Hire Higher

So many people have asked me how to hire the right people that will stay.  There are many solutions for attraction and retention challenges, and the right one for you depends on your culture and current practices.  However, finding the right person will depend on being the right environment.

I recently heard about a young woman interviewed at a photography studio.  She is a smart, enthusiastic young lady with a strong work ethic who gets enjoyment out of serving customers with excellence.  When she was called to be interviewed that same day, she cancelled an appointment in order to prepare for the interview.  She was excited to potentially have her first job as a photographer - she'd already taken courses, had fun with the camera, given all of her friends and family the gift of photography, and was ready for a paid photography experience.

The young woman was seated in the customer area when she arrived... and that's where she stayed for an hour.  The interviewer joined her for a few minutes to give her forms to complete and left her again. When the interviewer returned, she asked about hours of availability, and then, "Do you want the job?"  The young lady said yes.  The interviewer then proceeded to tell her about all of the awful job applicants she had received and the problems they have with recruitment and retention.  Customers were in ear shot and the other employees carried on with each other having fun.... but in an unprofessional manner.  All of this was noted by the young woman being interviewed.

The young woman accepted the job... with a caveat she didn't share with the interviewer.  She was accepting the position to gain experience, and then she would leave.  She had no intention of working in such an unprofessional environment for a long period of time.  She valued excellence in customer service and wanted to work in an environment that also valued that kind of excellence.

This is not the first time I've heard a story like this.

If you want to hire 'higher'.... give your current management and employees the skills required to perform higher.  Create a professional workplace that people with the right skills will want to work in... and stay working in.  If you want to hire a person with excellence in specific skills or attitudes, make sure your workplace IS that first.

Excellence in management and leadership is the first requirement to hire higher.  Finding and keeping the right person for the job is about first having an environment that person wants to work in.

Start cultivating excellence among your current team, and the right people will begin to show up... and will be more likely to stay.