Hiring for Attitude

About this Episode

Athin’s Process with service-based businesses:

Ramping up service-based businesses is relatively quick, but you must ensure you provide an excellent service. Athin helps business entrepreneurs manage whether they need to adapt their model to be more sustainable (e.g., recurrent revenue vs. one-off jobs or changing their marketing and sales strategies).

Differentiating your business and your personal brand from competitors

“People buy from People” and how you position yourself and your brand affects prospective clients’ decision to do business with you. Someone will buy based on trust and connection if there are a few options with similar offerings. It’s very compelling to understand and utilize these methods when running your business.

Touchpoints:

We get distracted very easily. Gone are the days when you could cold-mail people or just ask them to buy from you. It takes more for people to trust a business and several touchpoints before they’ll buy from you.

The importance of Mindset

It’s what’s between your ears that will determine your success. People sometimes have beliefs that are holding them back. Understanding yet questioning those beliefs can unlock your ability to succeed.

A great explanation of this is by Robert Kiyosaki in his book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” In it, Kiyosaki speaks of how many of our parents taught us that money is the root of all evil; however, the flip side argues that not having money creates a lack of freedom. Putting a proverbial mirror on yourself to uncover limiting beliefs and updating your actions takes effort and happens over time. It’s easier for someone from the outside (a mentor or coach) to help uncover and help change business direction. This shift in beliefs changed Athin’s life exponentially.

A new type of hiring challenge

In the US, people are slowing growth. It’s just hard to hire right now. What are the biggest challenges in Australia?

• Australia is a country of mostly immigrants, and many people come from overseas, especially for tech.
• Skills shortage, tech or otherwise, makes it hard to find good people.
• Great Resignation: employees are rethinking what is essential for them. Remote work vs. office vs. hybrid is an example. Clear work options will make it easier for employers to retain and attract new employees.
• Culture: Being clear on business purpose, mission, and values.

Hiring For Attitude

To fill openings, you might have to rethink what makes someone qualified. You can’t wait 60 days to make a hire. Employers must quickly decide if someone is a good fit for the role and the team culture.

What do people need to change the most about hiring?

• Do you have to have that person as an employee? Some roles might be well suited for people who are contractors if it’s challenging to find people? Being flexible in this regard can go a long way.
• What are you actually offering to people? There are a lot of opportunities out there. How do I make it more enticing for them? Work arrangements and benefits, why would I join my business versus another company.

The biggest takeaway for recruiting:

Hiring should be based on values, attitudes, and behaviors.

• It’s unlikely that you’ll get someone with all the skills you’re looking for, especially with the skills shortage we have right now.
• You can train someone on the skills they are missing, but the values, mindset, attitudes, and behaviors are usually deeply imprinted into somebody. While it’s possible, using coaching and other methods to change attitudes and mindsets can take a long time.
• Know the things that should be required and, know the things that can be taught, be realistic about it.

What are the most important questions to ask?

• With language awareness, prospective employees are likely to touch on their values and attitudes, allowing employers to learn about their motivations.
• Learning what people have gone through in their lives. Learning about their grit, discipline, and the challenges they’ve overcome. What did they do growing up? Playing an instrument, a sport, or doing martial arts shows that someone has discipline and commitment.

About Athin

Favorite book: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (Fundamentals of business mindset, being curious and delving deeper to set yourself up for success).

Favorite movies: Jim Carrey’s Ace Ventura and Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop series. (Having a good laugh and being different, being yourself; it’s a key lesson).

Final thoughts: Big lesson in business and in life: be yourself; it doesn’t work if you try to be someone else. Whatever you’re doing (business or otherwise, always have a mindset for growth. If we’re not growing we’re dying. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations, and learn new things. Think whether getting a coach and mentor to learn to do things better would be beneficial. Time is the only resource we really have and learning from someone can cut down on the time needed to succeed.