Hire the right people

Christopher Cole, CEO, Intelligrated Inc.

Getting the right people is always key for
any business to succeed, but Christopher
Cole, CEO of Intelligrated Inc., says
employee referrals are a good way to find
new employees.

“People don’t want to recommend people
to come to work in their company unless
they believe they’re going to fit in and be
good,” Cole says. “The best source of finding
people is our own people. The person
they’re bringing in, because they know
someone inside, it’s easier for them to have
a mentor to get a faster start.”

He says you’re not always perfect with
hiring, but it’s easy to spot problems, mainly
through reference checks. But sometimes
employees just don’t fit in at the company.

“You think every time you hire someone
that it may take an adjustment time, and
that they’re going to work out,” Cole says.

He says it’s better to let someone go sooner than later, but it’s natural to want to give
someone time to succeed. If someone is not
performing, you need to step in to see if you
can change their job or find a different job
for them that will make them successful.

“When you have an employee performance problem, the natural tendency is to
hope it will get better,” he says. “It doesn’t
get better until you confront it. Do it in a
nonemotional, factual way, and then work
to improve the performance. If it still does-n’t happen, then help that person find a different career where they can succeed.”