Advice from a CMP: How to Recruit and Maintain Strong Workers

I look to recruit people with what I believe are strong customer service skills. For entry to mid-level employees, whether a cell phone salesman, retail clerk or front desk clerk/manager, if they can engage and make me buy in then I am interested.It’s that old adage to hire for attitude but train for skill. I also like personal recommendations from friends and colleagues so when I am looking to hire someone, I always reach out to my network as well as the job boards of the industry associations where I have membership.You need to share the company vision with prospective employees, but most importantly you need to live that vision every day.Your culture is what will attract the best employees.While the customer is always right, the employee should always come first.

To keep our strongest employees motivated and successful: I do not want all the same types of folks and work to not have clones. You should welcome a complex and diverse workforce that allows co-workers to learn from each other and not be afraid to collaborate or constructively challenge. We need to be flexible, creating individualized opportunities for growth. Get the silly stuff out of their way. Communicate freely and regularly. Ask them what roadblocks and obstacles they face and work to eliminate or minimize them. Focus more on the result and less on the path taken to get there.

Don’t be their boss, be their leader and give them opportunities to lead. Encourage an entrepreneurial mindset. Provide some autonomy and give them a sense of purpose. I find that most folks want to feel that they make a difference. Let them know that they do.

To quote Marc Benioff, Founder of Salesforce: "People who lose their relevance get stuck in the past because they’re no longer in the present moment."