our next webinar, click here!