Setting the Standard for Great Hires
The job market is more employer-friendly than it has been in some time. Many companies, possibly yours, are looking for ways to leverage AI and improve efficiencies.
There are many talented people on the market, and for companies that are hiring, it should feel easier to attract and hire top-tier candidates.
“Should” being the operative word.
In my experience, and what I’ve seen with many of my clients, is that growing companies often struggle to fill roles with A+ talent—new roles in particular. The challenge isn’t directly related to broader labor trends; it’s a product of unclear expectations inside the business.
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Growing companies are often defining new roles: expanding into middle management layers, bringing on more experienced senior executives, and adding mature functions in areas like marketing and sales into the mix.
Here’s what that process often looks like for companies I work with:
- The job description is their best guess at what the role will involve. It’s based on the company’s current needs and a few job description examples swiped from competitors.
- Salary benchmarks are fuzzy, because the scope of the role isn’t completely clear.
- The hiring process is fairly dialed in (or not), but if the need is in a new area of the business, hiring managers and leaders aren’t totally sure what questions they need to ask.
A company makes a hire, and they end up disappointed. Performance isn’t where they thought it would be. The person is too junior and needs more handholding than they thought. Or the person is too senior and isn’t willing to roll up their sleeves. For one reason or another, things don’t work out.
And the leaders start to wonder…why did they get this wrong?
Next hiring process, a different version of the same thing. Maybe an incremental improvement—after all, the company now has some experience with the role, allowing them to pressure-test candidates.
Maybe the next hire is fine. But only fine. Not great, not stellar. Just fine.
And the leaders wonder again. Are their standards too high? Are they expecting something unrealistic from this role, this job description, for this salary?
It probably IS you. But not for the reasons you think.
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When a company is hiring a new role, or if the company is young in general, they act more like a pick-up sports team than a professional outfit. You don’t know how exactly what qualities you need. You aren’t confident setting a standard for the role. You take people at their word instead of vetting their experience with a critical eye.
You might end up with some great team members, but it’s hit or miss. Your process doesn’t predictably drive great talent into your organization. Sometimes you get lucky; often, you don’t.
I’d like to tell you that you can shortcut this whole process and hire the A #1 candidate at the start of every job search.
That wouldn’t be the truth.
The truth is that the experience is important. You get better at hiring for a particular role with reps and time.
Once someone is on the job, that’s when you truly figure out what their role needs to be.
Getting better doesn’t mean lowering your standards. Because honestly, you’re right. You do need amazing talent who loves working for your organization and is a great (if not stellar) performer.
A small or medium-sized business can’t really afford anything less.
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Here are three things you can do to improve your next hiring process and get closer to that A+ team member:
1. Be thoughtful about your hiring process. Company value proposition, role description, and expectations for the new team member. Take the time to dial those things in and get them right. Spend time upfront to set yourself up for success.
2. Don’t be afraid to set the standard. It’s true that interviews are a two-way dialogue, and you need to appeal to the candidate as much as they need to appeal to you. But don’t sugarcoat reality or hide the ball on the hard parts of their job. Be honest about what you’re asking them to do in the role.
3. Cut quickly if it’s not working out. Consider a 90-day probationary period in which either of you can call it quits. If you aren’t getting what you need, move on. Evaluate your hiring process and try again. Dragging things out ends up hurting everyone.
What’s strange is that the more specific you get about what you’re looking for, the better quality talent you’ll attract.
It almost feels like magic. But when you have clarity about a role, what’s required, and what great looks like, the right people seem to suddenly appear in front of you.
I’ve experienced it with our consulting team. I’ve seen it with project managers in my painting company. And I’ve witnessed it over and over again with my clients’ companies.
You are not asking too much to want a great team member who makes life easier, not harder, for you.
But you may need to grow into the kind of organization that can find, hire, and retain them.
