Many of us have found ourselves in situations where we have had staff in our teams who, despite how much we like them as people, probably don’t make our business look good. You know who they are; they are the ones that you wouldn’t take to a Trade Show to promote the business, and in fact, you probably would rather they didn’t tell the world that they were associated with the company. Why? Well, probably at the heart of it they don’t reflect the true brand and essence of your business.
If they are still in your business, it’s probably because you have resigned yourself to the fact that they may not be in a customer facing role, and given that they process data all day, maybe it doesn’t really matter. But does it? Yes! And here’s why: Every day your employees come into contact with people, and inevitably, their job, workplace and career come up in many conversations. At a BBQ with friends on the weekend they might be asked about their job; when meeting with their mortgage broker they could be asked about their career path; and refereeing their kids soccer match they might be asked about the products they sell.
Now, think about the answers these staff may give. Perhaps they will seem uninterested, unknowledgeable and even worse, negative. If they do not have a positive attitude towards work and are not engaged towards achieving organisational goals, they will be negative in response to these questions prompting a negative business image. In effect (in perhaps a passive way), these staff are ruining your business brand and ultimately your reputation. We all know in customer service terms that we tell people a bad experience much more willingly than a good one, so why would this scenario be any different? You never know; it could be your biggest potential customer they are talking to.
So what should you do? When you hire staff, ask yourself these questions:
1. Does this person make our business look good?
2. Would I be ‘proud’ to introduce them to anyone as part of our team?
3. Do they represent our core brand and message?
If you can confidently say yes to all of these questions and they have met all of your other hiring criteria, you are most likely on the right track to hiring people who are good for your business and reflect positively on your organisation.
