How to Master Recruiting and Build a Loyal “A TEAM” for your Practice
by David Staughton B.Sc.(Hons) CSP CCEO, Practice Development Consultant and Keynote Speaker on Growth Strategy
The most VALUABLE thing you can do is to learn recruiting techniques to choose better people and build a great team.
Your staff can be the best investment you ever make or your biggest nightmare. The truth is that you need the right people and an engaged “A Team” to help your business grow.
What are the costs of Poor or Rushed Recruiting?
In the early 1980’s, my dad ran tearooms in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria. He used a special technique for hiring staff – the “warm body recruitment strategy” (WBR) – if you just had a pulse you were hired.
Anyone could turn up at the front door of the business asking for a job and we would hire them. With no interview, no induction and no training they were unleashed on our unsuspecting customers. Generally speaking hiring on gut feel was a disaster – most people we hired lasted a few hours, a few days or a few weeks. Meanwhile, the customers had the “Fawlty Towers” experience in real life and the business really struggled to grow.
The hidden costs of recruiting & training people and the impact on teamwork & customers can be high – some HR people have estimated the cost of hiring the wrong staff member at more than $50,000+.
At first I didn’t believe that but the effect of just ONE ‘bad apple’ on team morale and lost customers can be hundreds of thousands of dollars in missed opportunities.
Remember – “Hire in Haste – Repent at leisure”
BUILDING YOUR “A-TEAM” WITH BETTER RECRUITING
Every business needs an “A-Team” – great people skilled in the 4 different areas of the Business. The GDAY team.
- G – Getting The Work – Sales & Marketing people
- D – Doing the Work – Operations and Technicians
- A – Admin, IT & Finance Work – Getting Paid and Paying people
- Y – You and Your Team – Finding, keeping, Developing and inspiring people (HR)
Consider getting off the Tools, – Recruit a great Operations Manager (2IC), a Sales Manager and a Financial Coordinator. Systemise your business and let your managers run it better.
12 TIPS to Recruiting and Building a Great “A Team” for your Practice
1: Be a Great LEADER with a Positive Attitude
The team is always a reflection of the mindset of their leader – Poor leadership behaviour loses good staff and a negative attitude or culture repels good applicants. Word soon gets around in the industry about great places to work – you’ll then attract the best applicants.
2: Run a SYSTEMISED & Disciplined Workplace
Have clear policies & rules, consequences, expectations and lots of appreciation. Start with a recruitment system. “You get the staff you deserve and you get what you put up with.”. An org chart and clear job outcome descriptions can really help. Have a look at the book The E-Myth by Michael Gerber or use a systemising website called waywedo
3: Spend More TIME on RECRUITING
“One hour of good recruiting is worth hundreds of hours of trouble later”. So check references and hire wisely – “Hire in haste repent at leisure”. Avoid hiring when you are desperate.
Always be looking for great people with the right attitude in the local area – drop off a business card and say “If you are ever looking for a job give me a call”
4: Make a Bigger RECRUITING EFFORT
If you can’t attract decent applicants – rewrite your recruitment ad, advertise more widely or overhaul your workplace culture to attract better people.
5: Pick the BEST APPLICANT for the Role
“A choice of one is no choice – don’t hire the best of a bad bunch”
Start by developing a clear Job Description and a Ideal Person Description for each role so you at least know what you are looking for. It will help you find what you are looking for.
6: Look for a “PhD”
If you want hard workers for tough jobs then may you may want to choose a “PhD” – the Poorer, hungrier and Driven – many coming from offshore at the moment – Even NZ!
7: Look for the 3 M’s of Motivation
Another way to find highly motivated staff & managers is to look for the 3 M’s of motivation – Marriage, Mortgage and Midgets – Just got married, just bought a property and/or just had kids. These people tend to be more stable and are keen to work hard for incentives because they need the money.
8: Tell the TRUTH about the Role – Avoid sugar coating it
Instead paint it BLACK! – Ask lots of questions, listen closely to their answers. Tell your potential recruit how you run a disciplined workplace, be upfront about your house rules and clear on your expectations. Good leaders tell the truth and use ‘tough love’ & enforce standards and it works!
9: Understand that PEOPLE are DIFFERENT
Not everyone has the same behaviours, values, integrity or motivations.
Learn more about behavioural questioning, personal values and behavioural profiling tools like DISC.
10: Always do thorough REFERENCE CHECKING
Many people will say what you want to hear in a job interview – they may make promises, tell lies and probably embellish the truth. The best indicator of future performance is PAST performance – a leopard rarely changes its spots. Reference Checking is an essential element to recruit a loyal and honest team member.
11: If in Doubt – CHUCK EM OUT
The best indicator of a good future employee is their performance in the FIRST 90 days. This is the best behaviour you are most likely to see. If they aren’t right or are a poor cultural fit, admit defeat and terminate them inside the probation period.
12: Provide a great INDUCTION & TRAINING
You are paying a LOT more than you think to train your new recruit on the job and it costs you the time of the new one, their staff trainer buddy and the impact of their mistakes on your customers.
Get your act together! – create a systemised recruiting and training process and run a proper induction.
REMEMBER – You can’t ‘Sack Your Way To Success’ – but you can ‘Hire Your Way To Happiness’.
IF YOU STRUGGLE WITH IMPLEMENTING SYSTEMS & ACCOUNTABILITY – THEN YOU PROBABLY NEED A PRACTICE COACH or MENTOR!
