Managers: How to Hire Superstar Employees

Are you: A manager eager to hire bright, hardworking employees who will become invaluable contributors to your team one day? Sure, you know how to tell if someone has the qualifications and conversation skills, but how do you know how long they’ll stay? Will they fit the company culture? Are they going to take initiative and overachieve, or coast on the basic expectations? 

How you can identify and hire superstars?

Referrals

When you have open positions to fill, let everyone in your company and your network know, but take it further. Share the specifics on experience, mindset, and temperament you envision a superstar in the role will have. Your colleagues and network will better identify their connections that fit what you are looking for. And the more specific you can be about the soft skills desired, the better the job candidates.

Hire for Potential

Look for people with potential – candidates that are more junior and don’t have all the experience listed in the job description but with a history of being an outstanding performer. Superstars in one job tend to be superstars in the next. They enjoy learning and growing their skills, embracing new challenges, and working with other team members. Some of the most successful hires I made over the years were the employees that “grew” into more senior roles.

Checking References

Once you identify your top candidate, you MUST check their references. Don’t delegate this responsibility to your HR liaison or recruiter. You know what is required to succeed in a position. Plus, being on the phone with a candidate’s former boss allows you to throw out scenarios and dig deeper into their historical performance in a way that only you can. 

Unfortunately, every hire will not turn into a superstar, but now you have three additional ways to increase your odds. 

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