Change is inevitable, whether it be technology, customer expectation, or employee turnover.

Will you be ready when one of your technicians or advisors, steps into your offices, closes the door, and says“ Hey Boss, do you have a minute to talk?”  We’ve all had that happen and today I’ll give you 5 tips to being ready for that moment by having an on-going recruiting plan in place.

#1 Know what you are looking for in an employee. 

The early 20th-century explorer Ernest Shackleton knew exactly what he wanted in a crew member when he set out on a never attempted expedition to cross 1700 miles of the South Pole.

Shackleton and his crew weren’t successful in their quest. Early into the journey their ship became icebound and was crushed. They spent 8 months on the Antarctic ice flows, 22 of the crew were left behind for another 2 months on Elephant Island. As Shackleton and 5 of the crew set out to cross 800 miles of ocean for help.

During the entire ordeal, no one died or ate each other and there wasn’t a mutiny. 

Here is why, when Shackleton hired his crew, he hired men prepared for such a treacherous journey.

His ad read like this. “Men wanted for hazardous journey  Small wages, bitter cold long months of complete darkness, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.

The only ones who applied were those who read the ad and were ready for such an expedition. He sought the right fit.

#2 

Always be recruiting. In a lot of cases, shops won’t look for another employee until the need arises. Unfortunately, when this occurs the shop owner or manager can have a sense of urgency to fill the role with a less than optimal individual.

We don’t want to just hire someone who can fog a mirror, hire slow, hire smart.

Keep an ad running, collect resumes and applications. Review them carefully then interview the candidates and stay in touch with those you might want to hire at some point.

#3

Take inventory of what you have. Does your shop need all A Techs? Probably not, so put an emphasis analyzing on the mix of talent you have, then interview only those candidates that meet your criteria.

#4

Hire only people who are hungry, humble, and smart. We’ve all dealt with a team member who thinks too highly of themselves than they need to. This “Legend in Their Own Mind” attitude can quickly sour any of the great chemistry your team currently has and if not caught soon enough will cause one of your current employees to seek a job elsewhere.

#5

Interview well. 

Have a select group of questions ready in advance of the interview. When interviewing you want the candidate to be comfortable but the casual atmosphere can cause the interview to pig trail.  You might have a fun conversation but you might not gain the insight into the candidate you want. And, lastly, have one of your key team members interview them too. Allowing your team to be a part of the hiring process will reinforce the cohesiveness of the team.

One more thing, having a second interview with their significant-other present will give you insight into aspects of the candidate you wouldn’t be able to get in a one-on-one interview.

This video is sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper.