When a business owner has reached the point of being completely overwhelmed with too much to do, the temptation is to rush out and hire the first person who wins them over. Many an entrepreneur has felt that deep sense of urgency to just get someone to take tasks off their plate so they can move on to bigger, better and more fulfilling tasks. But as most people have learned the hard way, if you hire the WRONG person you might find yourself in a sticky situation.
When you have that first conversation with a potential team member, it’s like being on a first date. They say exactly the right things. You feel that rush of possibility. Perhaps they can be THE ONE.
Here’s what’s really happening…
Both parties are trying to impress the other person. You want to put your best foot forward so the candidate wants to work with you; and your potential team member wants to have the position (heck there’s money on the line!)
And truthfully, everyone really DOES think they can make this amazing situation work. But here’s a few of my big hiring snafu’s:
The time I hired two women as partners who had all the right credentials (they’d even been certified as an Online Business Manager) but they never delivered anything on time, over-promised on their true experience and later left in a ball of flames. I later realized they were in massive financial chaos and couldn’t manage their clients.
Or when I found that “perfect” candidate from doing a Google search. She was working with some of my big name peers (they gave her glowing recommendations on her website.) She fired me one week later. Shocked I reached out to a couple of them and they said, “She was a nightmare, I’d never hire her again.” Big lesson learned.
Then there was the “perfect” person to help me grow my business. She told me that the position was EXACTLY what she was on this planet to do. Luckily I followed my process this time and put her through a test project. Even though she was quite talented her work flow and my needs were completely opposite. So we parted ways without a lot of damage.
Here’s what I’ve learned through a lot of hard knocks: just because someone is great at what they do does not mean they are YOUR perfect team member. And unfortunately, there are quite a few good sales people out there who know what to say but can’t actually deliver beans.
When you hire someone immediately it’s like getting married after one date.
How DO you really know if they are a good fit?
Did you check to make sure that their values and energies are aligned with the position? Or did you just see if they “get” you?
Have you verified that they can actually deliver on the tasks that will be in this role? Or did you just take their word for it?
Were you able to explore expectations and availability?
Did you give them a test project to see how they actually perform?
These are just a few of the steps I walk my clients through to make sure they make the BEST possible decision when hiring. Whether you are hiring a virtual assistant, a contractor with an expertise or especially an employee, take some time to make sure that this person really has what it takes to be a long-term fit. Here’s a helpful guidebook on hiring and building a team.
This may not seem like a huge deal but every time you train someone you are taking time away from getting other tasks completed.
Your time is valuable! Spending a few hours up front to hire smart will save you 20 – 30 hours of time (not to mention the financial impact) if you have to start over again.