When the right team is brought together, amazing things are created, and seemingly impossible feats are accomplished. Like Edison and Tesla, Jordan and Pippen, or Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. (Shake & Bake!). Building the right mix of individuals is not like doing a puzzle where every piece has only one correct place it belongs. Building a team means pieces can, and should be, moved around; responsibilities can be altered based on the team, individual or the overall goal.
When it comes to hiring, we challenge you to start thinking differently. As the environment and ecosystem alters, so will skill sets, but the essentials to hiring great people will remain the same.
Hire Diversity
When we talk about diversity, we are referring to how people think. Hire people who have different life experiences and who think and act differently than you. Push yourself by hiring people that will challenge the way you and your team think. Because you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with, choose to diversify your team to account for all viewpoints.
Stop Focusing on Cosmetic Skills
Core competency is important and that needs to be met, but keep the required skills simple, and only include the absolute necessities. Remove “preferred skills” as they distract you from what is important. Find someone who has great character and aligns with the company’s mission and core values. If the candidate lacks some of the skills, ask him or her if they are willing to learn them and then invest. You will see dividends quicker than you think. Also, there is no such thing as “hitting the ground running”.
Follow the Golden Rule
Too often interviewers never hear back and are left in the grey area during an interview process. There are a lot of reasons why you should follow these best practices, but the most important one is because it’s the right thing to do. If you want to attract top talent, you must treat people with respect.
Need help with finding top contract talent? Learn more about York Solutions’ expert IT Resource Acquisition Solutions.