Hiring the right people is an easy statement for a company to have as a value however, it is rare to see put into practice. It requires a great leader to start a successful company but it takes a village to run and sustain that level of success. In the “Good to Great” book by Jim Collins, he makes a critical observation about level 5 leaders who ask the who questions before the what questions. He explains those leaders that practice the thought process of, “I don’t know where we’re going but if I start out with the right people, ask the right questions, and engage them in debate, we’ll find a way to make a great company” create the best organizations in the nation.

My experience with working with someone unqualified has not been a great situation. I experienced extra burden, exhaustion from doing double the work, the work that person did suffered from lack of detail, and ultimately led to my frustration in the work place. All these feelings could have been addressed if the correct questions were asked in the beginning and a qualified candidate was hired. From my experience with working with people who are not the right fit for the job, I completely agree with Collins’ Practical Discipline #1 which states,” when in doubt, don’t hire – keep looking.” This statement is so true. Now I understand that management wants to fill the position so that the workload can be managed and the output of work can be maintained however, if you just hire a body and not a qualified candidate it will cause more distress on the team than just waiting to find the perfect candidate.

After focusing on people and asking the correct questions of who and not what, Collins explains a rigorous culture is critical to a great company. Collins defines rigorous as consistently applying exacting standards at all time and at all levels, especially in the upper management. Those companies that practice rigor believe that the best people do not need to worry about their positions but can fully concentrate on their work. This seems to me like it is a basic idea you would want your employees to experience every day but because so many companies do not focus on the “people” concept, this idea gets lost in the mix.

A great strategic rigor example in the “Good to Great” book describes the steel manufacturing company Nucor. The company was looking to build an empire and decided to plant it’s company away from the traditional steel mill town of Pittsburgh but instead in the mid-west farming towns like Norfolk, Nebraska, and Plymouth, Utah in hopes to attract farmers for work. Why were they looking to attract farmers for their employees? Nucor was looking for the type of worker who would start work early, and stay until the job is done. The type of hard work farmers complete every day on their farms for generations; people with strong values and a superb work ethic ingrained in them since childhood. Nucor decided from the beginning that they were going to invest in the right people for the long haul instead of the wrong people for a short-term profit.

From my personal experience and the “Good to Great” text, I have learned a key lesson for my life. When looking for the right people for my team, I’m not going to consider their specific knowledge, practical skills, educational background or work experience because that can be taught. I will always look for loyalty to previous companies, dedication to fulfilling duties, character traits, strong work ethic, basic intelligence, and good values. These qualities will always give me a better hiring or team decision than a highly specialized worker with an exceptional education who has no common sense or good values.