Attracting the right people is crucial to becoming a cultural magnet. When you have great people who are over the top positive about your company, you’re on the fast track to creating a powerful culture and a successful business.
But you’ve got to get the right people on your bus and the wrong people off. This is especially true when it comes to cultivating the right culture in your workplace. One bad apple will actually spoil the whole bunch.
At times you may not have to get them off the bus so much as you may need to move them into a better seat. Once you put them in the right position, if it’s the right person in the right seat, you’ll see the energy level increase, too.
Whenever I discuss culture and getting the right people, I almost always think of the time when I was president of Barter Business Exchange. At that point in time, I had a “Director of First Impressions,” which in typical business settings would be a receptionist or office manager. But since this wasn’t a typical business setting, and I didn’t want a receptionist–I wanted someone who would knock the socks off of any customers, suppliers or employees with positive energy as soon as they walked in the front door. Our Director of First Impressions, Tina Etchart, did just that. She nailed the first impression every time with her smile, awesome tone and great energy. What first impression are you setting right at the front door? As the saying goes, “you never get a second chance to create a first impression.” Remember that.
When Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were starting Apple they knew exactly what they were looking for in their employees. They hired people who wanted to challenge the status quo. They hired people who wanted to empower the human race. They weren’t about making computers. Steve Jobs wanted to put a dent in the universe. And he hired people who could help them achieve that goal.
Hire people who are passionate about their work. Hire people that have deep passions outside of work. And how do you know you’re creating the right energy? Prospective employees will say things like, “I just want in,” and “You’re the ONLY company I want to work for.”
For information on this topic, check out: Leadership at 100MPH.
