The ABC’s of Preventing Panic Hires: Be Prepared

Panic hires don’t happen to prepared companies. If you want to prevent panic hires, the secret is to always have a team of qualified “players” on the bench, ready to jump in the game when called upon. Good coaches know that the “winningest” teams are built through constant development. Winning teams start with cherry-picked players […]

Ready to Hire: 4 Ways to Get Better at Hiring Now

Does your company need to get better at hiring? When it comes to hiring, it is important to have an ongoing systematic process. It will ensure that you’re always prepared to make informed hiring decisions promptly. According to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we are continuing to see an increase in […]

Help! I’m Hiring Someone Tomorrow…What Do I Do?

So, you’re hiring someone tomorrow and you’re scrambling to do it well. First of all, we strongly suggest you not rush into hiring, due to the increased likelihood of making a mistake which results in lower performance, cultural misfit, and the extra expense of firing one employee and having to hire and train another. Rushed […]

How to Hire for Fit and Match Instead of Experience and Education

Do you hire for fit? Many companies say they do, but not all of them are executing it well. Here’s a look at how and why you should hire for fit, and why we think it trumps experience and education. At VisionSpark, we often refer to hiring for fit and match as “hiring for your […]

Seven Common Hiring Mistakes to Avoid

When the hiring landscape becomes competitive, employers must tighten up their approach. Many hiring managers and entrepreneurs have their work cut out for them. Check out our list below to see if you need to stop committing one or more of these common hiring mistakes. Hiring Mistake #7: Failure to See Onboarding as Recruiting Yes, […]

How Seasoned Executives Make Hiring Mistakes

The idea that even the best business leaders are failing at anything may be challenging to accept. Business owners and executives are generally skilled at wearing many hats. Their confidence and competence tend to go hand in hand. But the adage that “you never know what you don’t know” is true. While many professionals apply […]

What You Need To Know About Hiring “A Players”

What is an A Player? Brad & Geoff Smart are well-known for their Topgrading approach to identifying A, B and C Players, which Chris Mursau, a VP at Topgrading describes in this post. Steve Jobs is also well known for insisting on A-list hires to build A-list companies. In essence, A Players are the top-choice […]

Should You Hire the Right Candidate Even If You Don’t Need Them Yet?

I recently read an interesting article in Inc. Magazine that explored tactics for employers in smaller, less appealing towns to attract top-grade talent. One of the suggestions I found particularly interesting was to “hire, especially when you don’t need to.” Distinct from ongoing recruitment —which is also an increasing trend— in their example, Orion Energy Systems of Manitowoc, […]

Why Hiring for Values is Important to the EOS Process™

Hiring for values doesn’t happen in a vacuum. If you want to improve your outcomes and bottom line through hiring, your organization must be ready. VisionSpark focuses on identifying, articulating and hiring for corporate culture fit. How can your organization expand on that and take it even further? The EOS Process™ is a great place to […]

5 Unexpected Results From Improving Your Hiring Process

Thinking about improving your hiring process? It makes sense on so many levels. If you are like most employers, you are highly motivated by the promise of better employee performance, increased productivity and greater employee retention. Why? Because those are direct paths to cost reduction and revenue generation. But don’t overlook the many additional benefits […]

How To Deal With A Corporate Culture Misfit

I was speaking with the CEO of a local company yesterday, and he was disappointed by the discovery that one of his new executive hires is not working out. This was a candidate who had come highly recommended and had charmed his way through the hiring process, with a great resume to boot. In short, […]

6 Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve Your Hiring Process

Research published by Brandon Hall Group found a whopping “95% of organizations admit to hiring ‘bad fits’ each year.” These mis-hires drain resources from your organization. Fortunately, hiring ‘bad fit’ employees is avoidable. Here are six things you can start doing today to improve your hiring process and stop hiring the wrong people: #1. Define. […]