This is part two of People Ink’s five step model for implementing a values based culture.

In our Values Based Leadership Model hiring “A” players who Mirror the Values of the organization is a key step.The first requirement to a successful implementation of a values based organizational culture is establishing your Base Values Blueprint (Article Here). The Second component of implementing a high performing  values based culture relates to recruiting and hiring.

Values Based Leadership Involves Recruiting and Hiring “A” Players

One of the most important things you can do to create and sustain a values-centric culture, is develop a system for recruiting and hiring A players who mirror your values. What are A players? They are people who authentically live your company’s values daily. They can be anyone at any level of the organization. They are people who are dedicated and successful in their jobs and care about getting things done right. Obviously those are the kinds of people you want on your team.

The ideas in People Ink’s five step model work, but if you only take away one, then make sure it’s this. It is one of the most critical things a leader can do.

“Hire People Who Mirror Your Values”

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“We’ve tried to hire the best players but somehow miss the target.”  Maybe your using the wrong people and techniques to hire with.  Just who are the best recruiters for your company?

We have found the best recruiters and interviewers are the people doing the actual work because they know exactly what it takes to do that job. Peers who help  hire ensure hiring success. Involving customers in your interviewing process brings a fresh perspective. Leaders should consider getting feedback from customers to include perceived gaps in behavior.

One thing you want to avoid is having your C players recruit for you. They tend to recruit others just like themselves. This is a step backwards not forwards for your Values Based Culture initiative. Your company would do better to hire a B player who shows potential to grow than to expediently hire a C player.

Remember this—>> “Use A players to hire A players”

Behavior Based Interviewing

Behavioral interviewing is a fairly common practice as it relates to specific job competencies. However, we have found few companies who also incorporate behaviors related to their defined values, their Values Blueprint™, during the interview process. Once the values are defined with associated behaviors, they should become part of the hiring criteria. Hiring for values creates consistency in behavior throughout the organization.  Talk about a well oiled machine.

Being able to articulate the behaviors associated with achievements (given in an interview) is a key aspect of values based hiring and that is what traditional interviewing misses.  For example, one of our clients’ “aha” moments came when interviewing a person who seemed stellar on her resume. But when she was asked to describe the specific steps that she took to “increase revenues by 38%” she simply could not do it.  If someone can’t tell you how they behaved in the past, then they are not right for you.

There are many tools that help with selecting A players that we have developed over the years.  These will be released with a new book by Ann Rhoades coming out next year to give you ideas and techniques to fill your company with A players.

The next topic in this series will be on Retaining Employees by Re-Recruiting them Daily.