Proven “Positive Hiring Process” that Keeps Employees Motivated 

I trust the company you work for (or your own business) has a well-established hiring process, and I will not question it. If what you do works amazingly well, keeps everyone happy, and brings you the best talents and resources that do not want to leave no matter what, then keep doing what you are doing. However, the following few little tips may still help. After all, we can all do better no matter how good we are. Right? So. Let me share the story before I get into process details. 

It was January 15, 1995; I received a call from Maria, an Automated Concepts Incorporated - ACI recruiter, who told me a position was available. I was not interested. After many phone calls from Maria, I finally decided to meet her but still gave no indication I was interested because I wasn't. We met outside the ACI office, Broadway, New York, and had lunch in a small pizza place. She was so genuine that we connected immediately. Although I still had no interest in switching the company, I decided to come to a second meeting to be fair to Maria.  

The second meeting was not with my future boss. It was with my future college, John L. He took me to a nice Italian restaurant near the office, right on Times Square. We had a friendly and open discussion - this did not feel like an interview - and although I loved what he had to say, especially all about the company culture, I still was not ready to switch jobs. In fact, no one has even offered me a job yet.  

Phone calls and meetings with my future boss (John M.) followed. Since I did not accept the position, John M. spoke to my wife (he was looking for me) and told her he would keep calling until I said yes.  

And finally, after meeting with Ron E. And John M., I accepted the offer. They took me out to a restaurant next to my old office (Since I still worked there) to celebrate, and I had another fantastic lunch. I must say I tried crab for the first time.  

I want to remind you that I was not a big shot. Yes, I ran the network for a large direct marketing agency (DraftDirect Worldwide), and although I had a Director title, I was a Manager. 

And here is the deal. This is how ACI treated every single hire. No matter of title, position, or level within the company. Enormous credit goes to its owner, Fred Harris. Everybody in the consulting industry back then knew Fred or knew about Fred. 

And now, let me reveal this simple hiring process and why it worked for everyone - company, current employees, and future hires.  

• Team members were offered to meet possible hires, take them out for lunch, or have a phone call conversation. 
• Regardless of if this was during or outside of business hours, employees who agree to meet possible hire, as an appreciation for their time, we're given a $100 American Express gift card to go out and take their significant other to dinner. 
• In this process, even the family members started being appreciated because the idea was that if the employee spent one-hour lunchtime or especially evening with a possible hire, their significant other or children may have been deprived of that time. So family members appreciate a company that takes care of their family. 
• Meeting someone or having a phone call conversation wasn't an interview. In fact, the key was to figure out if the person would be a good fit for the company culture. 
• As we discussed earlier, knowledge and skills were the most important. But attitude is what got them the job.
• Company (ACI) encouraged bonding between employees by offering so many opportunities to do so. ACI did not just provide the perks; these were genuinely offered things and services to receive employees' trust. 
• Everyone worked very hard, and nothing was hard to do for this company and this management team. We came early. We stayed late. We worked weekends. And it was all fun. Always.   
• Managers (including myself) were given a budget to take their team out every Friday afternoon (as long as we did not have an active client work) to establish bonding that lasted till today, almost 27 years later.
• We were rewarded not just financially and with the perks but with the environment we loved. How do I know? The core team kept getting together year after year, although the company no longer exists. The friendship we made are still in place. We respect each other. We help each other. In fact, since then, I have never looked for a job. It was all my network members calling me about opportunities. 

And now, you might ask why did I leave? Unfortunately, like many successful small businesses back then, Fred wanted to take ACI public. But he hired the wrong people to help him achieve that goal.   Instead of taking ACI public, the company almost went bankrupt, and Fred had to sell it. A loss for the consulting industry and all of us working for ACI.

Do you know why companies pay an average of one year salary for every new hire? Because it is worth it. Because it is not easy to find the right people. And yet, most of the time, possibly because the hiring company doesn't provide enough information, the agencies that bring you new hires (not all, of course) do not interview folks to fit your company culture. They are looking for the right talent to fit your job description. 

Just think of your job description. Do you even know what it is? Job descriptions should be second. You can always find people that match job criteria. But to find people with the right attitude takes an intelligent process, a dedicated, well-organized hiring team, and belief in your organization and for everyone within.

Do you have the process that hires not just for the knowledge and skills but also for an attitude that fits your company culture? Do you have folks like Maria (or hire people like Maria) who will connect with your new possible hires before you even start interviewing for skills and knowledge? Do you give your potential hires an Attitude Quiz? 

What should I ask if I give a quiz, you may wonder? Well, to help you answer that question, I would need to have a lot more information about your company and the culture you would like to preserve. Feel free to reach out, and I will be more than happy to help.

Braco Pobric is an Internationally Recognized Positive Psychology Expert, Executive Coach, and Corporate Trainer. He is the bestselling author of Habits and Happiness: How to Become Happier and Improve Your Wellbeing by Changing Your Habits. Braco is a founding member and Chief Happiness Officer of the Life Success Academy, Certified Positive Psychology Master Coach and Trainer, and former globally Certified Trainer and Business Coach for Dale Carnegie Training. He trained over 60,000 Students in 172 countries.