Compare Cookies to People

Oh, it would be so cool if we could make dollars like cookies!
(okay, I realize that is a different take on 'printing money')
Why I use this analogy is because we often think that we can hire the right people by developing a cookie cutter outline of who we are looking to put into place.

Often, I work with team leaders who need to hire.  They already have in their mind exactly who they are looking for from a personality level.  They seem to not step back and determine who they need from the skill gaps they have in their organization.  It can be quite interesting and quite a waste of dollars when that happens.

Here are some questions I ask my clients who are in need of new team members at any level:

1. what skills are required - that is usually outlined in the job description
2. what type of person fits into the culture
3. what is missing from the organization at the moment - skills or attributes
4. are you interested in hiring someone like the last person in the role - specifically what was good about that person and what needed improvement
5. are you filling a role or replacing a person - that is completely 2 different things

Using a cookie cutter to define people will not work.  Then you have the same face, attitude and productivity right across the board.  Not only that, do you really want all the same type of creativity, sense of urgency and motivation or are you looking to create a diverse team that reflects the attitude of your clients along with stretching you to think differently.  You cannot do that with a cookie cutter.  And it is a complete waste of money.......

Tell me how you go about bringing new people on board.  (not the on-boarding process, that is a whole different subject) but recruiting or finding the right talent to fill the roles in your organization.