If the foundation of a company is based on the leadership and ethics principles of the owner, then the roof and walls have to be the employees. Finding great employees has always been difficult and the three biggest mistakes I’ve made along the way are worth sharing.

Not checking references- When I hired my first employee he had what appeared to be a great resume and when we talked on the phone and met in person seemed like a really reliable and honest person. It became apparent to me within a month that he had inflated his skillset a lot when I saw his skills in action. I also believe that he needed glasses, but that’s another issue. I never called his references and I just took his word because I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Becoming their friend- The boundary must be established right away that you’re not the drinking buddy of your employee. After firing my first employee, the second guy I hired became my casual beer drinking buddy after the job was done. This was a big mistake because he started to assume that we were “cool” and started to take advantage of the company vehicle policy and working hours. Be someone who your employees admire because of your skills and attitude not their friend or drinking buddy.

Hiring your employees former co-workers- About a year ago one of my employees knew I was looking to fill a spot and recommended his co-worker. He swore to how appreciative this guy would be to work at our company and he would fit right into our business. I hired him from a steady job (that he didn’t like) and put him to work. Right off the bat I could tell that the guy wasn’t a fit and I wanted to fire him the first week for performance. Because I had taken him from a steady job, I felt guilty letting him go. Things got a little better in his performance, but never his attitude. I eventually let him go and regret not trusting my intuition the first week I hired him. Firing people is not easy, but the relief afterwards ALWAYS is worth more than the stress from having the talk.

Here are a few quick tips to add to your search:

• Let your job description work for you. When posting an ad I recommend asking detailed questions that the person has to answer when applying.
• No references=equals the delete button-No explanation needed
• Misspellings and poor grammar- People who do not have the energy to proofread their resume or an e-mail when applying for a job WILL ultimately be sloppy in workmanship.
• Attitude is everything-Make sure that applicants have a good one that matches your style. Team players are a key. Avoid instigators and people who think they know it all.
• Don’t hire on price alone- A lot of my friends hire guys at $15/hour and complain about babysitting their quality. Why not hire a guy at $20/hour who requires very little of your time? That’s only $40 more per day before workers comp, etc… That’s a drop in the bucket if you value your time at $65/hour or greater.

 I figure it has taken me a year to get the right employee for the ones I have because of trial and error, so don’t get discouraged if it takes a while to find great help. Maybe this will help you shrink that timeframe for your hiring.

 

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