Hire an ‘Ever-Blooming Rose’

Employees and culture are two of the most important assets a company can build upon. Hiring new executives, who are integral to developing both, is never an easy task! How many times have you seen one of these scenarios? A newly hired executive almost immediately makes a positive impact on the company. On the other side of the coin is the new executive who creates more turmoil and upheaval than is good for a company.

Hiring the right people is one of the most strategic, cost-saving, and value-producing practices a company can implement. The goal is to hire that “ever-blooming rose” that rejuvenates themself and others and adds great value as they blossom in their role. The differential is the selection process of these strategic executives. It is not an easy task to find the executive who is a perfect fit for a role. It requires a unique set of skills of those who are finding the candidates and of those who are in the hiring progression.

Few companies actually have a complete, defined recruiting process that includes every person involved in the decision. The first requirement is to truly understand the needs of the company, the definition of success in the position, and the appropriate skill sets required for the role. While this sounds simple, this procedure many times is quickly homogenized to get a job brief written and candidates into the pipeline. Next is to have everyone involved in the process agree to the needs to be fulfilled and the skill sets required. Often during an interview process, those interviewing have different viewpoints on the and the best skills for creating solutions.

A recruiter must have a strong grasp of the company culture and the requirements for the role. Understanding culture goes a long way in the ability to transition the correct type of executive into a role. It would be of great value if they had actual experience in retail, the position, and the type of company. They need to understand the grassroots culture that allows the company to be successful. Define the culture on paper, and create questions that identify the characteristics of a candidate who would be a good fit. A strong candidate must know the basic elements such as daily decision-making and, on a higher level, have the talents needed for long-term success in the role. Create a detailed job brief that, through the overview and requirements, immediately defines a clear pathway for the proper candidates to be determined. Initially, one has to search out those who have the skills on paper. Once accomplished, prepare a list of questions that lead the dialogue beyond a candidate’s resumé history and into an understanding of their true skill sets, desires, and fit into the culture.

Have discussions with the hiring manager and the team who will be interviewing the candidate. Make sure everyone is concentrating on the same elements when interviewing. Creating a set of leading questions for the interviewers, which again delves beyond the candidate’s resumé, can be of great help. Do allow for independent questions to occur where needed. Don’t make first-impression or gut decisions as to the quality of a candidate. Take your time and control the interview so no one is hawking the company and candidates do not oversell themselves. This is a matching of needs and skills. You need to be looking for the best solution for each party. Consider follow-up interviews with a different set of questions, including a few that have already been asked of the candidate. Confirm that the original decision was the correct one.

This is a broad overview of the methodology in a strong hiring process. There are many more detailed elements, but this affords you some insight into the opportunities and needs of hiring the correct executives. Create a set of recruiting and interview procedures that bring forward candidates who can be “blooming roses” and deliver strong value to your company and its continual positive cultural growth.

Tom Weber is president of WeberSource LLC and is AICC’s folding carton and rigid box technical advisor. Contact Tom directly at asktom@aiccbox.org.