Last week we terminated our first employee in six years. Yet there was nothing wrong with the person, their skills, their attitude or their performance.
However, they didn’t fit into our company culture and expectations. They were not prepared to venture outside their comfort zone more often. Nonetheless, in the right workplace, they would have been the perfect employee.
While that sounds harsh, it isn’t. There was no point in making someone continuously dread coming to work when they didn’t feel it was right either.
Sometimes the right skills, attitude, performance and person are wrong for your business.
What does this mean? I believe there is a home for everyone. A workplace they can feel appreciated, valued and give the best of themselves, at whatever their capacity is.
Capacity is a huge consideration when I hire. I look for the person that wants to be pushed, that wants to be hurried up and that wants to achieve far greater than their current expectations, even if they don’t know what that is.
In fact, it is better if they don’t know what that is, because then there are no barriers to growth.
These are the very principles on which I have built the company. We have built a brand on these principles: A brand that people want to work for.
So why is it so hard to hire the perfect fit? It isn’t.
The perfect fit in my experience is the one that comes to you seeking to work for your company, knows your culture, wants to be a part of your success and is willing to extend themselves beyond their greatest expectations.
They want to learn and they want to learn fast. At Job Capital we walk fast, we talk fast and we move fast. We recently hired a new person to the business that will bring immense value to the growth and evolvement of the company. He approached me. He walks fast, he talks fast, he thinks fast and he wants everything to happen yesterday. Plus he is experienced and willing to roll up his sleeves when the game gets tough. It was a no-brainer hiring him. This is an A player.
He knew the company history, my history, the vision of the company and easily saw how he could fit in to help take this juggernaut to the next level – something I wouldn’t have been able to do as quickly on my own.
Most importantly, from day one he was consistent, proved his worth in the details and went above and beyond at every moment to support the team, the company and me in the big chair. He has a life outside of work: Family, goals, passions and balance. I believe this is highly important.
I don’t hire people unless they are passionate. I don’t care if it is growing carrots or knitting. As long as they have the ability to be passionate, this can easily be translated into a business vision.
A marketing guru has just approached me to work for our brand and represent us to the market. She will be our next hire. Again, an A player and passionate, with tremendous untapped capacity.
The team synergy has never been better. With only A players, we create momentum, a rhythm that has its own energy and flow. Everyone knows that they are here for a common reason: To achieve the company vision and their own personal goals, which are equally important to me. Things get done, people are happy, negativity doesn’t exist and solution thinking is everywhere.
Why wouldn’t you want to work for this type of company? Well, what are you waiting for? Call that CEO, MD, or leader today; tell them you would like to work for their culture and make your mark and deliver for their vision and be highly proactive!
You will be chosen over the person that doesn’t do this. At least at Job Capital you will! And we are always hiring!
Jo Burston is the founder and chief executive of Job Capital and Inspiring Rare Birds, which works to promote opportunity for women in entrepreneurship.
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