John W. Palazzo wants to make a buck as much as the next guy. He’s watched the cooking oil equipment business he started in 2000, Frontline International Inc., grow by an average of 20 percent each year. But Palazzo doesn’t put profit above everything, and he doesn’t want employees who do either.
“We have had a number of candidates that looked really good, but they were like, ‘I have to make this,’” says the president. “And in this economy, that does not settle well. But more importantly, those people may not be the ones who work out in the long term. You want someone with drive.”
Smart Business spoke with the leader of this 20-employee business about how to build a team that fits your vision.
Q. What is the biggest challenge to building a team?
It comes down to finding the right people and the right team to surround yourself with. That’s not only employees, which is a key part of it, but it is the team outside the company, which would be an accountant, an attorney and a banker. They all have to balance. It starts with good people internally, but as you grow, the external ones become ever so important, as well.
There’s a fair amount of due diligence that needs to be done as you interview or bring someone in for a trial or whatever it might be. It comes down to being able to explain the vision and objectives and goals of the organization and explain where the company is going.
You need to be able to explain the growth you’re anticipating and get them to buy in to the process. You’ve got to be a good communicator. If you’re communicating a vision of where the company is going, you need to be excited about it. It’s sincerity and attitude and energy level. Be passionate about what you do.
Q. How do you make sure your need is clear?
If we’re posting an ad or we’re working with an agency on getting a person, we’ll put a pretty good description out of what we’re looking for. I like to outline all the duties and responsibilities that then would be transferred right over to the job description.
It forces you as a business owner to truly sit down and think about what you want this person to do — what is the day-to-day responsibility and expectation level that you have? You have to sit down and challenge yourself as the superior to make sure you know what you’re looking for.
Q. How do you actually find the right people to interview?
There’s a fair amount of due diligence that needs to be done as you interview or bring someone in for a trial or whatever it might be. The first impression, for me, is going to be their resume and starts before I even see the person in the flesh. Do they have the skill set on paper to meet the requirements?
It’s also format and grammar. Is it easy to read? Is it easy to follow? It’s my first impression before I even bring anybody in. I would never interview anybody without a resume, regardless of the position.
Once I get that piece of paper in front of me, I start assessing. That’s how I make the determination of who to bring in for an interview and who we don’t.
