Is your team scrambled eggs or an omelet?

When making an omelet, you definitely need eggs (it’s the key ingredient, right?).  You also need a stovetop, a pan, oil, and any preferred ingredients like pepper, salt, cheese, peppers, etc. 

It’s not a technically an omelet without all those other ingredients…

It can't be cooked without heat…

And a pan puts it all together…

You need all these things, or you just end up with scrambled eggs. 

While eggs are the main ingredient, the other ingredients are pretty indispensable in the process (if you truly have your heart set on an omelet). 

I’m going to use this same analogy when it comes to a company structure. Let’s think of different talents on your team like different “ingredients”.

Different talents are needed in a company to make the business “work”. Just like different ingredients are needed to make a proper omelet. Each ingredient has a “job” just like each person on your team has a “job”. 

For example, the marketing director on a team has a completely different set of job responsibilities and skill sets than say an implementation or project manager does.  

All these different team members (each with their unique set of abilities), are the ingredients, and therefore become crucial to the company’s sustainability and growth. 

Oftentimes, Entrepreneurs don’t hire the right talent for their teams (which can be just as dangerous as missing the right talent for their teams).

Not hiring the right talent can be the result of many actions (or inactions). 

Let’s concentrate on one of the biggest right now, which is the lack of clarity on exactly who and what is needed. 

Entrepreneurs are usually 100% clear on the problem they need to solve (example: convert more sales, higher ROI on marketing, implementation, etc.). But what’s not clear are the qualifications, skill set, and experience to look for in the candidates they need to attract. 

Are they qualified? 

Do they have the skillset? 

Do they have the experience (have they done it before?)

All of these questions must be addressed when qualifying candidates for any position in your company. 

Since most aren’t clear on the “who” or  “what”, they don’t know how to properly qualify that person for the particular role. 

By overlooking this vital step, they end up hiring a “generalist” not a “specialist”. 

When they aren’t clear on what exactly they need, they also gravitate to individuals that have similar characteristics to themselves. 

Let me give you an example… 

Entrepreneurs are drawn to people like themselves (people who possess a burning passion and people who love to generate ideas just like they do). 

Now, don't get me wrong, it’s incredibly invaluable for your team members' ideas and passion to align with yours. In fact, that means you’re all on the same page and you don’t need to do a lot of work aligning them into your mission and long term goals.

Here is the challenge though with hiring people with ONLY your similar strengths, and tell me if this sounds familiar… 

During company meetings, everyone of these team members bring ideas to the table. 

Amazing ideas! 

Brilliant suggestions that could transform your business into a billion dollar venture. 

You all keep the excitement going and continue ideating and brainstorming about all the great things you can and will do.  

But you know what happens next…

No execution. 

Those amazing ideas live there on paper (or on a recording) just waiting to be implemented… 9 times out of 10, those ideas will never see the light of day.  

That’s because when you have an entire team of idea generators and visionaries, and no one to implement and project manage all those ideas, that’s all they are… Ideas. 

Unfortunately, the vicious cycle continues, and the business doesn’t move an inch forward.  

You then start to question the ability of your team…You might wonder what’s wrong with them… Why can’t they get these great ideas implemented?! 

You may have hired passionate individuals, but you didn’t hire them correctly for the roles you REALLY need to fill in order to make things happen and get things done.  

That perfect “omelet” results from adding all the proper ingredients.  Every hire you make for your team needs to be a specialist in a particular area you NEED in your business in order to scale it and propel it forward. 

Part of our rigorous qualification process here at Nitrogen Hiring Network includes using a tool called Predictive Index. 

This superior tool is incredible for evaluating the cognitive abilities, and behavioral tendencies of each and every candidate, to determine if they could be the right fit for each specific role.

If one understands the “what” and the “who” of a specific role, the predictive index will help them measure applicants’ behavioral drives (dominance, formality, extraversion and patience) with incredible accuracy.

Again, it’s just one parameter we use in our qualification process for candidates, as it scores candidates against the range of behaviors and cognitive abilities needed for the role we create in the system.

For example, a media buyer you hire needs to be well versed in all aspects of executing high profile and complex paid social media campaigns on multiple networks. They need to understand analytics, and be able to make data driven decisions based on that data they are given. They also need to understand how to address the particular needs and desires of customer groups and cater to them by developing effective strategies.

Other parts of our qualification process include multiple interviews (skill set and culture fit), exercises to evaluate experience and skill set, and a slew of additional “Hoops” each candidate must jump through in order to avoid being disqualified. 

Yes, it’s a lot of work! But every single step is necessary if your goal is to build and grow a high-performing team that will get you to the next level in your business. It all begins with becoming crystal clear on the “who” and the “what”. 

