Q. I am the president and founder of a successful startup wholesale, retail company. We design and distribute children’s toys and clothes. In the last month I’ve lost two key employees who were at the vice president and director level. They voluntarily terminated their employment after being with the company less than one year. I need to replace them but don’t want to make the same hiring mistake twice. Please advise.
A. How do you know you made a mistake? Were you successful at gathering any information about why these people decided to leave your organization? This information is vital to understanding why they were not well suited to the position or the company.
Too often employers and hiring managers neglect to take the time to understand the individual needs of their staff until its too late. During the recruiting process is the best time to qualify the candidate’s requirements, explore their fit to the organization and find out what it will take to retain them. It is a mistake to hire people based on skills and experience alone. The most successful hires are based on a mix of applicable skills, experience and cultural similarities. It is crucial for you to have a clear picture of your culture and “best fit” for the company. I recommended that managers check in with their new hires often. This will help to develop trust and communication so that if there are problems you can address them before it’s too late.
Since you are a startup wholesale and retail distribution company you need to attract people to your company who have that experience and some track record of accomplishments in these areas. In addition, it’s important to attract people who have some passion for your industry: children’s toys and clothing. Your key to retention will be a blend of hiring professionals who have both.
This is a good time to re-evaluate how your business operates – what’s working and not working, which will help you determine positions to fill and the necessary requirements. I’m certain that your business has changed in the last year, and it’s quite possible that the skills and experience that were required one year ago are no longer needed. You may be looking for someone with a different skill set. After carefully evaluating your operation, consider filling your openings with consultants who have specific expertise to fill the gap during the recruiting process. Finding the right people for your business could take anywhere from three to six months or longer.
Attracting qualified professionals to your company requires pro-active effort from a skilled recruiter who can act as a consultant. If you do not have this resource internally, retain the services of one – well worth the investment. Professional recruiters should provide the following values to your recruiting projects:
• Assess your company culture, environment and develop a “best fit” profile
• Evaluate your hiring needs and requirements and determine exactly the type of individuals you need
• Assist in writing job descriptions and advertisements
• Provide a network of qualified candidates
• Screen and pre-qualify all candidates, meeting them in person
• Screen out applicants that do not match the skills, experience and “best fit” qualifications
• Conduct reference checks on viable candidates, obtaining important information from former employers and associates to which you would not otherwise have access
• Coordinate online assessments of viable candidates in accordance with your specifications
• Introduce only qualified candidates to be interviewed by you and your team based on mutually defined hard and soft skills
• Coordinate all interviews
• Coach you and your team on interviewing techniques to reveal hard and soft skills so you’ll get a better sense of how candidates will fit into your culture
• Assist in the development of competitive offers
• Present offers to selected candidates and handle all negotiations
• After acceptance of offers, help you define and write job duties, responsibilities and performance plans so that all parties are clear about their roles from the start
• Conduct background checks to reveal any DMV violations, credit problems or criminal histories that may preclude a successful hire
• Provide new hires with transition coaching to insure that they, their families and even their former employers experience the job transition as smoothly and positively as possible
Attracting and retaining talent to your company is an ongoing process not a single transaction. Good luck!
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Jennifer Laxton is a senior partner with Executive Search Associates in Santa Rosa, www.esa.com. ESA is an executive search and consulting company. You can reach her at 707-525-1010 ext. 101 or at jklaxton@esa.com. If you have questions with regards to your situation, send an e-mail to askjen@esa.com.
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