Hiring Great Employees Starts With 4 C’s

At Biltmore, we’ve always believed that no matter what kind of business you run, people drive success. Whether dishwasher or CEO, receptionist or creative director, every employee at every level makes an impact on your company. In fact, hiring someone who simply isn’t a good fit is estimated to cost your company $25-50,000—which is why hiring the right people in the first place is crucial to cultivating a healthy and effective organization. But how do you create a hiring process that promises to help you choose the right people for the right jobs? Over the years, our leaders have discovered that considering the 4 C’s below ensures the best candidates rise to the top of pile.

Capability

While a candidate’s resume will certainly speak volumes about what they’re capable of, go the extra mile to ensure they have the skills they say they have—plus the capacity to learn. We value employees who aren’t just able to learn, but love to learn. Why? Because these employees aren’t impeded by mistakes, failures or difficult experiences. Instead, they pick up new traits, overcome obstacles and ultimately grow and evolve with the company. Try using a pre-employment test to determine whether or not the person you’re considering really has what it takes to succeed in the role at hand.

Commitment

Because turnover rates cost companies quite a bit—and dedicated employees will produce better work than those with a just-passing-through mindset—evaluating a candidate’s level of commitment to your organization is crucial. While it’s impossible to eliminate turnover entirely, you can avoid it if you hire those with a history of loyalty to past employers. Look for red flags on candidates’ resumes by paying attention to past jobs and how much time they spent at each. If a candidate is serious about sticking it out and doing their very best wherever they’re at, you’ll know.

Character

At the end of the day, choosing the most competent person for the job isn’t enough. Yes, competency is absolutely important, but hiring a candidate who has values and treats people with compassion will benefit your entire company. Try getting a candidate to reveal their intrinsic values and personality traits by asking them to do things like multiply 35 by 35 on the spot or answer questions like “what’s one trait you hope to inherit from your parents?” There’s no right or wrong answer to questions like these. Rather, they shed light on who your candidate really is and give you an opportunity to see how they’ll respond to awkward situations and challenging demands.

Compatibility

Every business has a particular set of values, policies and procedures. They have a culture—a certain way people are expected to behave and interact with each other. And before you start hiring, you need to define what ‘culture’ means to you. Then, ask candidates questions. From ‘what do you value most at work?’ to ‘what do you like most about working on a team?’ the right questions will help you determine whether or not your candidate will fit and end up adding long-term value to your team.

Interested in bolstering your organization with employees who are productive, effective and dedicated to seeing your company succeed? Biltmore will help you create an action plan geared toward employee engagement when you attend one of our workshops on the estate.