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We all want the W at the end of the game. When it comes to a hiring “Win” it starts with a few other W’s first – Who, What, When, Where, & Why.
The “Who” comes last in this situation, but the prep work needed is key to making sure it is a success.
“What” position are we hiring?
“Where” – which department?
“When” do we need them to start? Are we understaffed already or looking to hire ahead?
The biggest question, though, is “Why”?
“Why” do we need to hire?
If we overlook the Why, we might make the wrong hire. Maybe you’re looking for a counter sales rep because your call volume has increased and your present staff don’t have time to correctly help the customers. Maybe you need an outside sales rep to expand your customer base or to keep the customers you have. You have increased buying to the point that you need to add another dismantler to handle the additional vehicles that need to have the drivetrain removed in a timely manner.
Whether it’s replacement or whether it is due to growth you need to know what you are hiring for and what the expectations are for the position that you wish to add. All of those scenarios might be true at the surface but when you dive in, you might realize some other truths.
For the Sales Rep – We all know the technology has changed significantly in the last 15 years and you’ve done a lot to update your tools and processes. Could you expand your opportunities to hire someone remotely that might be a better producer than what you are seeing locally?
For the management side – Do you need to hire a GM or can we hire for a specific management need – Sales or Operations? You could promote from within, someone that knows you, knows your values and goals, has a proven track record and will be trusted by your team and customers. Then you can hire a less expensive replacement.
For the Dismantler – You have purchased enough additional inventory that you now are running into situations where you have the engine or transmission you just can’t get it out in the time that the customer needs. You are looking for someone that can come in and hit the ground running. Or you are getting ready to ramp up buying and you have the time to hire a less experienced person that can be trained. Maybe you should promote a parts puller to dismantler and then hire for the parts puller position.
The above examples might not be word for word your experience, but establishing the “Why” behind the “What” (we need to hire X person), can help you make the best informed decisions.
Some “Why” questions:
If you are able to identify your “Why”, the “Who”, “What”, “When” and Where” can oftentimes work themselves out with minimal effort.
The “Why” should also take into account the short game verse long game. A dismantler might be the easiest hire for you, historically, so you decide to hire one quickly. However, if you haven’t identified the “Why” of your hiring process, you might get a quick win and a long-term headache.
When it comes to short game and long game, you want to make sure your current team feels valued, fairly compensated, and has been given opportunities for growth (it doesn’t necessarily have to be up, it can be lateral). You want to create enthusiasm, not encourage apathy. If your employees feel undervalued, the potential for the new hire to fail is higher because they won’t have a healthy support team that aims for success. A positive company culture is crucial to the success of your long-time employees and new hires alike.