Hire Power Radio Show

“But I have managed to hire two rockstars without having any formalized hiring structure” Said my friend Anthony.  To which I quickly replied back “I’d rather be lucky than good”! It is great to have a few “superstars” in your organization but it is outstanding to have an organization built entirely of well positioned, highly productive people, A-players. Having a system for hiring is the only way...

It is very possible to share the same core values, yet differ in our religious or political views. This, we must understand when hiring new people. Now you might be thinking something like “we have a really harmonious team and we don't want someone who will be bringing their strong political, religious or social agenda”. Then build the practice into your corporate values and let it blossom through...

It’s no secret that I feel that employer branding is bullshit. Mostly because it is focused on perks and selling a “utopian” environment that is not what the company really is at all.  Messaging is focused on being the greatest place to work. But we all know that if you are a small to mid sized business, you are at best, a “hot mess”.  Clarity in who you REALLY are as an organization is the one th...

As Leaders, we spend a lot of time wondering if we have the right person in the right seat. But how often do we question if we are the right person in the seat? Entrepreneurs have a special challenge, in that, some of us don’t choose to be entrepreneurs, it is just who we are. But what if you are really an entrepreneur who is in a J O B… or not an entrepreneur at all but have been forced into that...

We can all agree that the only way to 10 or 100x your company is to hire the strongest people. So, what are the strongest people?  The strongest person for your company is a person who aligns with your values first. They understand the mission and they have a strong desire to impact the business because it benefits them first.  Understanding the person across the table does not happen by chance bu...

If hiring right is so critical to the organization, why is interviewing the one action that is entirely left up to chance? It has been my experience that virtually zero small companies invest in training their people how to interview. This was the experience of an extremely successful executive, Jeff. Who at the C-level had only attended a one hour session of interview training in his whole career...

Thinking about the people you hire as objects or obstacles to achieve your company goals is poison.  Often we venture into the hiring process with the mindset of “how can YOU help ME”. This is wrong in so many ways. Especially if your goal is to fuel the growth of the organization.  The truth is, the people you hire could care less about you and your goals. This is why people take your job simply...

Do you really need a person full time or will a freelancer suffice? Often the need to get work done clouds our vision who we really need.  Ask yourself, “what does the business need?” and what is the timing in which the work needs to be done. When you need something quick, you most likely need a freelancer. But know that your explicit communication is the key to successful project completion. Just...

How many resumes do you need to see to fill a role? Let’s take it a step further. How many people do you need to interview to fill a role? If you guessed One, you are correct! So, what is wrong with Gloria wanting to wait to interview other people before making a decision on the person that was just interviewed?.......Everything! Waiting to interview other people is a ridiculously clear beacon tha...

Why do I need to waste my time writing a job description? You might ask. The answer is: To save Time … & be able to Sleep The Job Description is there to evaluate how successful the person you hired is in the role they were hired for. Consider it the essential evaluation tool to manage expectations... A syllabus for success. Investing the time up front will allow you to set the performance metrics...

No one is interested in working for your ego. Just ask our friend …. Dick (name changed to protect the innocent).  Dick is a VP of a small, well funded start-up and very proud of what they are building. So proud that he has established a very high bar for the people he wants to hire. Let’s just say his expectations are a bit out of whack!  He has Ferrari expectations on a Hyundai budget. The way i...

Think what you may about the military but the truth is they hire better than you! They developed and refined a process that, over time, has ultimately uncovered those individuals who exemplify the core values that are critical to the success of the organization and the mission.  A strong commitment to We, before Me!  …which is what your company needs Today is about lessons learned from Special For...

The remote interview is still a HUGE challenge for a lot of companies. Especially for those of you who are lacking a formalized process.  Simply evaluating skills and heavily relying on “vibe” to influence decisions is producing even worse results in this work from home environment.   Too much is able to remain hidden because video is limiting on the non-verbal cues that happen in the interaction....

High performance teams don't just happen by chance. They are artfully built with an impenetrable culture at its heart.  The people who join are in alignment with the values and purpose of the organization. The result is unrivaled performance above and beyond your expectations. Our guest today: Greg Besner, Founder and Vice Chairman of CultureIQ A global company that helps organizations create high...

One bad hire in your startup negatively affects your balance sheet and is the fuel to future boardroom conflict.  Often, we entrepreneurs feel the pressure to fill our roles at the expense of elevating our people's performance. This disintegrates the company values and results in the exit of your strongest players.  Today is about hiring “gravitators” and avoiding the “disintegrators” that will su...

There needs to be a deliberate cadence to your interview process.  Just like a first date, you wouldn't say “hi, I'm Rick. before we start the date, I’d like you to complete this sexual survey and if I like your answers, we can continue the date.”  Now it may work on some people. But the question you need to ask yourself is who exactly are you weeding out?  Answer… A-Players! Today we are talking...

CEO campfire horror stories often start with “In the beginning, I hired a few friends of mine”... then the story digresses from there. Sometimes the situation works out but most of the time it is a disaster resulting in a severed relationship.  Today we are discussing lessons learned in hiring from your inner circle and how hiring for growth lands great talent.  Our guest today: Wing Lam, Owner of...

“We really need to hire a person from xyz company and they need to be from a top tier school.” Words that make every recruiting professional cringe.  This criteria is the perfect storm for making the worst hire of your career. The Truth is, Your ego WANTS these things but the business needs a person with the RIGHT DNA to fuel company growth.  Our guest today: Greg Toroosian, Founder & Managing Dir...

Please, please, please wear pants during your video interview! Both parties, not just the person being interviewed.  Just yesterday, Jessie filled me in on the horror story of her last interview. The interviewer spilled his coffee,  jumped up really quickly to reveal he was in his holiday boxers. While it makes for a hilarious story, it did not win the hire for the company... Our guest today: Vinc...

Skills can be learned, but who a person is, is what determines a successful hire. This all comes down to core value alignment with the organization.  Shared values create a much tighter bond and a more engaged team member.  The correct answer is rarely hiring for skills. So consider alternative hiring initiatives like an apprenticeship program designed to purely foster career growth.  Our guest to...

Imagine having to staff 250 roles... just as many companies were laying off and scrambling to get their PPP loans approved.  Our guest today had 2 weeks to hire 250 people to handle the demand for PPP loans and is here to share his story.  Our guest today: Brock Blake, Co-Founder & CEO of Lendio Brock spent the last nine years developing technology to get loans to more people, more quickly, and mo...

Can we all agree that the people you hire determine the success of your company.  It is not enough to just “fill a role”. Especially if you're a smaller, growing company.   Every hiring mistake that your company has made is due to your focus on the wrong ego driven priorities.  (Ie: the work to be done, what I think I need, image for the company) Focus on hiring the “WHO” that aligns with the corp...

Data Driven Insight into Your Video Interviews. “Look, I just need to hire someone who can do the work so we can get this product done”  Said Peter. A CEO for a newly funded startup. “Besides, there is no way to really know if someone fits into the company until you experience working together”.  Not true at all!  Your interview process, when structured properly, will give you all the evidence to...

Entrepreneurs, take your mental health seriously because the life of your company depends on it! Our guest today: Sally Spencer-Thomas, President of United Suicide Survivors International Sally Spencer-Thomas is a clinical psychologist, inspirational international speaker and an impact entrepreneur. Dr. Spencer-Thomas was moved to work in suicide prevention after her younger brother, a Denver entr...

Values are the foundation of what your company is built upon. As we all know, without a foundation, the structure that is built can be destroyed at any time. Too often the foundation is poured after the structure has been built.  Our guest today: Darius Mirshahzadeh (Mir Shah Zaday), Founder of The Real Darius & Host of The Greatness Machine Podcast Darius  is a dad, husband, twin, brother and son...