Best-selling author Jim Collins said, “First who, then what.” He went on to say, “People are not your most important asset. The right people are.”
The key point he was making was the “who” question came before the “what” decisions — before vision, before strategy, before organization structure, before tactics.
Let’s continue our discussion of more of ERC’s (Employers Resource Council) list of characteristics of “great workplaces that excel at the attraction, retention, and motivation of top performers” based on fifteen years of surveys and interviews. (yourerc.com “HR Insights Blog” ERC (Employers Resource Council), 5-Sep-2013 (12-Aug-2014)
Today we’ll explore two of the ERC’s fifteen attributes of a winning culture. Every leader can develop a great workplace by cultivating the following two attributes in their culture.
Recruiting, Selection and Hiring
The first attribute that I’d like to highlight from ERC’s findings describes the recruiting, selection, hiring and on-boarding process:
“Great workplaces hire the best — and only the best. They recognize that a great workplace and culture results from great people. They define the talent they need, strategically recruit it, and put into place selection practices that identify top performers, as well as on-boarding practices that engage top performers and set them up for success from the start.”
My Take:
Prior to introducing our company core values, we hired people more for their competence of the job being offered than for their character (their core values).
After introducing our core values, we became more intentional to hire people first for their character (their core values), then for their job competence and for their chemistry (asking, “Would they get along with our people?”). We called it the “3 C’s.”
I occasionally thought about a “4th C”: I wish we were more intentional to add capacity to our list of primary hiring considerations (the person’s ability to develop beyond the job being offered).
We had a saying, “When in doubt, leave them out.” We learned to wait to hire the right person, even when we needed someone quickly.
After we hired the right person, we worked hard to get them into the right position so they would be successful. Our new employee orientation reinforced our core values and helped solidify the employees’ understanding of the company.
Do you have a hiring process that allows you to hire the best people?
The second attribute that I’d like to explore from ERC’s findings also describes…
Read more of this amazing article here at bobbyalbert.com. {eoa}
Bobby Albert started his leadership journey as the young president of his family’s five-person business. That small business became a 150+ person organization that he eventually sold to a publicly traded company. He spent decades learning how (and how not) to lead and motivate his people. Bobby coaches and guides Christian business leaders, encouraging them to engage their minds and hearts to improve their effectiveness. Bobby uses biblically-based principles and practices to tackle the every-day challenges faced by today’s leaders.
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Ron Allen 
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