How do you know when you’ve hired the right person? When does a mistake in choosing a new team member start to reveal itself? What steps should you follow when trying to add a new member to your organization?
I can’t say I know the all of the answers, but I definitely keep these topics in mind when in hiring mode. Over the last few years I’ve had the pleasure of recruiting, hiring and training a handful of brand-new salespeople for organizations. In each of these instances, the teams I assembled were not existing entities – they were built from scratch. The attitudes and approaches instilled in these hires were of my creation and I worked hard to construct a methodology for hiring; one I believed gave the candidates the best opportunity to reveal their talent and also ensure potential new team members had a chance to get a live look at what being a part of the team would look like.
I was curious to understand how my approach feels from the other side of the hiring table, so I asked a few people to jot down their thoughts on the process and how it may have differed from their previous experiences with interviewing for a new job. Here’s one of the responses I received.
Paty Benitez was a member of the inaugural “Red Tie Society” at SnapSuits. Her genuine enthusiasm and sunshine-filled determination were key reasons we were excited to have her on the team. Her thoughts are found below.
I’ll always remember my job interview with Roger. Interviews at other places had always been done by one person, so imagine my nerves when I found out I was being interviewed by two people at the same time. Being interviewed by the CEO first made me extra nervous. I felt like I was saying all the wrong things and as soon as Roger walked in my nerves kicked up another notch. I knew they could sense how nervous I was, but Roger’s approach took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting for him to be so amicable. I could tell right away that I wanted to work for him and I really wanted to make a great first impression. As the interview unfolded I found myself feeling calmer and smiling more.
Roger gave me the sense that I could really be myself (while staying professional). I felt really comfortable and confident in answering their questions. He asked me what I was looking for in a career and why I was wanting to make a change. I know these questions are part of the interview process, but I liked the fact that he took the time to actually listen to what I had to say. Time honestly went by fast and Roger tried to make the interview as painless as possible. I felt really confident, but I knew that if I didn’t get the job it would only be because I had zero experience in the Sales department. I wasn’t expecting to get the job, but to my surprise I got a call from Roger giving me the great news!
My first day was really intimidating. Having zero experience, I didn’t really know what to expect. As days passed I found myself doing things I never thought I could actually do. Roger was honestly one of the best mentors I’ve had. He always pushed me to do new things and really made me come out of my comfort zone. He always took the time to listen to me when I would come to him with a problem and he always seemed to have a solution. Roger also worked with us individually, but he found a way for all of us to use our weaknesses and our strengths to help one another. He always acknowledged our triumphs and made sure to make us feel like equals. Even though we were a team, he allowed each of us to grow individually. I think that’s why I enjoyed coming to work every day. We were like a family, but we all had our own voice. He cared about our future, and that’s what made Roger different from all the other mentors/bosses I’ve ever had.
Roger W Burnett 