How to hire the right person for the job

Recruiting the right person for the right role is all about finding the best possible match between a person and the job.

Let me use an example to explain how I recommend you hire someone, starting with preparing the job description.

Let’s say you need to hire a salesperson. What are you doing now?

You can write a job description based on what you think the seller should do. (Or you can find and copy a job description template from your files or from another company’s job posting – I don’t recommend that by any means, but it does happen!)

But if you’re not fully familiar with what your company’s salespeople do or should do, you can risk writing a wish list that rejects the right candidates and attracts the wrong ones. While you may know the key requirements for the job, for example the ability to build rapport, you can also add some that are non-essential.

A better approach is to look at your star salespeople and use them as models. In fact, whether you’re looking for a secretary, plumber, accountant, salesperson, or anyone, the best way to attract the right candidate is to model your best employees.

Sit down with them and ask them a few questions. Go “on the road” with them and see how they work.

The information you gain will be invaluable. It will help you prepare the job description and also point out the things to look for when you start interviewing candidates. (More on that in a later article.)

In short, take the time to find out what qualities your stars possess that make them successful in their roles. What drives them? What do they like and dislike about their jobs? What are your ambitions? What do they do that makes them successful?

You may find that there are certain attributes that all your stars share and certain attributes that differ between them. The qualities you share are the key attributes you look for in the salesperson you want to hire. Attributes that vary between your vendors are not essential.

Now write your job description. This time it will be more realistic as it is based on real people, and it will also be based on your stars, so only people who believe they have star qualities will apply for the job!

What if you don’t employ any vendors at this time? Or are you not satisfied with any of your current vendors?

Don’t be tempted to use the wish list approach. You need to find the best salespeople at companies like yours, companies that sell the same types of products or services, in the same way, to the same types of customers, and model them.

This is not as difficult as it may seem.

If you don’t know of a company or salesperson that comes to mind and you are using an executive search firm, this company should be able to work with you to identify the characteristics of star salespeople at other companies. You can even set up a meeting with these vendors by offering to invite them to breakfast or lunch, for example.

If you don’t plan on using an executive search firm, it’s time to network! Talk to representatives from your local chamber of commerce or a professional, trade, or sales association. They should be able to point you to the type of people you should model.

Of course, any of these activities can generate people you’d like to employ. Just make sure you’re not falsely presenting yourself as looking for “models” if you’re really looking for candidates, both to the individuals themselves and (if applicable) to their employers.

As mentioned above, this “modeling” approach applies to hiring anyone. But what if you need to appoint someone to a position that doesn’t currently exist in your organization (or any other)?

If the role combines elements that already exist somewhere, then you can find and model people who are superior in performing those elements. If the role is truly unique, then you might resort to preparing a job description from scratch. In this case, it is advisable to list what the job will entail and the results you want to achieve and leave it at that.

Go no further than listing a range of personal and professional qualities that are not essential to the position. When interviewing candidates, you can select someone based on having the “good to haves” as well as the essentials.

Of course, getting the right people to apply is only the first step in hiring the right person for the right role. The next step is to screen the candidates to identify those who truly possess the necessary talents, skills, and knowledge for the position. I’ll talk about that in a future article!