Hiring Your Biggest Investment
Dec 17, 2012 2:17 PM
It’s a common cliché that reverberates in every work place, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” For many in this industry, this was not an immediate career; it was a simple hobby. Maybe you spent hours in the big box stores comparing equipment or maybe you broke your teeth converting your own basement into a home theater. The bottom line is this industry thrives on passion, innovation, and just a little bit of geeking-out. However, at the end of the day, you can’t run a successful company on your own. How do you recruit your biggest investment, rock-star employees?
Getting those rock-star employees who fit just right with your company culture can seem like a daunting human resources maze. How do you know the person you liked in the interview will actually be a solid addition to your team? Here are a few helpful tips for finding those employees that will be the perfect fit.
What are you actually looking for? Take some time to think about the type of employee you’re looking for and the necessary skill set. Once you’ve figured that out, start working on the job description—be specific. Don’t be afraid to deviate from traditional formats and think outside the box. If your job description is bland you may get applicants who are equally bland.
Prove It. Once you’ve found some qualified applicants to interview, don’t hesitate to ask them to prove their skills. They say they can hang a flatpanel or calibrate a home theater system? Put their skills to the test. Better to know now if they exaggerated on their resume then to send them to a client’s home and have an unsatisfied customer.
Take your time. You’ve got projects coming up and need someone soon, totally understandable. But finding the right person is more important than rushing into hiring someone just because you need the extra hands. In case you didn’t know, hiring the wrong person can cost your company big; employee turnover is an expense that you don’t want on your ledger. Though the rock-star employees may be hard to find, it’s totally worth it when you find the person that works well with your company and can meet and exceed your expectations.
Great employees have the capacity to be your best business investment. You wouldn’t just toss your money into just any company on the stock market, so why would you take that approach when hiring someone to work with day in and day out. The right investments will pay valuable dividends.
CEDIA offers a bank of resources to help you through the scary HR maze. First check out the Sales Assesment Tool. This industry-specific resource, created by Richard James & Partners, can help you determine whether a potential employee will perform well in your sales environment. The Sales Assessment Tool may also be used to establish a fair set of standards for sales staff. Learn more at www.cedia.net/benefits.
The CEDIA Idea Bank also offers a mountain of HR resources submitted by business owners. Resources include probing interview questions, an installation technician test, commission calculation report, and an Employee Turnover Cost Calculator. Visit www.cedia.net/ideabank to check out all the resources.
