The Perfect Employee Plan
We all want them, don’t we? That employee that automatically knows what to do. They fix problems, save us money, make us money, and learns new skills every day that rinses and repeats this process. Are we just dreaming or does this really happen? The answer is yes and yes.
We are dreaming, and it does really happen. It is the dreaming that makes the dream employee happen, or at least part of it.
My point is, you should dream about what your ideal employee should be and do, then write it out and create a plan to find him or her.
Let’s say you want to find the perfect person to answer the phone for your HVAC company. You are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars making the phone ring, and you are not sure you have your best foot forward when it does.
First Step
Write an Avatar – A one paragraph or page description of exactly who you are looking for (we call it an avatar) or a story about you prospective idea employee.
Carol Henry is a 45 year old stay at home mom. She is active in the PTA, has a bridge club at her church and in the neighborhood association. She radiates warmth, grace and kindness. She has a great laugh, is a little bit sarcastic but in a way that both of us “appreciate it” and puts a smile on everyone’s face.
Carol went to College; she got pregnant and stayed home with her children. Her husband is a business owner and she knows the sacrifices that are needed to be made to get a business going because she has seen it and worked it first-hand. She longs for the days where she was part of the team of newbies getting the business off the ground. She doesn’t want the long hours just the feeling of connection and growth she had when she was helping her husband get his business off the ground.
Carol is about to become an empty nester and she is looking to get back into to the work force. She recognizes that her need for a 30 hour work week and demand for a position that is intellectually demanding while having the opportunity to talk to people every day and be part of a team is a tough task, but she is looking for someplace to merge her energies with to create a new type of family.
She is incredible talking on the phone and listens with great empathy but still can be strong and firm like a good parent.
Could this be your perfect Ideal employee? You will never know if you don’t create the vision, the plan and the space for her or him.
Ok, now that you have the Paragraph of what this person will look like. Here is what you do with it:
Step 2: Get the word out
1. Create the space and place for your ideal employee at your office, create a package with all the benefits both financial and non-financial that you would be willing to give to this “perfect” person. Share it with your vendors and ask them to help.
2. Share it with all your business contacts and ask them to help
3. Share it will all your vendors
4. Share it with all your customers spinning it with some kind of message of growth and thanking them for their support and giving them the ability to help you grow.
5. Call the local membership development directors of the chamber, BNI and other professional associations that you are members with and share you comp plan and ideal person.
6. Advertise if necessary in local paper
7. Rinse and Repeat
Step 3: Test and Interview
1. Use a Personality and Talent Test (after you go through all this work make sure the person is really the right fit). If their talents and personality doesn’t suit the job it doesn’t matter how well they interview.
2. Get a second opinion on your hire: Have someone else interview your person. A lot of times people act one way in front of the boss and a completely different way to the general public or their fellow employee. Use another business owner or co-worker.
3. Group interview: Have all the candidates interview with each other. Ask them to give a speech on your company (this will do a couple of things: see how they think on their feet, how they react under pressure and most of all see how empathetic they are to strangers).
Step 4: Set the Vision, Hire Slow Fire Fast
1. Once you have picked your ideal employee, share your vision for share growth with clear expectations on what they need to do to achieve success together.
2. Share your goals for your business and how they can achieve their goals through your business.
3. Rinse and Repeat 1 and 2
3 Responses to “The Perfect Employee Plan”
Leave a Reply
Great article Tony!
thanks Tony this is what I need my goal in 2012 is find two of these new employees and 1 new repeat customer each month I will need more help I am sure but this is a start Thanks Kathy
I needed to hear this right now. Thanks for sharing.