The Right Person for the Job

Shawnee Love   •  
February 21, 2012

The reality is, if you hire slow, i.e., spend a lot of time defining the job and the core competencies, qualities, and criteria required to be successful and then take the time to find the right person for that job, then you shouldn’t need to fire them. However, Right person for the job is a loaded phrase that seems to be easier said than done.

In my dictionary, Right person for the job means:

  • Has the talent to do the job
  • Lives the company’s values
  • Takes initiative
  • Likes, respects and/or uses whatever the company sells
  • Represents your company well
  • Has a positive attitude (just say no to Eeyores)
  • Adds value
  • Gets along with the rest of the team
  • Has a lifestyle and personal situation that fits with the job and company, and
  • Is someone you’d want to sit next to day after day (because you will have to).

In a decision to hire a long term employee, the “right person” is going to influence your other employees as well as your customers. That kind of impact is worth getting right. What do you look for in the “right person”?