Build your team
Shearer says assembling a strong management team is no different than building a winning baseball or football team. Everyone has to be able to work together for the team to succeed.
Sometimes finding the right combination of people takes time. First, Shearer determines what type of skill set he wants for a position. For instance, if he were looking to hire a chief financial officer, his ideal candidate would be someone with a strong financial background. A strong candidate would also need to understand the manufacturing business.
“It’s more than just numbers,” he says. “They have to have a feel for the customer base, for your associates and for the processes you use within your manufacturing organization.”
To find the right mesh of skills and cultural fit, Shearer does a lot of personality testing and skill testing before even bringing a candidate in for an interview. It’s not uncommon for Shearer to have two or three interviews, and even then he might go out to dinner with the candidate and his or her spouse before making a decision.
“After you spend that much time, you should be able to tell whether it’s a fit or not,” he says. “You’re not going to get it every time, but if you spend enough time on it, you should get close.”
Still, even with all that groundwork, some hires just don’t pan out. When that happens, Shearer says you can’t hesitate. Just bring an end to it, because the longer you wait, the worse the mistake becomes. If it’s not working for the company, chances are it’s not working for that individual either.
“Don’t hesitate; make the changes,” he says. “If everybody can see the change needs to made and you’re not making it, you lose respect from your people. If you made a mistake, don’t be afraid to admit it and go on and make those changes. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
