I don’t know what it is about a New Year, but I can’t help but get a little excited about what awaits in 2017. It may be cheesy to hear everyone’s resolutions (that they normally abandon by the second week) or even reflecting on the previous year through photos or a “Top 10 Moments” list, but I for one love it!
Maybe it’s because I love pushing myself to see what new challenge I can take on, maybe it’s because I love seeing my friends and family succeed, but whatever it is, there’s something about that clock striking midnight and flipping over to 2-0-1-7!
I normally don’t do a New Year’s resolution, but I’ve been somewhat frustrated with my eating and drinking habits lately. Call it the holidays, or the stress, or my undeniable love of wine, but I felt like I needed to shake things up. So, on January 1st, I started Whole30.
New Year, Fresh Start
For those of you who have never heard of Whole30, or want to learn more (and everyone should) you can find more information at whole30.com or buy the book on Amazon. I won’t go into all the details, but bottom line is it’s a reset for your entire diet. Key word is reset. As I got to reading through the program, I began to think: If we can reset something as difficult as what we eat every single day, why can’t companies reset their hiring using the same principals?
Step 1: Plan and Prepare
Just like the steps in the Whole30 plan, companies looking to reset their hiring goals in the New Year should plan and prepare for what they want their end goal to be. I have a pretty good baseline of staple foods in my house, but I knew the ingredients I was still missing. Start by thinking about your current team structure: It’s imperative to know what ingredients you still need in order to “stock your kitchen”.
Like any good plan, it’s not just the What, it’s the How. How are we going to actually hire ten developers? How will we interview them? How will this impact our budget and infrastructure? Use your plan as a roadmap for the next 12 months, it will always prove to be a reference point as you scale, as well as something you can iterate on as you add to your team.
Step 2: Build Your Support Team
Pushing reset is not easy. I’m on day three of Whole30 and want to shove every carb I see in my face. Luckily, I have a support team: At home and in the office, on Slack and via text… you need to have your cheerleaders rooting you on! I’m communicating my goals, asking questions, and soliciting their support almost every five minutes.
With hiring, it’s no different. You need the support of so many involved in the success of the plan. From the CEO to the HR Director to the Hiring Manager, it truly takes a village! Get the team actively involved in decision-making too. It’s just as much their job as it is the Recruiting team’s.
Step 3: Go Public
I’ve posted on Instagram, Facebook, Slack, AND am now blogging about Whole30. For a lot of reasons, but mostly because it builds my support team beyond my team AND it holds me accountable! Plus, I love watching other’s progress when going through a life transformation – so why not share the wealth!
This goes without saying, but if you’re hiring, use any and ALL channels: Social Media, Friends, Family, Job Postings, you name it! Let your brand do your work for you. Getting the word out cuts down your sourcing efforts, and broadens the pool of candidates. So, spread the good news and let the world know your team is growing!
Step 4: Recruit
What better way to go into a big change than with friends! So naturally, I recruited them and it only took a few months of convincing to get them on-board 😉
It goes without saying, if you have open jobs it’s time to get those recruiting shoes on! Get on LinkedIn, explore your network, talk to old colleagues…and there’s no time like the present. Highly sought after candidates are only on the market for an average of 10 days. 10 days! That means you have to optimize your interviewing process in order to get them through the various stages in the most timely and efficient manner you can muster.
Step 5: Get Your House Ready
I’m not gonna lie, throwing out all my holiday candy and sweets made me shed a little sweet tooth tear. I LOVE chocolate… like, love love. I can pass up most temptations when it comes to food, but chocolate is like my soul sister. But knowing what I know about myself after a long day of work, I had to toss that devilish deliciousness into the trash. My goal is to have my best self in my pantry and fridge, so that’s what I did.
When you’re hiring, it’s no different! Clean up the place a little, polish up the monitors, and tidy up the K-cups. Anyone coming into your work house for an interview should see your best self! Be over-prepared. In fact, everyone should be over-prepared. Bookshelves? Tidy. Break room? Spotless. Restrooms? Delightful. I mean, maybe an onsite interview, like a new diet, is all the of accountability you really need.
Step 6: Plan for Success
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. This is something my Dad always said to me growing up, and I always come back to it. I’ve mapped out almost every meal for the next week so I’m not tempted to go off course. I’ve stocked my fridge, and I’m holding true to what I set out to do (even though that bottle of Cabernet is calling for me Right. Now.)
Plan out your hiring like you’re going to succeed. Set a timeline for each hire, revitalize your interview process, offer a refresher course for your hiring managers, throw a hiring happy hour…whatever you do, visualize the success of your efforts.
Step 7: Toss that Scale
This is one any woman will be happy to do! Part of the Whole30 diet instructs you to not measure yourself day by day. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
So how do you toss the scale during hiring? Don’t get caught up in the day to day happenings. Maybe a candidate declines your offer, or it took 45 days to hire that perfect fit instead of 30 days. Live your plan, believe in the end goal, and see it through; everything else will fall into place if your eye is on the prize.
I invite you to join me in resetting this year, and see what it does to your life, your company, your energy, and outlook.
What will you be adding to your Top 10 Moments next December 31st?
