Is Your Recruiting Strategy Jenga Ready?

Jenga is the Swahili word for “to build.” It is also a game of strategy and precision. You must be careful about how you build your Jenga tower; support is everything. Building a stable structure requires strategic thinking about how moving individual blocks will impact the overall stability of your tower. The higher the structure, the more unstable it can become. The same is true in business, especially when it comes to your recruiting strategy.

As your business grows, building a strong foundation is essential. You must be strategic in how you recruit and hire so that you can continue to grow. Every course of action has pros and cons. In a game of Jenga, how you remove pieces from the foundation and place them in new positions can stabilize or topple your tower. The same happens in your business. As you add new employees, the dynamic of your business changes. That’s why being strategic about the people you hire is so important.

I recently spoke with an entrepreneur about his tech startup company. He has everything in place to scale and grow his business and is ready to start hiring employees to make it happen. The entrepreneur was ready to jump in and start hiring. First, however, we had to slow things down and work on a solid foundation.

Your culture is an important part of the business you are building, just like that Jenga tower, you want it to be strong and able to grow. I often see small businesses ignoring their culture, and that’s a big mistake. Adding team members who are out of alignment with your culture can cause lost sales, decreased productivity, low morale, forfeited business opportunities because you lack the capacity to serve new customers, decreased customer satisfaction because of overworked or disengaged employees, and more.

Here are a few tips that will help you build a strong cultural foundation for your business that will give you increased efficiency, productivity, and profits.

1. Be clear about who you are.

Clarity is a key component of The YOLO Principle™. What kind of company culture do you want to create? Start by being crystal clear about your business, it’s mission, values, and culture. Your goal is to create a place that means more to people than simply collecting a paycheck.

2. Define the meaning and purpose of the work.

People want to know why their work matters and how their contributions make a difference. They want to feel good about how they contribute to the whole picture. What kind of work will these first employees do? What skills are required to be successful? Have you established clear job descriptions and performance standards? Are the skills high demand or niche skills which are difficult to find?

3. Create a work environment that supports the meaning and the purpose of the work.

You can attract the best people available, but to keep them you have to provide an environment that makes them feel valued and an integral part of your success. Your employees should be able to bring their heart and soul to work every day and know they are appreciated. What systems are in place to support these first employees—project management tools, collaboration tools, software, payroll and benefits, and so forth? Where will they do the work–brick and mortar office or virtual workforce? What is your training and onboarding plan?

4. Live your mission.

As the old saying goes, you have to walk the talk. Your mission is more than words. Lead by example and demonstrate that you care more about your people than you do about yourself. This will help you compete with larger companies to attract top talent who will be actively engaged in helping you achieve your mission.

Like the game of Jenga which requires a steady hand to add height, these four steps build a strong and adaptable business foundation. As your tower (business) grows in height, you will have the right foundation in place to avoid toppling your tower.

No matter what stage your business is in, getting the right people on board is critical to ensuring your success. If you would like a little extra support to build your foundation, grab a copy of The YOLO Principle: The Ultimate Hiring Guide for Small Business. You will find more tools and resources for attracting the right people to your business.

Of course, you can always ask for personalized help. Schedule your insight session today, call me, or send an email.