How To Hire Only TOP Performers… the 1st time

 

Written February 22, 2016 

 

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Since 2000, we’ve helped thousands of business owners and managers discover the Secret to meeting productivity, sales and revenue goals. As a “TOP Performance Monthly” subscriber, you know what the Secret is: TOP Performers in every position of your company.

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TOP Performers, or individuals who not only meet but exceed your productivity and profitability expectations, are the ingredient that will insure your business growth. They provide the motivation, teamwork, customer service, sales and management effectiveness required to grow your business.

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Unfortunately, a good majority of US organizations are failing at hiring TOP Performers. The fact is, in the average organization, only 16% of their employees can be called TOP Performers. The remainder are “Workplace Survivors” (68% of employees) and “Mis-Hires” (16% of employees).

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What is your hiring success rate? ______% (# of TOP Performers divided by # of employees)

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By using our  “Job Match” concept, our business partners have a hiring success rate of over 75%. I wish it was 100%, but I’ve realized that is impossible. There are just some things that you can’t control (personal issues being the most common).

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But then again, there are many things our clients control that the average employers don’t. All of them fall under the People Values’ “5 Job Match Criteria of Hiring TOP Performers.” The more criteria you use to match candidates to your positions, the greater the odds you’ll hire a TOP Performer… the 1st time.

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What would it mean to your bottom line if 75% of your employees met and exceeded your productivity expectations? For many of our partners, it has meant goal achievement and doubling or tripling revenues.

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Here are the 5 Job Match Criteria to improve your hiring success rate, productivity and revenues:

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1. Character Fit

Many employers and hiring personnel call this “Attitude.” It includes things like demeanor, mannerisms, body language, communication skills, etc.

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Although it shouldn’t play a major part in a hiring decision, it does. And many times it is based on our first impressions and instincts. We’ve all passed on employees that later became TOP Performers for our competitors because the candidate gave a bad first impression. We’ve also all hired a complete disaster that interviewed very well.

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Unfortunately, many employers never make it past “Character Fit” in their hiring process. They base their hiring decisions on the following:

• Resume & application – even though studies have shown 95% of them contain “exaggerations”

• An interview – based on that “exaggerated” resume or application

• Instincts – which equates to chance and luck

• The same five to 10 interview questions everybody else is asking your candidates

  • Why should we hire you?

  • What are your strengths? (or weaknesses)

  • Why did you leave your last job? (or are you leaving)

  • What accomplishment are you most proud of

  • Where do you see yourself in five years?

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By using “Character Fit” alone, the national hiring success rate is 14%. That means just one of seven hires will be with you a year later, performing as expected.

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Hopefully if you’re just measuring “Character Fit” in your hiring process, your success rate of hiring TOP Performers is higher than 14%. If it is, consider yourself lucky.

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2. Stability Fit

There are many things we can’t ask for on an application or in an interview because of legalities. Unfortunately, they are usually things that determine whether an employee can and will become a TOP Performer or not.

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This is why many successful employers insure “Stability Fit” by performing background checks. They can include: credit, criminal history, workers’ compensation, education verification, address history, employment history or all of the above in a comprehensive background check; which are less than $100.

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To protect yourself, your employees and your clients, this is critical information to have before every hire. However, even with it, your odds of hiring a TOP Performer the first time only improve to 26%.

Yes, you’ve doubled your odds from making a decision based on just a resume and an interview, but one of four employees performing at expected productivity levels is not going to help you grow your business or meet your important goals.   

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3.  Culture Fit  (Important to your success)

• Integrity

• Honesty

• Drug & Substance Check

4.  Team Fit  (More important to your success)

• Work Ethic

• Reliability

• Trouble Maker or Team Player

5. Job Fit (Vital to your success)

• Competencies – Can the individual do the job now and in the future?

• Motivators – Will the individual be satisfied and internally motivated to produce?

• Behaviors – Do they have the personality the position requires for natural success?

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Believe it or not, it is possible to measure and know “Culture, Team & Job Fit” before hiring. Our business partners do and it has improved their hiring success rate to 75%. Our easy, duplicatable and proven strategies can do the same for you.