It also means understanding and accepting you MUST hire people that have strengths in areas you don’t. 

That’s what makes an “omelet” team vs. a “scrambled” egg team. 

More next article…

To your success, 

David 

P.S. Recruitment and Hiring is the #1 Entrepreneurial Blind Spot which is why most avoid it like the plague… 

Let’s face it, the entire process can be utterly frustrating & time consuming, AND often results in attracting and hiring the WRONG talent for your team and/or business. 

But what if ALL the heavy-lifting was done for you, and you were only handed the highest qualified candidates that checked every box you were looking for? 

Head to this link to see if Nitrogen Hiring Network™ could be your talent recruitment solution. 

P.P.S. Not sure how to find and attract more of your ideal clients? If you have a proven high ticket offer, we know EXACTLY how to fill your pipeline with a constant stream of qualified and highly-motivated leads through our exclusive Leads on Demand™ program.

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Hiring Mistake #3: Missing Culture - Hiring the Wrong Talent

There is a lot of content online debunking company culture. Some express culture as a “mere myth”. 

“Not a cultural fit” became a blanket excuse for candidates that didn't meet hiring managers' preconceived idea of what the right person for the job should look like, sound like and even dress like.

That's just one of the many results a 'culture fit myth' web search will get you.

The true meaning of the right “culture fit” is not only in the interest of the business as a whole, it’s as equally important for your team and the candidate.   

Like plants, people need the right environment and conditions to thrive.

Culture encompasses not only the attitude, but the behavior and values of an entire company (and their mission). 

It should be no surprise that people quit their jobs because a company environment is not healthy for them. In fact, in today’s world we often hear about people leaving higher salaries and other benefits the company offers if the culture of the company feels toxic or not aligned with their values. 

Why? Because their happiness, mental health, and growth are so much more valuable to them.

If your business growth is paramount to you, it’s a good idea to check to see if your company culture has been established and positioned for your team to thrive. 

Quickly check if your company culture checks all the boxes high-performing talent is looking for: 

• Team members are acknowledged and recognized for their hard work, contributions, and excellence. 
• Team members feel heard and understand how their work is part of something bigger. 
• Team members thrive in their work projects and are able to collaborate with one another regularly. 
• Team members are given opportunities to grow and refine their skill sets and leadership skills. 
• Team members are given the opportunity to “move up” and are encouraged to take on more responsibility to drive the company forward.
• All team members know, live and breathe the company’s core values and always hold each other accountable.

You guessed it… Everything listed above lead to more innovation, greater trust in leadership, and an increased bottom line. 

According to Forbes, research shows that organizations with “highly engaged workers” are 21% more profitable.

With that being said, the importance of a culture fit on your team shouldn’t and cannot be overlooked. 

Culture fit is just as important as the skills and talents one brings to a team.  

All too often, we try and fit round pegs in square holes.

If your business is a fast-paced environment with ever-evolving changes, it might not be the right environment for people that do not like frequent shifting and pivoting. 

This doesn't mean they are incompetent, or unskilled, it simply means that hiring them might slow down the work pace and overall growth. 

If your business culture is one that includes a core value about “doing what we say we are going to do”, and you bring on someone who does not adhere to that core value, your team and your business will quickly suffer. 

Here’s another example (using a company we are all familiar with as an example)…

Southwest Airlines is widely known for their culture of recognition, appreciation, and celebration. 

With core values of a “Warrior Spirit,” “Servant’s Heart” and “Fun-LUVing Attitude,” Southwest asks employees to embody hard work, perseverance, proactive customer service and possess lighthearted fun in everything they do. Managers are encouraged to hire for attitude and train for specialized skills.

Southwest makes everybody feel important and loved through celebration. The company's history is full of fun and creative events, and employees enjoy annual company-wide celebrations such as parties, chili cook offs and Southwest rallies. Southwest employees are often featured in the airline’s commercials, ads and in “Southwest: The Magazine.”

This example shows the importance of a stellar work environment and culture. What does that equate to? 

Workers thrive, therefore the company thrives.

Southwest Airlines has a 2.5% turn over. Not only is that impressive for a growing company, it's remarkable for the airline industry. 

Southwest Airlines leads with culture, and it directly affects their bottom line. 

So how do you know if a candidate is culture fit?

The answer to this question will guide you in the right direction every time: 

Do they embody and align with every single one of your core values? 

Which also means, (as a reminder) your core values should be displayed publicly (on your website and/or on your social media pages so anyone can find them (in this case candidates who are interviewing with you).  

