As we have discussed before on this blog, it's often better to find the right people, instead of the best people. Rather than focusing your efforts on finding the perfect employee who can come in and blow everyone away instantly, you will likely have more success if you look for people with the foundation to grow, develop and become valuable team members. For starters, the former doesn't come around very often. Second, by expanding your horizons, you may find someone you wouldn't have initially considered who may end up being a perfect fit.
The key is knowing what to look for and understanding how to approach this hiring strategy. InformationWeek suggests five tactics that all hiring managers should consider when evaluating potential employees. They are:
- Hire on personality
- Seriously consider development
- Look within and backfill
- Sell yourself
- Look to the future
Many of these have to do with finding someone with potential rather than someone who will come in and make an immediate impact. While there may only be one or two immediate impact candidates out there, you may encounter a myriad of individuals with a solid foundation and an eagerness to develop into quality employees. Looking for these types of candidates can greatly improve the chances that you find the right person quickly and efficiently.
Moreover, the cost of lost productivity is likely much more expensive than having to train a new employee. The longer you keep a position open, the harder it will be to bring someone in. If they are overloaded with an influx of work that piled up when the position went unfilled, you may be hurting their chances to be successful before they even begin. Ultimately, VARs and MSPs should understand that they aren't "settling" on a lesser employee, but rather thinking outside the box and evaluating potential in ways that could result in greater long-term success at their organization. VAR Staffing can help with this process by identifying and recruiting candidates of this caliber.
