Key Idea #8: Put What You Want In Writing

Tom and Don formed TiresPlus University to teach new teammates what they need to know to be successful at TiresPlus. They are not very concerned with the knowledge that new employees bring to the company. Knowledge can be taught; the raw material is what Tom and Don care about.

Topic for discussion: Why is it helpful to a written description of the type of person you want to hire?

Answer: This many not be needed if you are the only person involved in the hiring process but as you grow, others must be engaged. However, being specific keeps you from falling for what could turn out to be a bad candidate.

TiresPlus is looking for COPS, people who are Caring, Optimistic, Passionate, Systems-disciplined and spirit filled. Finding the right kind of teammates is so important to Tom and Don that they pay a $500 referral fee to a teammate who successfully attracts another teammate to TiresPlus.Tom and Don's feelings are appropriate for any business. Who you hire is more important than what they know. True, training employees is time consuming and costly. But an employee who has the necessary skill set to jump in and needs no training is of little value if (s)he is not motivated, sensitive to customers' needs or a team player whom other employees have confidence in. Better to invest the time training the right person than offer the wrong person a position in your business.

Most companies, when advertising for a position, will include both job requirements and preferences. Requirements are the mandatory criteria that the person filling the position must meet. Skills or experience that are "preferred" indicate that all other things being equal, the applicant also meeting those criteria is more likely to be offered the position. Remember, though, that all other things are not equal. In the end, most companies have found that the intelligent and motivated applicant, who might require a more extensive training period than the applicant with more relevant experience, provides the business with a greater return on investment.

The next time you are hiring a new employee for your business, make two lists. One, list the required and preferred qualifications for the position. These are the technical criteria and required skill sets and will be included in the advertisement for the position. The second list, which you will review just prior to each interview for the position, will include the personal characteristics you would like to see in the new employee. These characteristics will include those most likely to ensure success for the company and the individual if they are appealing to your customer base and current employees. You can make that second list right now!

You think about it: Do you have a written description of the type of person you want to hire? Do you have a list of the technical skills needed for each position? If not, do you think this would help you in the hiring process?