Human capital

Human capital is vital to the success of any organization, and hiring the right people can raise the game of everyone in your organization. Finding the right people can be tricky, but it’s worth the effort, says Brendan Casey, senior manager — recruiting, at Burr Pilger Mayer.

“The big difference between good companies and great companies is the people,” says Casey. “If other people are trying to recruit from your company, that shows that your company is pretty darn good. If people look at your company and say, ‘Wow, anyone who comes out of that firm is a star,’ that’s the company you want to be.”

Smart Business spoke with Casey about how to identify ‘A’ players for your team and how a qualified recruiter can help in that quest.

How do you identify the right people for your team?

When you go through the interview process, you need to be very thorough in finding out what makes that person tick and what really excites them. A lot of companies put so much emphasis on the standard questions that they ask everybody, but the key is getting inside someone’s head.

It’s like a marriage. You don’t just marry someone because they have the skill set you’re looking for at the moment. You have to be able to communicate clearly and grow together.

The first thing in an interview is to try to get the interviewee to take the barriers down and get them out of that ‘interviewee mode.’ Put all pretenses aside and have a deep conversation to figure out who you are and what you’re about and who they are and what they’re about. If you’re open and honest with a prospective candidate, it’s more than likely that they’ll return that.

And if you end up not hiring someone because they were honest, or because you were honest, that’s a good thing. Then a year from now, you’re not having a bad divorce, or someone leaving on bad terms, putting you in a position to have to rehire. Just do it right the first time.

How can hiring ‘A’ players improve the performance of others at your company?

‘A’ players understand and share the goals of the company. They motivate their peers, managers and subordinates with their positive attitude. They lead by example and inspire those around them to be more successful. They are the people who make it rewarding and fun to be at work.