Find the right people

Every manager knows that it is important to attract the right people to join your business, and that people make the difference.

The challenge is:

* how to identify the right people?
* how to attract them (when they have other opportunities)?
* how to motivated them to stay with you and to perform well?

I adopt the following approach:

* be transparent: share the vision and strategies
* discuss how the new employee can contribute to the plan
* help the new employee to learn how his or her skills can be put to productive use

I recruit for attitude, and train for skill (the RATS formula). This allows the employee to perform best in my business (and not elsewhere). It will be a compelling reason for the employee to stay with me.

I am willing to change the specification of the job to fit the skill and preference of the employee, so long as the value of the contribution can justify the pay.

I find this approach to be more sustainable than recruiting talented people (who have other opportunities). I like to recruit some talented people, that they must be able to "fit" into my business.