Don’t do it alone
You can be entering dangerous waters if you think you can handle the interview process on your own. You need multiple people involved in the process to get a feel for the person and for the person to get a feel for his or her potential work environment.
You don’t want to give someone a false interpretation of the work environment, because if you hire the candidate, he or she will quickly find out the atmosphere is different than it was advertised.
“Different people read people differently,” he says. “That cross section of people gives a very good understanding and creates a clear picture to the candidate of the job expectations.
“So, it’s not just the leader or the leader and the sales manager creating the image of the work environment that they’re going into. The more the candidate understands about the company and the individual job, the higher probability of success.”
Typically, when hiring a producer, the local office manager along with a sales manager will talk to the candidate. Then the candidate will meet for about 30 minutes with two to four seasoned producers, who have been at the company a few years.
However, don’t forget about employees who have only been at your company a year or two or who are younger.
“They give the person a very real-time understanding of exactly what they do,” he says. “Many times that person may be more similar in age. So, if you are 28 years old and you are talking to someone who is 22 or if you’re talking to somebody that’s 26, you might talk to them a little differently and feel more comfortable than talking to me at 41 or somebody that’s 55 or 60.”
After meeting with a newer employee, the candidate would also potentially meet with one or more other team leaders, like someone from the marketing department.
“So, there’s no magic number. … It’s identifying a handful of people that are available on a certain day to meet with this candidate,” he says.
While it’s beneficial to involve others in the interview process, don’t just do it for show. You have to create an open environment, where people will freely give input.
“I want people on the team to be part of the success of the office,” he says. “People feel good about being asked to be in the process. I respect and want their candid feedback.”
One way to create that environment is to explain to an employee why his or her favorite candidate wasn’t chosen. It can be a discussion on why you thought the candidate he or she liked wouldn’t have fit. There could have been a topic you broached with the candidate that produced a red flag, which the employee didn’t think to ask about.
“We can agree to disagree on a candidate, but I want them to understand why I disagreed with their assessment,” he says. “They still don’t have to change their mind, but they understand why I made the decision I made.”
Don’t treat those decisions lightly. The better employees you recruit, hire and develop, the better off your company will be to face any challenge in the future.
“Recruiting and enhancing and retaining of high-quality people is one of the single most important things that we do as a company,” he says.
How to reach: Brown & Brown Inc., (813) 222-4100 or www.bbinsurance.com
