Hiring Right: Scouting “Major League Value” for Your Team

As an entrepreneur, you’re working hard to grow your business. At some point, though, you realize that the only way your business can continue to grow is if you let go of the reins. That means delegating day-to-day tasks so that you can focus on the tasks that only you can do. “No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself, or take all the credit.” — Andrew Carnegie So how do you ensure you have the right people for your team? Take a lesson from baseball scouts like Gary Varsho, who was a professional baseball player himself and now scouts for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gary tells us scouts need to form an opinion quickly – evaluating a player’s body movements to gauge his ability, and forming an opinion about a player’s motivations, coachability, and heart. That’s not unlike hiring managers who often have only moments to form an impression of job candidates. “Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it… Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine.” — David Ogilvy Gary considers three things in evaluating baseball players, all of which should also be important to you when interviewing job candidates:

• First, skill set. Making a “good hire” requires finding a person with the right skill set. Too many managers, in reviewing resumes, make the mistake of looking for well-roundedness — someone who’s done everything. But that’s not necessarily great for the team. The right hire should have the skills to fill what your team lacks, and, at the same time, complement the work ethic, culture and passion you are trying to cultivate.
• Second, adaptability and coachability. How willing are prospects to go outside their comfort zone? For example, even if a baseball prospect plays right field very well, is he athletically able and mentally open to playing left? The best players — even those who have concentrated on developing only one proficiency — are willing to change and to listen to the coach’s advice. Baseball scouts ask, with his current skill set, is this player ready to challenge and stretch himself – to develop additional abilities that can take him to the major leagues? Hiring the right person is the same. Evaluate your candidates’ skills and, using that as a foundation, envision what else they can be.
• Lastly, willingness or “heart.” No matter what the player’s skills and abilities, no matter what opportunities have been presented, if the prospect doesn’t have “heart,” he won’t make it to the big leagues.

How much does he want to win? Scouts base the answer on a player’s behavioral nuances. For example, when he isn’t doing well and is under stress, how does he react? Can he adjust his skills to respond to what the situation calls for – slowing down when he’s been speeding up, changing pitches, etc.? If he has a steady hand and a calm demeanor, he will be able to adjust his skills as needed. To hire the right person for your position, you also need to look for someone who has a “heart.” How badly does each candidate want to succeed? If candidates ran into personal problems, how would it affect their performance? Evaluating the major league value a potential hire may bring to your team is no easy task. The best way? Follow the lead of baseball scouts: Make sure your candidates have the right skills, balanced with drive, determination, adaptability, coachability, and heart. “Hiring the right people takes time, the right questions, and a healthy dose of curiosity.” — Richard Branson