During an interview, it is best to first interview asking questions that are aligned and opposed to your core values to see how they would answer without them selling you on why they are a core value fit.

After that you can start to dig deeper and find out if they are a fit by their responses to your probing:

Is this an environment they feel they can succeed and bring value to? 

How have they demonstrated their embodiment each of your core values in business and in their personal life? 

Do they share the same business values?

What do they really care about? 

What drives them? 

Do their professional goals match with the goals of the company? 

You probably already know a lot about the passions and motivations of your current employees –are these similar to the candidate’s passion and motivation? 

After meeting with the candidate and asking these important questions, you will know right away if this candidate’s professional passion fits with your company’s mission and culture.

Ensuring candidates are a culture fit result in a higher probability you have the right-fit candidate for your unique business.

Right fit talent = High-performing team members.

High-performing team members are highly engaged team members.

 Always remember, not only does your business need to be a right fit for them, THEY must be a right fit for your business. 

Skills are not the sole need. Culture alignment is just as crucial.

To your success, 

David 

P.S. Recruitment and Hiring is the #1 Entrepreneurial Blind Spot which is why most avoid it like the plague… 

Let’s face it, the entire process can be utterly frustrating & time consuming, AND often results in attracting and hiring the WRONG talent for your team and/or business. 

But what if ALL the heavy-lifting was done for you, and you were only handed the highest qualified candidates that checked every box you were looking for? 

Head to this link to see if Nitrogen Hiring Network™ could be your talent recruitment solution. 

P.P.S. Not sure how to find and attract more of your ideal clients? If you have a proven high ticket offer, we know EXACTLY how to fill your pipeline with a constant stream of qualified and highly-motivated leads through our exclusive Leads on Demand™ program.

clickfunnels certified

Hiring talent by leading with culture

Everyone asks me what my secret is when it comes to keeping a stable staff; as they all seem to be operating in a constant revolving door of talent (and team members).  

Hiring isn’t easy. 

The time involved and overall process can be frustrating, painful, and overwhelming. Especially when you find yourself continually hiring for the same positions over and over again. 

Think about the time investment it takes to train new people.  Studies show that if you lose a trained “A” player on your team, the cost can be equivalent to 1 to 2.5X their annual salary…

What is the real opportunity cost for you and your business when you hire the wrong people or lose a key team member?

Here’s the good news... 

There are ways to avoid riding this carousel of constant turn-over. 

Here are a few of my secrets when it comes to hiring “A” players and building a high-performing team.

First things first. 

Where are the people you’re looking for? 

I’ve discovered the people you need most are not necessarily advertising themselves or looking for a new job. 

So instead of fishing in the same pond (blue ocean vs. the red ocean), and using the same fishing pole that everybody defaults to, try this simple and effective approach I’ve been using for years. 

I developed this strategy from the Dream 100 idea (just modified it to attract talent instead of clients). 

Using LinkedIn, I ask my team to start looking for people who fit the criteria I’m looking for. 

They search profiles for certain people who live in particular areas, work for certain companies, and have the target job title I’m looking for. 

My team then compiles a potential target list of people they like or that look interesting that fall within that criteria I’ve outlined. Again, this list is compiled of people who aren’t looking for a job. 

We then send out a quick message to connect and once they connect, we send each person on the list the following message: 

“Hi, my name is david asarnow. I'm the Founder and CEO of a marketing and sales empowerment agency called Business Nitrogen and I'm looking for a [insert job title]. Someone who possesses the [insert a few of the traits/skill sets/talents required for position]. 

I’m reaching out to see if you happen to know anyone who might be interested in a role like this. I ran across your profile and saw how many great connections you have within the industry. 

Please let me know if you happen to know anyone or can think of anyone that might be a right fit for this position I’m trying to fill. I would very much appreciate it, thank you!” 

Just guess what happens next… 

Many times people respond back with, “Tell me more about this position, as I actually might be interested.” 

See what I did there? We don't ask them directly. We ask them if they know anyone else that might be a right fit. 

If they aren’t interested, oftentimes people will reply back with potential candidates and referrals (which is also a winning step in the right direction). 

Some of the best talent comes from referrals. You never know where referrals can come from, so never be afraid to ask…

My next big secret is pretty simple, and it’s something anyone can do. 

I’m always looking for talent. No matter where I am, no matter who I meet I’m always thinking, “Would they be a right fit for Business Nitrogen?”

I’ll give you an example.  I was recently at an event, and met a contractor named Josh who happened to be there with one of his clients.  

