Hiring is one of the most important things for a business owner or manager. Hire the right people and you can trust them and count on them with the work they’re doing. They will help you grow the business in multiple ways.
But hiring is often more of an art than a skill. Sure, you can do your best to learn from experience and to build data points and key indicators. You can try to hire the same type of successful employees over and over.
But everyone is often different. Maybe not in major ways, but often in multiple little ways. And it’s your job to learn about who each person is and accept that. Instead of trying to change their core personality, trying to figure out the best way to integrate them into the team so it’s good for all involved.
Here are a few thoughts on how to accept your employees for the people they are.
1. Aim For Curiosity With Others
Go into each encounter with your employees looking to learn more about them. You probably got some good first impressions when they first interviewed. That is when your understanding of them begins. But it’s important to continue to learn.
Try to watch and figure out what they do well and where they struggle. Determine if it’s something that can be learned or if it’s an inherent weakness that could perhaps be overcome in a unique way.
Remember, if they have been successful in various things in life they probably know a few ways to make themselves successful. See if they are able to come up with solutions that allow them to learn and to be good at their jobs.
2. Challenge Them To Be Their Best
You still want to challenge them to be their best. It’s been really interesting, as a Wisconsinite and Packers fan, to read about the players that played for Coach Vince Lombardi. He was hard on some players. He was easier on a few. But just about all of them talked about how he challenged them to be the best at their position and later on in life. He challenged them to be successful.
Try to keep setting goals for your employees. Make sure they’re seeing improvement so they stay motivated. It might take a little individual focus from you because not everyone is the same, but it can be worth this attention and effort.
3. Set Basic Boundaries
It’s good to set some basic boundaries with the employee. Just a line that they need to stay in while they’re trying to accomplish the goals of the company. These might be moral lines. They might be risk lines. That type of thing. You likely want to pay attention to the personality of each person when bringing them on board. If you’re hiring the right people then these boundaries will likely be build into their personality.
4. Be Clear On Job Outcomes
Outcomes are the key. You might be looking for people that will follow specific procedures. But for many businesses it’s more about outcomes. And if you have people that are innovative and different, they can often discover better ways of doing things. Then you can use the findings to help the entire team improve.
And also the key is boundaries. Outcomes are great, but not if they are achieved in ways that don’t align with your morals or even something that might harm the employees, like burnout.
5. You Can Still Discuss Topics With Them
You want to accept people. But that doesn’t mean that a good argument isn’t good from time to time. Challenge them on things where you feel strongly. But also be open to where they feel differently. You are probably not going to convince them to change in certain ways. And vice versa. But it’s good to let each other know where you stand and what is important to you.
Conclusion
The most successful leaders are often those that aren’t trying to control everything. They don’t run a loose ship. They communicate with their team. They discuss goals. They try to be curious about who their people are. They try to hire people that fit the team. And they look for ways to give each individual the best chance of succeeding.