Memo to hiring managers... A few tips when looking for new employees

A few weeks ago I wrote a post to recent graduates looking to get a new job. I tried to summarize what would make them the most effective in the "real world" and distilled it down to these five tips:

• go above and beyond what is asked for
• pay attention to details
• try to learn as much as you can
• take a break once in a while
• network and leave on good terms.

The full post can be found here: 

https://thrivingwithinterest.blogspot.com/2021/05/memo-to-new-hires-bit-of-advice-to.html

Now is time to flip the script and write a quick memo to hiring managers and help my friends who run their own businesses (or are looking to expand their existing teams). Here are some tips and I would love to hear if you have any additional things to consider:

TO: Hiring manager

FROM: Old Grizzled Vet

SUBJECT: How to find the best new employees

DATE: June 2021

As someone who has worked for major organizations, start up firms and not for profits, I have seen a wide range of candidates, and decisions made by companies when looking for new employees. Similar to the memo last month, here are some of the key insights that I have gleaned over the years:

• hire a diverse set of employees: It is tempting to recruit from the top schools, to go for people who look like you, but actually you need diversity in order to thrive in this fast changing world. That means hiring some veterans and some newbies. Hiring some with strong technical skills and others with intangible ones. Not to mention the obvious when it comes to race, sex, religion, etc...
• look for people that are recommended from those that you trust: Almost anyone can prepare and look good in an interview. However it is easy to miss things and/or not get a full picture in those 30 mins. to hour long sessions. If you can canvass your current employees and have them recommend people to come and work for you, that would reduce the possibility of picking a lemon.
• don't assume that people with a lot of experience are necessarily better: especially on a cost adjusted basis. It is tempting to think that someone with 15 years work experience knows best. And that may be the case. However they are also probably set in their ways and will not always change with the times. I am not implying that one should only go out and hire people with limited or no experience whatsoever. This ties into the first bullet-point, it pays to diversify when it comes to people with various experiences/backgrounds.
• be honest with people during the interview process: If you expect employees to work long hours and give up weekends, tell them. If you believe that the company is at a crossroads and that there is a possibility that it may not make it, tell them. Just like any relationship or investment, surprises are often what derails them, rather than making them stronger...

and

• don't be afraid to part ways if things don't turn out as you wished: 
  Everything will not always work out. Even the best laid plans are sometimes derailed by things that are out of our control. The key however is not to let the bad times fester too long and know when to pull the plug. Hopefully you can be generous with those that need to move on, both with time and possible monetary compensation, but the worst thing that one can do is to keep someone hanging, especially when the writing is on the wall. 

I hope that these will help my entrepreneur friends and senior managers make better decisions as they look to expand their teams in the months and years to come. If you have any other tips, please let me know and I will share in a further post.

Onwards!