Daniel 1: 3-5 “Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility – young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.”
Daniel and his friends were the cream of the crop in this first deportation.
Principle: A successful key-employee hire begins with careful screening interviews and thorough orientation.
Hiring starts with carefully planned interviews, well-defined expectations and a thoughtful introduction to the company and its culture. The final interview and orientation should be done by the top person in the business. Take the time to share the vision of the company. Share your Christian viewpoint of work and life.
The applicant deserves to know what is important, and what they have to do to be successful in the company. The actual offer of employment should come after sharing the specific duties, functions, and performance expectations. Let them repeat them back to you. The length of the beginning trial basis needs to be clear – 30, 60 and 90 days with expectations and scheduled reviews. Review the employee manual to have everyday details clearly understood.
The person chosen to train the new hire will be extremely significant in the new hire’s development. This person should represent the best of what you are and what you expect as a company. You might ask the new hire to memorize your company vision, values, or purpose statement. Then be ready to discuss how they see it applying to their position.
King Nebuchadnezzar knew what it took to run the successful governmental enterprises in Babylon. He enlisted the best help and settled on the “perfect” candidates. You can do that.
Discussion:
1. What are your practices of bringing on new team members?
2. What additional steps do you need to take to improve the probability of a key new hire being a successful one?
