My team is an incredible group of people who are always teaching me new things and making me look good every day. There’s nothing my team can’t do and I am lucky to have them. Plus they are a fun bunch!
One of the toughest parts of scaling a business is figuring out when it's the right time to build a team around you. Maybe you are ready now, maybe not, but at some point, you are going to need to hire your first employee and start growing your own team.
When you ARE ready, it’s going to be after you busted your ass, worked night and day and made countless sacrifices to make it happen. And now you are bringing someone into the fold that can either help take your business to the next level ... or … they can bring you down.
Many entrepreneurs have never hired an employee and, when it’s time to put on that HR hat, the weight of choosing someone who is going to lift you up can be intimidating.
The interviewing process is vital. A resume or portfolio is important, but it can only tell me so much. I already know that everyone I am interviewing is qualified for the position or I wouldn’t waste my time interviewing them. So now I need to know who I want to spend my time with and who I trust to represent me and my business.
The interview is where I can learn about who a person is, not what they can do. Are they personable? Do they communicate well? Are they a positive person? This is the story that a resume simply can’t tell me and it’s an important one.
Here are 4 of my best interview tips for entrepreneurs:
1. Don’t hire anyone you don’t genuinely like. You have to want to sit next to your team 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for the next 5-10 years. Accolades don’t mean much when you don’t get along.
2. Check your top candidates’ social media accounts. Not only for what they are posting and when (are they active when they are probably supposed to be working?) but who they surround themselves with. You know how they say that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with? If that’s true, then you should be considering what their friends are up to as well. Who you hire is a direct representation of you. Make sure your values align.
3. Hire the candidate that not only has the capability to deliver what you are looking for, but who also brings fresh ideas for growth to the interview. Those are the great candidates who have truly researched your company and who know their trade. Their willingness to share their knowledge with you also shows that they want to see you succeed and are willing to be a team player.
4. Ask each candidate the same questions. This will allow for consistency in the interview process and provide a basis to compare candidates.
When I am looking for a great person, whether they are walking into Shark Tank or I am employing them, I look for:
1. People who are excited and passionate. A candidate who isn’t excited is either “too above it all” to show it or not likely to stick around for long. Neither scenario is a good outcome.
2. People who are hungry for more. How can you tell? They ask questions centered around growth. They seek positions that support personal development and they have gone out of their way to continuously improve their skill set - whether through a podcast obsession, certifications, online courses or additional schooling.
3. People who take ownership of their successes and their failures, rather than blaming them on outside circumstances. My favorite interview question to ask every candidate is, “When was the last time something happened to you that was beyond your control after the age of 15?”
Think you have your answer? Be careful because it’s a trick question. The right answer is nothing. The only thing getting in the way of your own success is YOU. All that you accomplish -- and everything you don't -- is totally, utterly, 100 percent in your control.
Being ready to hire your first employee is a wonderful feeling and I congratulate you! But it can be a lot of pressure. Do you have any tips that have worked for you? Shoot me an email at daymond@daymondjohn.com.
