Quick Tips For Values-Based Recruitment

If you have seen Leader’s Cut Six Keys to building Independent Accountable Teams, then you’ll recall that the Fourth Key is Recruit (Communicate, Delegate, Motivate, Recruit, Collaborate, and Develop). Every one of the keys comes together for effective leadership, though one thematic obstacle seems to present itself in each of the keys: treating them as reactive, one-time actions rather than integrated processes in your businesses’ proven track record.

Before we can talk about values-based hiring, we must acknowledge that many organizations do not think about, plan, or execute hiring actions until an often unexpected opening occurs. Much like your process for new business development, values-based recruitment is a process circle rather than a linear event. In concert with planning the hiring process, what we will cover in this article is creating a hiring process that reflects value alignment.

Tip #1: Preparing for Values-Based Recruitment

Before you hire value, you must be able to articulate what your core values are, what they mean, and how they came into being. Think of it as the origin story for the character of your organization. It defines who you are, what you value, and the “glue” that keeps the team unified – especially when times are more stressful, busy, or cyclically chaotic. When these values are being lived through observable behavior, they act as a magnet for team members and customers alike for whom these same standards resonate. In fact, when you hired for values alignment, they permeate all that you do and hopefully repel employees and clients that are a mismatch.

When you are certain that your core values are crystal clear, easily explained, and clearly articulated, you can craft interview questions that map the applicants’ behaviors to discernible behavior. For example, if transparency is one of your core values, what types of questions can you ask that would help you gain insight as to whether the candidate operates in a transparent way in their work environment?

Tip #2: During the Interview Process

From my perspective, the interview is a proxy for the experience the candidate will have working with you, the relationship they will have with team members, and certainly what your customers can expect from this potential employee. When done well, it is a conversation among equals reflecting the mindset that you are looking for a fit that feels fortunate to be part of your organization and you believe you have acquired top talent. Values-based recruitment and hiring require well-designed interview questions whose answers will elicit valuable insights and provide the requisite information that will result in hiring value.

A couple of key points of advice as to both the question itself as well as the mode of asking. First, you want to have a slate of questions to be used with all candidates vying for the same position. Second, use situational questions based on each value that give your candidates a wide berth to craft a response reflective of their unique characteristics. Finally, a reminder that this is a conversation, meaning that there ought to be a natural volley after the question to clarify or dig deeper. This should not simply be an interviewer asking questions and recording answers, something that could have been done via email. Rather, this is an opportunity to deeply understand if the employee/employer/customer relationship will be symbiotic.

Tip #3: Making The Hiring Decision

Believe it or not, one common mistake I see business leaders make is not making a hiring decision at all. This mistake occurs when the leader delays, awaiting information that either doesn’t exist or will not be coming anytime soon. Or worse, they pause to see if “something better comes along” that the person they’re speaking with. By crafting the process in tip #2, you can then quickly come to a hiring decision by doing the following:

Ticket to the Dance: does the candidate meet the minimum requirements to perform their role at the standard you’ve set, and which customers expect? (yes/no)
Core Critiquer: using a point system for each value, does the candidate demonstrate that they clearly have the value, demonstrate that they could embrace it while performing their role, or not have the value? If they don’t, you will need to decide in advance if this is a deal-breaker.
If you were to “sell” this candidate to the rest of the organization, would you be excited or not (gut test)?

Many leaders do not have a clear, consistent process for recruiting, interviewing, and hiring top talent that reflects their core values. Some don’t even tackle hiring issues until a spot is actually open. Many of the successful businesses I work with approach recruiting team members just as they do marketing to perfect customers: as a commitment that is a recurring habit rather than a one-time event. Crafting a disciplined recruiting habit based on core values can be a competitive advantage when done as part of a disciplined operational approach. Not sure where to start? Begin with a quick, 15-minute, no-obligation phone call with me.