EVENT RECAP: LEADING TO SUCCESS—LEADERSHIP HIRING DURING COVID-19
Is your company challenged to recruit the right leaders for your open positions? Has COVID thrown a wrench in your hiring process and made strong leaders even more difficult to find?
On November 5, Gerber hosted a Discovery event called, “Leading to Success – Leadership Hiring During COVID-19” that addressed the hiring issues entrepreneurs are facing today.
Randy Gerber of Gerber, LLC led the discussion with Alec Broadfoot CEO of VisionSpark, an executive search firm that helps small to mid-sized entrepreneurial companies make hiring and people decisions for core value fit and bottom-line growth. Randy and Alec discussed strategies on how to build and hire the right leadership team for your business, even during a pandemic.
In a fireside chat/Q&A style format, Randy asked Alec about the trends and challenges entrepreneurs are facing when trying to hire the right team player.
Here are the key takeaways:
Like Jim Collins says, focus on the “who,” then the “what.”
Entrepreneurs need to get clarity on what success looks like for key positions, and then think about the behaviors, traits and values a person in that role should possess. Alec advises to hire for character and core values first, experience second.
Keep your core values front and center throughout the interview process.
Include your core values in your position profile, because it will attract those individuals who are drawn to your core values and repel those who aren’t. Design your interview questions to ask for examples of how each candidate demonstrated one of your core values.
Use an assessment to evaluate potential and current employees.
Alec recommended using an assessment that measures mental aptitude and personality, such as the Achiever Assessment. Assessments are also helpful in determining the strengths and aptitudes of your current employees. This will help you identify employee strengths you may have forgotten about as the business changes and team members resign.
The biggest danger of a hiring process is not having one at all.
Most companies have strong processes for sales and working with customers, but they don’t have a strong process for hiring. Begin with a position profile, review your hiring checklist and evaluate them objectively.
Offer compensation that will attract A players.
Often called “the purple squirrel” an A player is worth the investment. Too often entrepreneurs consider compensation as an expense rather than an investment. Use tools to measure your employee’s ROI. Your A player will perform better than your B or C players, and will more than make up for their bump in compensation.
If you missed the webinar and want to learn more, you can watch the replay here. Please visit our website for a list of upcoming events, and stay connected with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter!