The Seats on the Bus..."Involve me, I will understand"

3. "Involve me, I will understand"

He wants to know who you selected..tell him

Alright! So now we’ve laid the foundation for what we want in a candidate by defining the needs and wants of the role, as well as committing to selecting candidates for roles we have prepped for them. It’s time for the interview process to start. This is the most critical component of the selection process, because now you’re linking theory to practice. Everyone needs to be on the same page, especially in smaller organizations. One of the most frustrating things for any department or small organization is hearing about a new member of the team for the first time…AFTER they’ve been selected. “Well am I going to like this person? What’s their background? How did he/she get hired?” All of these are valid questions. Let’s nip the gossip in the bud by remembering one thing: global involvement = global accountability.

When you want to bring new talent to your organization, let your team know about it. For larger organizations, it’s usually a department selection, and department heads should announce what they’re looking to bring on to their team. If you’re in a smaller organization, letting department leaders know what you’re looking for, you can give them the heads up. The second half of making them aware is offering them a chance to be involved.  There was a Chinese proverb that was told to me once by a mentor of mine:

“Tell me and I will forget

Show me and I may remember

Involve me and I will understand”

Involve the team...you won't regret it

When you offer your team, whether other department leaders or members of your department, a chance to be a part of the selection process, you immediately do two things: create trust, and create investment. We all want to be depended on in some capacity. It’s human nature to feel that connection with others. In involving your team in the selection process, you let them know that you value their opinion in bringing someone in that will affect the culture, performance, and overall dynamic of your organization at either a macro or microcosmic level. Trust is the framework upon which a great relationship is built, and that goes for the one you have with your team. This is an easy way to nurture that relationship. Also, you remind your team that it isn’t just your team, but their team. Investment is the key to engagement. Engagement is the key to performance. It’s amazing how telling them to weigh in on a candidate in some capacity will motivate them, and also help you make an informed decision that is in the best interest of your team.

At the same time, we’ve got to be practical in our involvement of our team. They have jobs to do, and if they are involved at every level of the process, you’re hurting productivity. My personal recommendation of where I have seen this to be successful comes in the final stages of the selection. A panel interview where the candidate meets the team and the team meets the candidate is very helpful. The team gets to ask their questions, and at the same time you have put a candidate before them that you are confident in, because the candidate has run your “selection gauntlet”: They have passed an HR screen, yourself as the hiring manager, and any other pieces of the selection process that you have at your organization. Your team has a wealth of information in front of them about the candidate to help them in their assessment. It’s not that it’s fail proof, but at the same time, it almost is, and that is fine. We want to get the selections right without disturbing the team dynamic. Involve the team, and the team understands.

Home stretch next week team! Stay with me and let's get a dynamite selection process together!

Stay inspired, be developed, be the change!

~AI