How to Hire the Right Person on The Costa del Sol

Over the course of my business lifespan, I have interviewed a fair few people. But rarely did a key role become available, such as a leader and or, a Director. As a consequence of importance, I found my interview techniques and environment change to a less conformative or traditional format in the pursuit of these key people. So much so, and with such a high degree of success for these roles, I changed our complete recruitment process from top to bottom so we could find the right people at the first time for our business and culture at all levels.

I also asked other entrepreneurs and business owners, “How do you hire?” Their answers were and still are always insightful because after years of interviewing countless job candidates, they’ve also learned the best approaches to help them get right to the core of who a candidate is and how he or she will work within a company and a team. In the Costa del Sol, we have unique challenges in addition to the norm. It’s a relatively transient and international arena, and yet we all need to find that will, reliability and consistency. Is the person on an extended holiday? Are they truly committed to doing what the job asks?

I’ve discovered a typical job interview here on the Costa del Sol is little more than a social get together with some predictable choreography. A conference-room meeting, a pristine résumé and the standard questions: Where do you want to be in five years? What do you consider your big- gest failure? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Add in some small talk — maybe the candidate and the interviewer have something in common, and that’s largely it. The candidate seems good, and the references check out. So an offer is made, and fingers are crossed that everything works out. Then, a month later, the new hire misses an important deadline or starts complaining about the work. Cue that sinking feeling: You start wondering if hiring this person was a mistake.

Of course there’s a better way. Here are some ideas that may help you hire the right person: They do exist if you look in the right areas for the right qualities and embrace a different approach.

1. Be creative.

Every candidate will be prepared for commonplace interview questions. Find new ways to truly understand how a person thinks. Make it unique and relevant to your business and specifically for the role you are seeking to fill.

2. Be encompassing.

Put the candidate in situations where they are more likely to show their true selves. Take the pressure OFF. For example, if they really are a good sales person, they’ll be more than happy to invest their time with your top salesperson. You’ll see very quickly how they interact and how they listen. Encompassing their natural professional environment makes a huge difference.

3. Allow your employees to help.

You are not the only person who is going to work with this candidate. There is likely already a key person or a team of employees you trust that will interact with him or her every day. Their opinion should matter. Let them spend some time with the candidate.

4. Take Them On a Tour

Show the candidates around your company, and introduce them to some colleagues. Things to pay attention to: Are they asking questions about what everybody does and how things work? Are they curious? Do they treat everyone they meet with respect, and show interest in what they do? Do their potential colleagues receive the candidate positively? At the end of the day, you’re building a team and character matters.

5. Share A Meal

Take a candidate out for lunch or dinner. Going to a restaurant will reveal all sorts of clues about someone. For many leaders, this is the most important part of the interview process.

The key is to watch whether the candidate is considerate of others — an essential quality of effective team players.

This is not an exhaustive list, just some base pointers that have helped me and others find the right people at the right time for the right job. The candidates appreciated it too. Good luck!