Avoid Hiring the Tallest Pygmy

Finding qualified, passionate and committed team member just may be the hardest challenge for showroom owners and managers.  Let's face it, there are not a lot of people banging down the doors to work in our showrooms, but that does not mean you can't attract and recruit great team members.  A key is knowing how to hire effectively. That means never settling for anyone other than a truly qualified and interested candidate.  Ed Kelly advised DPHA members many years ago to "never hire the tallest pygmy." 

 

Asking the right questions that reveal insightful information about the candidate will enable you to make better hiring decisions.  Here are several staples to help you.

 

1. What in your career are you most proud of and what role did you play?

 

Their response will tell you if a candidate can lead, contribute and follow.  The response will also provide insights into the candidate's definition of success. Listen for how he or she describes the project, what inspired them, the challenges they overcame, the reasons behind the success and why that success is a highlight of their career or life. If he or she only talks about themselves and does not mention others who may have contributed, that tells you something. 

 

2. Identify changes you see in our industry and tell me about companies you believe are adapting well to our current market conditions?

 

The answer will reflect if the candidate has an understanding of the new buying paradigm.  The second part will reflect if the candidate has an understanding of the competition and marketplace.

 

3. What is the last thing that you saw, read or heard that was remarkable?

 

This response speaks to the candidate's curiosity.  If the response is a popular television show or movie, that's okay as long as the description is interesting and the candidate can articulate the story.  For example, a good response could be that they just finished The Unwinding by George Packard that traces the decline of American values through the lens of different individuals and institutions that easily explain the rise of 21st century American Populism.

 

A bad answer is I don't read.

 

4. Describe a current fad that you don't want to be a part of.

 

It does not matter what trend they identify as long as your candidates can explain the reasons why they don't want to be a part of it.  Bad answers are ones that lack specifics.  I don't want to be part of the virtual reality trend because I have a hard time with regular reality.  Most likely that is not someone who would work well in your showroom.

5. What do you do for fun?

 

This points to life-balance.  The only bad answer is nothing.