Finding the perfect new staff member can be a tricky task, even for the most seasoned recruiter. However, when you work in a high-growth business the challenge becomes much harder. Hiring for skillset and finding someone with an attitude that will be a great culture fit is always a challenge, but when you add driven, hungry and goal orientated to that list, it can feel almost impossible to find a good fit.
High-growth businesses are the organisations that want to make their mark, smash their goals and become the innovators of their industries.
- As as a high-growth organisation, you and your team are hungry for success and have a very strong work ethic. Essentially, you expect a lot of yourself and the work that you’re doing. This also means that being stagnant isn’t an option and that the organisation is quick to change and develop. Therefore, everything needs to be done with a sense of urgency and your team should always be looking for that next challenge.
- High-growth organisations are unique, but the high-paced, ever-evolving working style just doesn’t suit everyone. Often staff members are required to go far beyond what other roles may expect of them. Some see this as a rewarding challenge offering professional growth opportunities, while others will see the same situation as a recipe for burnout.
Overselling a role or shying away from the challenges and pain points that working in a high-growth organisation demands often results in hires that just don’t work.
Founder and CEO of The Entourage, Jack Delosa, mentioned in a recent article that when hiring, there is often a large focus on selling the organisation as an employer of choice, rather than being realistic about the work environment and role. He highlights that “there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with being an employer of choice… it’s definitely a good thing. But you don’t get there by bringing on people who are coming for the perks. You get there by bringing on people who are deeply committed to your vision and want to play a part in driving it forward.”
- If you’re recruiting for a high-growth organisation, chances are that you, yourself, are in a similar environment and understand the challenges associated with this. By being honest and open about the challenges of a role, the sticking points and even going as far to discuss why others have been unsuccessful in the past are important points to discuss when determining if someone will be a good fit. You want to make sure the role and environment that you’re hiring for is as transparent as it can be, both in terms of benefits and challenges.
Delosa recommends to not “think in terms or ‘right behaviours or wrong behaviours’ or ‘good behaviours or bad behaviours’, there’s too much judgment in that. It’s simply is this person a cultural fit with us?”
After all, if you are worried that someone is going to be scared off by your honest approach to “un-selling” the role, then chances are they weren’t the best fit for your team or organisation in the first place.
