Finding the Right People for the Job

Every boss knows the value of a good employee. They overdeliver. They are conscientious, great to work with, and they inspire others to work smarter and harder. They take ownership AND responsibility. You know that you don’t need to check up on them because they communicate clearly and promptly.

Unfortunately, every boss also knows the pain of the wrong hire. They do the bare minimum or less. They are difficult to work with and full of excuses and complaints. They demoralize their co-workers and need to be micromanaged continuously. They can quickly derail company culture, destroying productivity.

So how can you tell which is which? They look the same on paper. In the interview, they both answer the questions well, ask intelligent questions about the company, and seem friendly and sincere, but finding that perfect hire is the difference between an employee who helps build the business and one that tears it down.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the minimum cost to hire a new employee is $4,700, but it can easily cost three or four times that amount depending on the type and level of role.

At least a third of the costs are hard costs, but companies often underestimate the soft costs of time and labor: posting on various sites, screening applicants, interviewing and making final decisions, and negotiating. This is time and money spent away from building the business.

In addition, onboarding a new employee and training them can easily add a thousand dollars or more per hire on top of the actual salary and benefits.

Using a recruiter adds a minimum of $5,000 per hire for an entry-level job, $10,000 for a technical or highly skilled employee, and as much as $100K for an executive. While many smaller companies balk at hiring an outside recruiting firm because of the cost, partnering with the right recruiter can save costs and headaches in the long run. A good recruiter works to find you the right candidates the first time.

Here at Blue Sky Exit Planning, we use the “Right People, Right Seats,” a foundational principle of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).

Right People 

These are individuals who share and embody your company's core values. They naturally fit your organization's culture, behave consistently with those values, and contribute positively to the team dynamic. If someone doesn't align with most or all of these values, they're not a "Right Person," regardless of their skills or performance. 

Right Seats 

This refers to whether a person is in the proper role.  

• Get it: Do they truly understand the role and its requirements? 

• Want it: Do they genuinely desire the role and find it fulfilling? 

• Capacity to do it: Do they have the skills, experience, knowledge, and emotional/intellectual capacity to excel in it (without constant handholding)? 

The goal is to find the best employee the first time, saving time and money, guaranteeing the employee’s success within the role and the company. Remember, an employee is interviewing you at the same time you are interviewing them. The last thing you want to do is go through the whole process again in a few months because of employer turnover. Blue Sky Exit Planning can help you foster a culture of continuous learning that keeps up with workplace trends such as the gig economy, hybrid and remote work, and changing employment models. Honesty is the best policy! The more the employee succeeds, the more the company benefits.

When you partner with Blue Sky Exit Planning, whether you are in the process of planning your exit strategy with us or hiring for your ongoing business plans, you are getting a committed and dedicated team who will evaluate your needs—hard and soft—and present you with the best candidates, leading to a speedy hire and smooth transition.