Hiring the best candidates means finding the right people who will thrive in your team and add to your service delivery levels to your customers. Many managers will think about budget, recruitment strategies, job descriptions, screening, research processes, interviewing tactics and more.
However, deciding on what qualities (not just qualifications and experience) to look for is also part of the process. These expand the value of your potential new team members and help you understand them better.
Look for flexibility
Teams are getting smaller and employees are often required to fill expanding roles. Look for candidates who are comfortable with being uncomfortable, they will have confidence in their abilities to engage in different roles and will be able to perform no matter how big or small the team may be.
It is important to have people who see lending a hand in other departments as an opportunity to learn something new. Candidates who can collaborate and work well with others and not only focus on their tasks will contribute greatly to customer service as well as a positive culture to the rest of the team.
Group interviews, job simulation or even shadowing, are some of the ways to evaluate which candidates are both flexible and amiable.
Hire resourceful, agile candidates
One of the biggest productivity killers for managers is having to micro-manage staff. Employing team players who are agile and resourceful reduces (and hopefully eliminates) having to waste time on micro-management. Look out for candidates who you believe will adapt quickly to learning the ropes and would use the resources available to them to get the job done successfully, without needing a ton of help from their teammates.
Resourceful employees always look for more efficient, time-saving ways of coming up with solutions – these are people that you want!
You find such candidates through interview questions like “How did you learn the ropes at your last job?” In their answers, look for parallels that relate to similar challenges and needs at your dealership, understanding how they faced and reacted to them will help you gauge how they will help your team overcome similar situations.
Initiative is also very important
Hire hustlers. Having hustle doesn’t stem from talent, it stems from making a habit of taking initiative.
People who are proactive and take initiative to tackle additional, more challenging work will always make you happy as a team leader because it also helps alleviate some of the load off you.
Hustlers can anticipate the needs of leadership and they are willing to go above and beyond for the collective goal of the team. Hustlers are confident in their ability to create success and always find the energy to go for it.
In an interview, ask candidates to talk about an idea or project that was initiated primarily because of their efforts.
Finding the right new hire for your company should be a journey, and it’s important to not rush to fill the open spot. Putting out a dynamite job description that has specific must-haves attracts people who have what you are looking for. Being transparent and including photos or even videos that speak to the culture at your company helps to communicate the kind of environment they will be entering.
Remember, the decision does not always have to be yours alone. Consulting your team is another way you can ensure the job description reflects your team’s interpretation of the employee — especially if they will be working with the new hire every day.