It is certainly tough to recruit great people these days, however they are definitely out there. It is even more critical to follow a rigorous recruitment process so you have a much better chance to recruit the best possible person. The right person adds so much value, they provide amazing customer service, they are open to new learning and feedback, they fit in well with your existing team and they reduce your own stress levels.
Unfortunately, a number of managers haven’t learned the key skills to recruiting the right people. They tend to hire in haste as they are so busy doing other things and then don’t have time to follow up during the critical first few weeks. This is the period when you really want to know if the new recruit is living up to your requirements or are they starting to slip and moving into a comfort zone already!
Recruitment takes time and focus. A great team member will add a lot of value whereas a bad one causes so much frustration and wasted time. The key part I want to highlight is the applicant’s values and passion for wanting to work with you. If their values match yours and they bring passion to the workplace you are on a winner.
Our recruitment mantra is all about “Hiring for attitude and training for skills”. It is extremely hard to train someone to have a positive attitude, to smile more, to show interest in customers if that is not their nature. Yet you can train someone to learn your products, how to use a point of sale and how to do tasks.
So, it’s critical to dig beneath the surface and start to find out what makes each applicant tick. And this starts well before the interview. Here are two questions you need to ask every candidate before you invite them for an interview when you speak to them on the phone:
“Are you still interested in the job?” Now listen carefully how they respond. If the response is a positive “Yes absolutely” then they are showing the right passion. If it’s “yeah, I think so” then maybe they are just looking for any job and is the type of person you want?
Follow up with “What made you apply for this job?” Once again, listen carefully to what they say. If they provide some good reasons, then you can be confident they will bring the right passion to work, plus they might talk about why they like your business and are therefore aligned with your values and culture. If the answer is hesitant then you probably know they are not right for you and your team.
I hope these two simple questions help you to find that right person. When you do, you’ll enjoy all of the positive benefits this person brings.
Roger Simpson – CEO, The Retail Solution and Author of “The Ultimate Retail Sales Experience” With over 35 years’ industry experience, Roger Simpson is recognized as Australia’s #1 Authority on customer ROI in the retail industry and as a global expert on staff coaching, customer service, and selling skills.
