At some point in your career you’ve probably worked for a boss that wasn’t your favorite person in the world. Whoever it was, they probably had an ego, talked down to employees and thought they were the smartest person in the room. Praise for a job well done was hard to come by but criticism was around every corner. Going to work every day was anything but enjoyable. Everyone complained about this person and staff morale suffered.

Since then, maybe you’ve moved up and now you’re in a position where you not only manage people, but are in charge of hiring and firing as well. You’ve probably become skillful at hiring quality folks and your employees probably look up to you as a manager. But maybe you’re still a little reluctant to hire people that are smarter or more adept at a certain part of the job than you. Whatever the reason might be, most hiring managers shy away from hiring these types of individuals and they shouldn’t be. Below we discuss why hiring people that are smarter than you can be beneficial for your team and the entire company.

Check Your Ego at the Door

If you’re going to find the best people for the job, you have no choice but to check your ego at the door. While it’s understandable that you might be intimidated by candidates whose qualifications or experience exceed your own, you should only be concerned about finding the candidates that allow your company to grow. In all reality, the likelihood of someone you hire taking your job is pretty insignificant. Much to the contrary, you’ll likely be lauded for making such a great hire.

You Get to Learn

Most hiring managers do a great job finding the candidates with the most experience and best qualifications, but few take the extra step and ask what they might be able to learn from a potential hire. When you find someone that has the capacity to contribute fresh ideas and new ways of thinking, they are certainly worth considering. Not only can these candidates be a great asset for your organization, they can be a tremendous resource for you to learn and grow as well.

Diversity Is Essential

While logic might dictate that hiring a team of people that perfectly execute their respective job descriptions is ideal, such thinking is limiting. Sure, all of your employees need to be able to fulfill their minimum responsibilities, but finding people that can go above and beyond is key. As an example, some individuals might crush it on the technical side, but they might lack the skills necessary to clearly write a procedure to keep systems running at their best. When you hire people with diversified skillsets, you allow them to stay in their lane and maximize their capabilities. Instead of having a group of individuals who perform a number of functions adequately, your goal should be to create of team of rock stars that all contribute to your company’s success in their own way.

Reorganization Isn’t Always a Bad Thing

The term reorganization is often dreaded in the workplace. We are all familiar with reorganizations that happen when companies are sold or merged and there’s no doubting that cleaning house is something that happens on a regular basis. Reorganization within a company isn’t always a bad thing though. When you come across a candidate that possesses the skills to make a real impact, it can often be beneficial and cost-efficient to create a position just for them. Doing so might mean that other members of your team have to take on new roles or be reassigned to other departments entirely. As long as it’s properly communicated to everyone involved that they aren’t being demoted and are still a valuable part of the team, most employees understand that sometimes change is necessary and can be a good thing.

There’s no questioning the fact that depth of talent in the workforce today is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Industries across the board are more competitive than they’ve ever been and if your company isn’t constantly seeking ways to improve, they are falling behind. For these reasons, attracting and hiring the best talent available is paramount. Even though it can be difficult to hire people that are smarter than you, doing so can not only increase your bottom line, but give you a chance to learn and grow as well.

If you need help hiring a top employee in the life sciences industry, contact me, Jeff King. I help business owner and employees in the Bay Area.

YOU DON’T NEED US if the position(s) you have to fill are not considered critical, AND you can take whatever time is necessary for the right person to see your job posting, AND you have the time to review all submitted resumes to find the ones you want to interview. If this is the case traditional methods of recruiting may work for you.

BUT, YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER US if filling the position(s) quickly and with the right person is critical, and you need someone with the experience and understanding to do the first level screening to weed out all but the top 3-5 candidates for you, AND you are not getting much response to your current recruiting efforts. Top caliber candidates are NOT scouring job postings. They’re too busy getting their work done. They also take less time to get up to speed.

WHAT MAKES US ANY DIFFERENT OR BETTER THAN OTHER RECRUITERS?

• I worked for 4 years as an Engineer designing new medical devices, and 5 years as a Marketing Product Manager developing and launching new products to the market.
• I’ve spent the past 20+ years filling critical positions in the Bay area with experienced, top performing Regulatory, Clinical, and Quality professionals.
• I’m also a career counselor to several local Regulatory, Clinical, and Quality professionals and understand what they’re looking for in their careers, and know how to approach them to have them consider your opportunity.
• I am a certified Facilitator for Everyday Engagement methodology for building High Performance Teams.
• I take the time to get to know the “personality” of my client companies so I can better match the personalities of the candidates for a better and longer lasting fit.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM US

• I will take the time to understand what problems you are trying to solve and what type of person would perform best in that role and send you the top 3-5 pre-screened candidates to consider.
• Weekly updates on the status of your search so you KNOW it’s being worked on.
• I have a 74% accuracy rate on submitting candidates you want to interview.
• I have a 93% success rate on getting your offers accepted and having the candidate ready to go on day one.
• Periodic follow ups with the candidate and the hiring manager during the first year to ensure a good fit.
• A 5 year replacement policy to ensure you’re happy with the outcome.

TESTIMONIALS

“…I know that Jeff is not in the business to make ‘a quick buck’. He is a reliable, trustworthy resource who has my best interest in mind. In my fifteen years of experience, the proof is always in the end result. Candidates represented by Jeff have gone on to become key contributors and successful team members. When staffing needs arise, Jeff King is the first person I contact.” – J. Cook QA/RA Director

“…Jeff is thorough in understanding the requirements of each open position. He is considerate of my time, as well as conscientious in his follow up. He is a pleasure to work with.” – M. Ashburn HR Manager