THE SACRED HIRING & FIRING. PART ONE.
I've been itching to write this article for a while, and then the other day I was on a zoom meeting with a client I've been working with and we landed on hiring (and firing) as she creates and expands her new business. I immediately knew that my desire to share this information was spot on and needed to be out in the world.
Hiring and firing can be complicated, stressful and overwhelming. The hiring can be fun and exciting too. The firing can feel like letting go of a breath that you held in for a long time.
In my opinion, if you hire well, you likely won't have to fire much. But, sometimes you don't know until you know. And sometimes life evolves where you have to let people go. Both acts- hiring and firing- can be sacred if you allow them to be.
As leaders we will likely hire and fire in our lives. I believe that it is up to us to be thoughtful in our energy and our preparedness as we welcome individuals to share in the mission of our work.
Today I am sharing with you the sacred "how to" of hiring. Part two will be about the sacred "how to" of firing. Below I've included a combination of practical and energetic steps to attract + magnetize the right human into your business realm and create a beautiful relationship with your employees and contractors. And, it goes without saying, but if you work for an established company, please make sure you are following their guidelines for hiring employees.
The Practicalities of Sacred Hiring:
• Be incredibly clear about the job and job description when you share with people that you are hiring. Honestly, you can't be too clear here. Write out all of the job duties you imagine this person taking care of. (This will also help when you are creating a contract with the individual.)
• Share the job opportunity in a few different aligned places. I don't recommend fishing in all of the waters- pick which ones will work for you and where the potential employee might be looking for a job.
• Write out all of the qualities you'd like your new employee to have. Don't skimp on this part- it's the most important! You can't be overly clear here. Write out every thing you desire the employee to be, from punctuality to impeccable quality in their work. This will help you when you are in the middle of your interviews to know who really meets the qualities you are looking for and the ones you aren't.
If you have been burned by employees in the past, write out the things you weren't happy with so that you know that you aren't open to that in the future. For example, are you open to someone calling in sick once a week? Are you cool with someone showing up late to a meeting with you? If the answer is no- write out that you are not open to these sorts of things.
• Set up time in your schedule to go through the applications/resumes/letters. Create three piles for you to file the incoming applicants- ones that are a "yes," ones that are a "potential" and ones that are a for sure "no." Go ahead and write out a blanket email for the ones that are a "no" and send them as you go through applications. I feel like in today's age and time it's always nice to let people know that they are not candidates so that they can move on.
For the yes and potential applicants, and considering what kind of job you are looking to fill, you can decide how to go about the interview process. Zoom interviews are great for
online positions, in person interviews are fabulous for in person jobs.
• When interviewing potential people, show up grounded, rested and with the job description in front of you. Have a few questions written out so that you are prepared to have a helpful and enlightened conversation.
Also, sometimes we feel rushed in the hiring process. Allow yourself the grace to interview someone a couple of times if you feel inclined, so that you know this person is the right candidate.
• For potential employees, and if it's appropriate for the job description, run background checks
and call all of the person's references.
• Have a set of questions to ask the references. Speak to all of them. And, really listen to the answers. (Once I called a reference and spoke to the person's ex-boyfriend. She didn't expect me to call her references. I did. Things had not ended well for the couple. It was an awkward conversation with the ex-boyfriend and I decided not to hire the person.)
• For anyone who works for you, whether that's a contractor, a part time employee or a full
time employee,always have a contract signed by you and the potential employee. Provide
clarity, expectations and boundaries within the contract.
• For your employee to really be excited about working for you, it's always helpful for them to
be excited about your mission. The more you can offer for your employees to get pumped
up about why they work for you the better.
• Don't be afraid to use google to get help on interview questions and contract templates. There are some great examples out there.
The Energetics of Sacred Hiring:
• If you haven't in a while, get a really clear idea of your business mission. Write it out. Who do you serve? What do you do? Why is it important in the world? Why do you love what you do? Why would you want someone else to love what you do too?
• Take a moment to dream up who you desire to work for you. Close your eyes and imagine you working alongside this person. What do they do? What is their energy? What are their qualities? What do they not do? After you spend some time dreaming, grab your journal and write down everything you just felt, thought and experienced.
• When you are writing out the job description for your search for your next employee, take some time to imagine someone doing the work. What does it feel like?
• When you meet people for an interview, be as observant about the minutia as you are about everything else. Did they show up on time? What are they wearing? If you are on Zoom, what does the background behind them look like? Where did they place themselves? What are the non-verbal things they are saying?
• If all of your check boxes are ticked, but somehow this person feels like a "no" can you allow yourself to honor that answer, or do you feel like you'd like more information before deciding? (This may be the time you schedule another interview.)
• Trust your intuition throughout the process. What feels like it's not aligned? What are you tolerating because you just want to fill the job position? What feels like a breath of fresh air?
When you are bringing new energy into your business, you have the ability to expand your work in such powerful ways. Hiring gets to be a fun process of expanding you and your mission into the world. I hope this supports you in finding the next right person for your work and life!
With love,
Katherine
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