When hiring, look for a person with the right attitude, some basic skills and maybe a little experience, and you have a sound foundation to build on.

Occasionally you hear something that jolts you, not because of what was said or who said it, but because of what it implies. Such was the case for me a couple of weeks ago while chatting with a colleague on the phone.

In the midst of chatting about family, business and mutual friends, he paused and said something to the effect of, “While I’ve got you on the line, where and how are you finding good people to hire these days?” I was halfway through some explanation when it hit me; we were talking about hiring, not firing! We were talking about growth, not gloom and doom!

Then I realized that while we were talking about growth, it wasn’t quite the same as in the old days. My colleague was very specific as to what he was looking for in employees and made it clear he was not going to rush into hiring just anyone. We were talking about business normalcy and how to build the future of our industry company by company, one employee at a time.

While the jury is still out as to whether the industry is doing well and if growth is really taking place, the fact is that many companies are doing well and we all need to make sure that when opportunity knocks we have the best talent pool available to profitably respond to our customers’ requirements. I am by no means an expert in what to do or how to find the best candidates, but I sure know a lot about what not to do. What I have learned over the years is that hiring boils down to five basic things, which, in reverse order of importance, include:

Location. If the person is not relatively local forget hiring them. Joining any company presents a need to adjust to a new corporate culture, process and way of doing things. This can be difficult enough for anyone to adjust to. Add to it the family drama of moving, learning your way around a new town and new schools, and the emotional stress factor magnifies 100 times. Plus, the cost associated with moving is significant. No matter how much the company pays, it is never enough to compensate for a move. No matter how much emotional support is offered, it is never enough. Just keep it simple and hire local talent.

Age. Yup, that unmentionable! Everyone wants an employee in his/her early 30s with 20 years of experience. Guess what – you are not going to find that person. Sometimes older people are more comfortable in their own skin and really want to work. I know one company that hires retirees part time to train their promising young pups, and it works brilliantly. Other companies offer flex scheduling for older employees. Equally challenging is finding even a promising young candidate in the first place. When I have tried to hire younger people I have been continually disappointed with the level of maturity, commitment and discipline needed to learn and master a skill or lead a team of people.

Experience. Let’s face it, we all want someone who is a plug-and-play type of person, someone who had an identical job at a competitor and can step right in to fill the spot with little or no training. I’m sorry to say those people are few and far between, and, in my experience, never seem to work out as well as hoped. We are in an industry that, whether on the design or fabrication side, uses similar (if not exactly the same) equipment but with radically different outcomes. Every company has a unique process map, skill set, technological focus and ability that makes knowing equipment less important than knowing process protocol.

Skills. If someone has basic skills, whether it includes simply speaking the same language or having highly sophisticated technical skills, they have the tools to contribute. Make sure you understand what skills you really need a prospective employee to have. When looking at whom to hire spend considerable time honing in on what basic skills the person has vs. what they have done and for whom. And, you have to understand that many industries require the same skill set as ours. Questions need to penetrate how they did their job and what specific skill enabled them to be successful. Skill is not education; some of the most competent people have minimal education but have honed their skills through paying attention and having pride in their work, which leads to the most important trait ...

Attitude. Okay, forget the rest. This is the gold standard of virtues that, if possessed, will make a new hire an outstanding employee. Disregard cultural or religious background, education, IQ or looks, and find me someone with a positive, can-do attitude, and I will show you a winner. And attitude is as contagious as it is highly sought. Place the person with a positive attitude working with others and the whole group will begin to radiate. But be aware that finding someone who has the right attitude is difficult and everyone – your competitors and companies you never heard of – all want that type of employee. In short, people with positive attitudes are in demand and if they are not challenged and valued they may leave. That being said, it’s always better to have a person with the right attitude – someone who plants the seeds for success – on board for a relatively short period of time rather than not at all. It’s the results that matter.

It’s as simple as that. Find someone with the right attitude, basic skills and maybe a little experience, and you have a keeper. Ah, but there is one other key ingredient. As much as you want them to want to work for you, you have to show them that you appreciate their attitude, skill and experience, and that you truly want them to work for you.

Finally, have patience. We need good people now more than ever in our industry. This time let’s find, train and retain the best people so we can all prosper and attain greater success! PCD&M

Peter Bigelow is president and CEO of IMI (www.imipcb.com). He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..