Hire For Values

# Hire For Values

Choose to hire people who live according to values that you respect rather than focusing on specific skills. Someone who is living to a higher order – loyal, loving, committed, of integrity, as just a few examples – exudes a feeling that you know when you encounter it, and that is a person who will make the right choice when under duress.

For example, if a customer has a problem at closing time, the person without values could cut that person off and handle the situation abruptly (which means you have to fix it later IF you get the chance); however, a person with values will likely choose to hang in with that customer to resolve the situation to its most reasonable outcome. And that's the difference that you will experience from your hiring decision.

That being said, whenever there is a question about integrity, dig into a given task and institute a process to handle it so you don't have to rely on that individual's values to run your business. It can also be helpful to make sure your guiding principles are visible and known to each employee to support their ability to consistently make good decisions aligned with your values.

Key Point: Think twice before hiring friends. While your friends might be talented, they also know you as a friend. In a stress situation, they could default to getting personal rather sticking to business. They might also expect you to cut them slack. And, in a worst case scenario, it becomes that much more difficult to let them go if that's needed.

"Hiring people is an art, not a science, and resumes can't tell you whether someone will fit into a company's culture. When you realize you've made a mistake, you need to cut your losses and move on."

~ Howard Schultz, Founder of Starbucks