As you may be aware from a previous article, I had prior experience in coaching high school football. You might feel what does that have to do with assembling a staff? Well the essentials in putting a team together are very applicable in designing your office team.

The first thing you need to do is put together a plan for your office. What departments will you have? What will be their duties? How many people will you need to accomplish these tasks? What sort of budget do you have to put this together? Answers to these questions will help you construct the framework for your office model.

When filling voids in your office, provided you have a strong office to begin with, I would suggest looking from within to start. There are many reasons why these is a more attractive option; familiarity with the person, you know their strengths and weaknesses, this is a stable individual, as opposed to bringing in a potential wild card.

I am not trying to diminish the importance of a resume; it does give you important information about a candidate. However, we all know that everyone tends to embellish their credentials or prior experience to make them self a more desirable prospect. I strongly urge a more conversational approach with the candidate during the interview. I find if you can make the dialogue less inquisitorial you will discover more attributes about the interviewee.

I have found to discuss all aspects of their lives will prove beneficial. It will illustrate a more complete picture about the person you are interviewing. Credentials are important, but so is character. I look for a team player who is self-motivated and does not require a baby sitter to be on the job. I need people who will do what it takes to get the job done, not leave it until tomorrow because it is 5 o’clock. Give me a team who is motivated, creative and who take pride in their work and I will guarantee I will have a foundation to build a successful staff.

This is not a blueprint for success, it is just a reminder that we need to consider other factors outside the empirical ones to reach a conclusion about an individual. Qualifications are important; but do not discount character. You hire employees for the long term and to apply the proper vision will help you achieve your desired goals.

Feroz Khan