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Regardless of the product or service you offer, the right team can make all the difference for the success of a business. Hiring the right people who are highly motivated and skilled can have a major impact on your ability to scale. But finding these people and knowing whether they are the right fit for your company and team can be a challenge.
To help leaders find the best future team members, 13 members of Rolling Stone Culture Council offered their advice. Below, they explained how to zero in on the people who will help your business grow.
Hire People Whose Strengths Are Your Weaknesses
You cannot be good at everything and the first step to building a team is recognizing what your biggest gaps are in what you’re trying to accomplish. Then it comes down to hiring someone you trust or can grow to trust. Trust is important, because no matter how competent a hire may be, if you don’t feel comfortable delegating tasks to them, the hire was a waste. – Milan Kordestani, Guin Records
Look for People Who Create ‘Gravitational Pull’
Build teams that create ever greater gravitational pull toward the core, toward the purpose of the team and toward each other. Invite only those team members into your solar system who will accelerate gravitational pull, tighten the group at each turn and force multiply each team member in becoming one singularity. In this approach, make no exception and cut no corner. – Nicholas Sciorra, Visionary Media Group
Review Their Track Record
Look at their track record. Ask them what they would do if they were running the company themselves. Find out what their biggest passions are and research what they’ve done in those areas of passion. Ask around about their work ethic and history. Sit with them in person and see if their energy inspires you. – Ash Avildsen, Sumerian Records
Seek a Balance Between Skills and Cultural Fit
It is critical to find the right people for the right roles and for your company. There must be a match in both skills needed for the role and the culture of your organization to scale your business the right way. Knowing your company, its people, its culture, its needs and being transparent about it all is essential to hiring the right people and having those hires stick. – Jessica Passman, Hunter + Esquire
Prioritize Soft Skills
“Hire for talent and train for skills” is truer than ever. Although some roles require technical expertise, someone’s attitude, energy level, creativity and flexibility are all critical for fast-scaling ventures. Leaders need individuals and teams who are committed, agile, innovative and loyal. – Nancy A Shenker, theONswitch & nunu ventures
Create a Culture People Want to Be Part Of
Identifying top talent is pretty easy. The way to grow your business is by attracting and retaining it. It starts with creating a culture that people want to be a part of — one that has a purpose and one that is fair, transparent, provides growth and, most importantly, rewards as the company grows. When that is realized, you attract people who make a difference. – Matt Blackburn, ORDER
Consider Your Gut Instinct
After you’ve determined what skill sets you need — which should be the skills that someone else can do more efficiently than you to free up your time — use your gut instinct to determine if you can work with them. This is the most important part. My filter is “I only work with people I’d like to have dinner with.” – Gregg Brown, Change Ready Leadership
Look for People Who Can Wear Many Hats
We’re entering a very different business world. The key to scaling is finding people who are willing and ready to wear a lot of different hats, but at the same time follow through. It’s all about communication and follow-through. – Mark Shami, The M Jewelers
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Find People Who Think Like Business Owners
When you are ready to scale your company, it is incredibly important to surround yourself with people who think like business owners and people who care. When you surround yourself with go-getters who take pride in their work, not people who do not care what the role requires as long as the job gets done, you will find yourself with a quantifiable advantage. People work harder when they care. – Cynthia Salarizadeh, House of Saka, Inc.
Recruit From Outside Your Usual Talent Pools
Great people who are ready to do great work can come from some of the most unexpected places. It can be tempting to recruit from the same top schools or hire people who have worked at the same top companies, but this will just leave you with an office full of clones. A diverse workforce is what will push your organization to new heights, so harness its power. – Matt Tuffuor, Toasted Life
Seek Out Good Listeners
As we scale our business, we are looking to grow a team of great listeners. There are many levels of listening and we are always on the lookout for those who listen beyond waiting for their turn to speak. Those who can demonstrate the skills of empathetic and generative listening are the type of people we want in front of our clients. They tend to be authentic, heart-focused and purpose-driven. – Allan Fair, Meaning
Look for People Who Love the Brand and Understand the Industry
When hiring the right people, it’s really knowing your weaknesses and finding great talent who can help take the business to the next level. I look for authentic people who love the brand and understand the industry and our position in it, and someone who loves their job and has the experience to back it up. For me as a CEO or executive producer, listening is important. It’s great hearing new ideas. – Karina Michel Feld, Tallulah Films
Hire People Who Know More Than You
This may mean that the person requires a higher salary than you can afford — and yes, that means they’ll likely make more than you — but this will pay off in the end. If you want to grow and scale, build a team with more experience, knowledge and skills than you bring to the table. – Mandy Gilbert, Creative Niche