I ended up having a few great conversations with Josh and on the last day I made a comment to him, “I like you, I can see how talented you are in this area. If you ever decide that you don't want to be a lone wolf anymore, and you’d like to be part of a team of superheroes let me know!”

He responded with, “I appreciate that, but I'm pretty happy with what I’m doing.” 

Ironically, a few months later I ran into Josh’s client at another event. One of those mornings we met for breakfast and he said, “You know Josh has brought you up more than a few times, and the comment you made to him. I think he may be interested in working for you.”  

I said, “Well, if that's truly the case, tell him to reach out to me, he has my contact info.” 

A few days later Josh reached out, and we ended up bringing him on board with us!

Again, it doesn’t matter where I am. My radar is always “ON”. I could be at a restaurant, an event, or a general store. If someone impresses me, or gives outstanding service, I ask myself, “Would they be a good fit within my company?” 

It probably helps a bit that I’m pretty spot on when it comes to identifying great talent, however, I always follow this golden rule 100% of the time. I’m sure you’ve even heard it before…

Hire slow, fire fast. 

Our hiring process is quite extensive. We put candidates through multiple interviews. They are given exercises to complete, and we also give them a culture index to take. 

For us the first interview is the most important. It's our culture fit interview. We do this one first because if a candidate is not aligned with our culture there is no need to go any further in the process. 

There are a lot of candidates out there that have all the right experience, and skill set or qualifications, but

 “Are they a great culture fit?”

When I add someone to my team, my hope is that this is the last job they ever have, and I convey that to them. 

Again, taking the time to hire someone to become part of your team pays dividends in the end, and most Entrepreneurs go about the process too impulsively and quickly simply because they want to get it over with.

 Another big secret I learned early on in my career that indirectly relates to good hiring practice is: 

Become the person everyone wants to work for!

The truth is, we all have things that happen in our life.  In order to grow as human beings, some of the hard questions we really must ask ourselves are,

       “Where’s the lesson in this?” 

                              and 

  “Am I going to learn from those lessons and improve as a human or not?” 

Many years ago when I first started this new division in a manufacturing company I was working for, I remember going to a conference with the marketing manager who was working with me to help build the vision. Her name was Pat. 

She was much older than me, and she was someone I really respected. She later became almost like a work mom to me (always looking out for me), and that all began when we were getting ready to step off the bus to get to the SeaWorld Renaissance Hotel entrance (where we were staying during the conference).

She leaned over to me and said, “Can I ask you something?” I said, “Sure.” She point blank asked me, “Why are you such an #&@ hole?”  

I said, “Excuse me?!” She then said, “You're just so pompous. You think you are better than everyone else.”  

I was stunned. Again, she was someone I really respected, so I asked her if we could sit down and talk more about it. 

It turned out to be an awakening for me. 

Not only did I realize how I wasn’t showing up the way I thought I was, I was made aware of exactly how other people perceived me showing up. It was hard to swallow, but I took it on as a challenge. 

I made a vow to myself to turn it around completely. To become the person everyone in the company wanted to work for. 

In less than a year, I became that person everyone in the company wanted to work for. 

All the most talented employees working there wanted to be on my team, which made our division even more successful and profitable. 

That one conversation with Pat ended up being a pivotal moment in my life… A real learning opportunity for me. 

Don’t push those opportunities away. Embrace them. You never know what lessons you can learn from them, that could change your life forever. 

Speaking too of opportunity lost… 

Don’t discount the “Intrapreneur”. 

Just because someone wasn’t good at being an Entrepreneur, or may not want the responsibility of going it alone, or prefers to work with a team, doesn't mean they wouldn’t make one of the best people you could ever have on your team. 

When I worked in corporate America (and looking back now), I was definitely an Intrapreneur. I treated that company as if it was my own. I operated and made decisions “as if'' it was my own company. 

This ultimately empowered me to make better business decisions. 

I always look for people with those qualities, as they become invaluable assets within my team and culture.  

In many cases, they are incredible drivers that propel the business forward exponentially. 

Hiring and retaining high-performing teams is a skill that has taken me decades to perfect. I hope these tips are as helpful to you as they have been for me in building a high-performing team of “A” players.

P.S. As you learned from this newsletter, recruitment and Hiring is the #1 Entrepreneurial Blind Spot which is why most avoid it like the plague… 

Let’s face it, the entire process can be utterly frustrating & time consuming, AND often results in attracting and hiring the WRONG talent for your team and/or business. 

But what if ALL the heavy-lifting was done for you, and you were only handed the highest qualified candidates that checked every box you were looking for? 

Direct message me with “Help me hire” to see if Nitrogen Hiring Network™ could be your talent recruitment solution. 

To your success, 

David