Kaufman, Rossin Presents: Secrets of Successful Recruiting

Victor Coppola, CEO and Owner of PI Associates, shared ways for organizations to maximize the benefits of their most valuable resource: people, during “Kaufman, Rossin Presents: Secrets for Successful Recruiting” on May 31^st at the firm’s Miami office.

Hiring is on the upswing and the cost of the wrong choice is greater than you imagine. But how can you find the right candidates – learn more than they put on their resumes – and select the ones that truly fit your culture and have the most to offer? And once you hire those A-players, how can you make sure they stay?

Here are a few words of wisdom from Coppola, who has more than 30 years of experience directing training, organizational development and change management programs.

• Establish goals – Determine the goals you want to accomplish with the position you are trying to fill, and make sure the job description and your interview questions align with those goals. If you’re going to measure the candidate on a metric (e.g., increase sales by 20%), make sure you know your current baseline.
• First impressions – “The best day a person will have at your company is the day of the interview.” Remember that job candidates are on their best behavior when you meet them for the first time. Be sure to fully vet the candidate so you don’t “meet John Wayne on Friday and have Woody Allen show up on Monday.”
• Dig deeper – When asking interview questions, always drill down for more evidence and examples to back up answers. Accept nothing at face value.  Say “tell me more.”
• Find A-players – “Leaders are readers. If you are not reading, you’re not learning. If you’re not learning, you’re not growing.” Ask candidates what they have read recently as well as their thoughts on your company and industry. A-players will have something to say. These are the top candidates who will be stars on your team (and a threat to bad managers). They are talented, motivated and determined to succeed. They will help the company succeed.
• Use behavioral assessment tools – The Predictive Index Survey (PI) and other measurement tools can help you determine if a candidate will be a good fit for the position and for the company culture. These scientifically proven tests can predict general behavior and offer insights into the candidate’s personality, but tests alone are not enough.  Asking the right questions, consulting references, and researching the person’s background will give you a clearer picture of his or her values, knowledge, experience and skills.
• Choose wisely – “It takes a very short time to hire the wrong person, but it takes a long time to get rid of a wrong hire.”
• Provide feedback – Don’t wait until the annual evaluation to offer new hires feedback on their performance. Meet with the employee at the 1-month or 3-month mark for an initial, informal review and keep the lines of communication open.

Stay tuned for future Kaufman, Rossin Presents seminars and follow the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #KRPresents. At our monthly breakfast series, we present valuable insights for entrepreneurs and share information to help you improve some aspect of your business, such as enhancing your profit, protecting yourself from risk or improving your corporate culture.