Hiring can be so difficult, depending on the job market or the open role. Oftentimes we are tempted to try to find someone who is similar to the person who left as we have the position dialed in for that individual. Or perhaps because the person who left wasn’t a great fit, we think we should go for the opposite personality. Maybe we look at our entire team and want to make sure that we bring someone in that doesn’t negatively affect the balance of the group.
Navigating the Hiring Process
The other part of hiring that can be challenging is the company process that we use to hire. It can be unwieldy, or the hiring manager is asked to do too much or even too little, where we feel as though our contributions aren’t required. And, when a process is engrained within a company there isn’t a lot that we can do to change it. We need to follow it as best as we can, trying to keep our own needs in check and prioritize how the company handles it to be a good team player and well-regarded by other departments.
In fact, as you think about it, hiring is a pain in the rear. It’s probably why many of us are less than thrilled when an employee lets us know that they found another opportunity to pursue. There’s one part of you that enjoys seeing someone that you may have worked with for a while or even mentored find something that may be the next rung of the success ladder or even a position that fits with their life better. Then there’s the other part of the conversation where you can already feel the task part of the job taking over. Who’s going to do their work? How long will it take to find someone else? Who’s going to train the new person? How long before the new person can work on their own? How will this affect everyone else on the team?
The Emotional Impact of Turnover
You may also have an ego moment where you ask how this person leaving reflects upon your role as their supervisor. Whether or not you have a good relationship with this individual, you may think that they could be leaving you, not just your department or organization. After all, don’t a lot of people subscribe to the fact that you leave your manager, not your company?
As advice goes, I would say that it isn’t a great idea to take an employee leaving personally. It certainly can happen that way and you probably have a sense of why the individual is leaving. You may factor in it, but normally unless you and your direct report have a truly awful relationship, it is a multi-faceted decision. And, if you didn’t get along well with this individual, let’s try to learn how to start off on the right fit with your new hire.
When you’re looking for a new person to hire, there are a lot of items to consider. Obviously, you want to make sure that they have the technical aptitude and experience to perform the job functions. If your company doesn’t normally do this, you may suggest to them a simple exercise of some sort with your final candidates so that you can verify that the individual has the abilities that you need. You’ll check references, discuss experience, verify education, but knowing if the person has the type of aptitude that you need for this job is essential. For instance, when I was hiring a writer, I did ask for samples, but I also provided a simple exercise that I asked to get sent back quickly. It was helpful to see their more immediate type of writing style, rather than the more polished, edited version. I would encourage you though to make this a simple exercise as companies who ask for projects from candidates without paying them for freelance work are not modeling good hiring practices.
Seeking the Right Fit: Gap Fillers
Besides hiring for aptitude, you look for their fit with the organization, the team and your approach. You want to make sure that they will reflect the values of how the company works. Normally every team has an ethos about them, whether it’s relaxed, irreverent, competitive, collaborative, etc. You need to make sure that this new member will thrive within the group. It’s OK to have someone be a bit of a challenge for the others as we need to stretch a little to grow. But bringing on an individual who loves to debate to a group that is super chill and works harmoniously is probably a mistake.
One of the main attributes that I looked at besides competence and fit is something I call a “gap filler.” Many times, when you become a manager of a group, you inherit a number of the employees. They will have their own personalities and ways of operating and often help you understand the work of the department. When you receive the opportunity to hire someone (hopefully through a new position) you can look for an individual who doesn’t just take on the exact job responsibilities and call it a day. Rather instead of only looking at the way that things normally run, they do their best to make things run better. They would be one of those type of employees who is looking at the bigger pictures and isn’t afraid to do more outside of the norm.
The issue that can occur with a gap filler is that they must be seasoned enough and self-aware to recognize that they can on occasion bump up against another employee’s job duties. They don’t want to threaten that other person; instead, they are looking to complement the work that the entire group is doing. My philosophy is that at most places of work there is a lot to get accomplished and sometimes we can’t look at it all in the manner that would do the organization the best. When we can fill those gaps of work that isn’t getting done, we can create even more productivity, finetune our processes and accomplish more, with the same number of people.
Cultivating a Culture of Continuous Improvement
This “stretching” of our resources causes others to want to follow suit. It can be contagious for sure as those of us who are motivated by continuous improvement and goal achievement view this idea of expanding our daily duties a little bit as you see the areas of the business that aren’t getting the attention they deserve. It’s also a way of cultivating personal leadership within your group. It’s a method of saying that you trust that people know what needs to get done and are comfortable with their abilities to figure out how to accomplish the work. In addition, it’s a great place for the manager of the department to add objective interest and value as you help staff navigate these new opportunities.
Have you ever hired a “gap filler” before? What type of attributes do you prioritize? Or are you a “gap filler” and would like to know how to position that on your resume? Feel free to leave a comment or contact me.