You Can't Afford Me
You Can't Afford Me
Mastering the Art of Team Integration and Leadership Adaptation
Get ready to unlock the secrets of building and leading a dynamic team, as we explore the trenches of hiring and managing employees. With a heartfelt nod to the unwavering support of my wife, I peel back the curtain on Enso Media Firm's unique approach to recruitment—a firm belief in the potential of 'dogs,' those gritty go-getters whose attitude often trumps their skills. We don't just stop at the hiring process; we stitch new members into the very fabric of our company culture, ensuring they're not just a good fit for the job, but also gel well with the team. And here's the kicker: we delve into the potent synergy of aligning individual aspirations with the company's vision, a strategy that not only benefits the organization but bolsters personal growth as well.
The leadership landscape is constantly shifting, and in this heart-to-heart, I lay bare the lessons learned and strategies that have been the bedrock of our thriving workplace culture. As a business expands from a small crew to a larger fleet, the captain's tools must evolve. I discuss the journey of adapting my own leadership style, from the intimate setting of a start-up to steering the larger ship of an established firm. It's not all smooth sailing, but with a focus on relentless self-education and a commitment to nurturing the core values of our enterprise, we aim to inspire you to elevate your own leadership game. Tune in for an unguarded exchange of strategies, experiences, and encouragement for those ready to chart a course toward a more engaged and effective team.
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Sam Anderson:Alright, guys, we're going to get right into this one. I think my wife knew I needed some extra energy this morning. My lovely wife, after I came back from the gym, showered, walked downstairs. She had lunch for me today. She had my protein shake ready for my after workout. So thank you, baby, because I needed the energy for what we're about to do today.
Sam Anderson:Alright, one of the most difficult things that I've experienced as an entrepreneur is hiring and managing employees. Say that again One of the most difficult things out of everything a president or CEO has to do for a company. One of the most difficult things I've found is hiring and managing employees. So I feel if I've had these struggles, it's an obstacle I've had to overcome. It's something that a lot of you entrepreneurs are experiencing as well, so we're going to dive into this. So let's talk about the hiring process. I'll explain to you the process that we have.
Sam Anderson:But like what I look for in a candidate when I'm hiring. So number one, let me say this above any and everything else, I'm looking for that dog. I need someone with some dog in them, where I've always said to my team I would rather take someone who's a hard worker than the most skilled or talented person. Because for us let me take some of our videographers Videographers that we brought on here at Enzo Media Firm I've had we've hired guys with little to no experience, but they had that hustle in them. I could see they were hungry, they were only do whatever it took to learn this skill set and be able to move forward in their career and that you can harness, you can cultivate that.
Sam Anderson:It's very hard for me to take someone who's talented, that feels like they're above a lot of things that a company would need them to do, and trying to get that juice, that vibe, out of them. It's a hard thing to do. I've tried it both ways. But first and foremost I look for that dog because if someone is willing, if someone is willing and has an open mind, there's nothing here in this business that I need them to learn, that I can't teach them because they have the right attitude. And that kind of leads me into the next thing is just dealing with culture.
Sam Anderson:You have to select people that are going to fit well with a team that you've already established. So sometimes you have to put their skill set to the side a little bit and look at how are they going to gel, how are they going to mesh with the team that we have here? Do they have the type of personality that's going to be combative to some of my star employees here now? Are they good communicators? Are they going to be driving the team crazy? Because they're anxious and they always feel like the roof's on fire and you have to get good at asking the right questions during your interview process to really be able to figure out what type of person this is.
Sam Anderson:Now I'll admit now I typically am not involved in interviews for the first stage or two, our VP here at the company. He manages the interviews and once he's vetted that person, once they've gone through the process, then they come back in for a second interview and I'll sit in on that meeting. Because for me, if my VP has checked him off and said, hey, I think this person would be a good fit, cool, if you've already vetted them through, you've done your 10 interviews and these are the last two candidates that you really feel comfortable moving forward with, okay, I want to meet them. Let me ask them a few questions and one of the big things I ask is where do you want to be in five years? Because one of the most important things for me as a president and a CEO is I want to lead people, not down my path, but the path that's best for their life. I don't want to leave them down my path. I want to lead them down the path that's best for their life Now, bringing them into my organization. Some of those goals should align with each other.
Sam Anderson:Let me give you an example when I bring someone on and I ask them because I literally and I've said this in every single interview I've conducted I don't care if you want to be here for six months or six years, what is it that you want to accomplish? Because there are times where hiring, where it makes sense to bring on somebody and know that, hey, I'm just trying to buy a house and I need this W2 money and in six months I can move on and go back to freelance or whatever it is right, if they're the right fit for the company, for where our needs are at that moment, sure, I'll hire somebody. And I'm saying that's probably a very difficult thing for a lot of people to be open and honest with about, initially, an interview, because most of them probably think, well, hey, if I don't say I'm here for the long run, they're not gonna hire me. Quite the opposite, in fact, for our business model, oftentimes it does make sense to bring in someone who just wants to be here for six months to 12 months. Now, wholeheartedly. Birds-eye view yeah, I want everybody to stay here as long as possible.
Sam Anderson:But if someone can come in and fit a need that we currently have the salaries align, the values align with what we're trying to accomplish I'll absolutely hire them. But I want to get an understanding of what it is they want to do, because if I hired them as a videographer but they're really interested in sales, there's a different path that I can. You may have the skill set of a videographer, but you're really interested in being able to generate revenue and bring sales to the company? Cool, we can work through something on that. Hey, I was brought on as an account manager, but I really do have a creative gene. I'm actually good at graphic design and web development. If I don't ask these things going into it, I'm gonna put someone in position that they're not gonna succeed in. Are you an aspiring entrepreneur? Our one-on-one coaching tailor strategies to your unique business goals.
Sam Anderson:Dive in to interactive workshops fostering skills essential for success. Looking for an inspirational speaker for your next event? Book Mr Pernumer to elevate your gathering. Visit wwwdmistepernumercom to learn more and embark on your path to entrepreneurial success. Mr Pernumer, empowering your entrepreneurial spirit, because I didn't take the time, as a leader, to fully understand what it is that gets them going. Because if I just give someone a job and it's something that they have absolutely no interest in, they're not gonna be a valuable member of the team. They're not gonna be excited to come to work. I wanna create an environment in which people cannot wait to get out of bed and come into these office doors. So you, as the leader, need to have a clear vision of each of your people where they wanna go.
Sam Anderson:I did an exercise with my team a couple weeks ago where, as a group, everybody yelled out their target salary and then from that and I didn't change anybody, I didn't say, hey, that's a little high or hey, that's a little low, you're aiming too low. You should go for a higher salary. What is your, what is the salary that you anticipate that you want to make, where you can look at your life and say, okay, I'm doing pretty good. And after they all gave those numbers, we went through actionable steps that we could do as an organization to get everybody on that path. And I'd say, for the majority of people that were in that meeting, they're all going to hit their goal this year and that brings me absolute joy as an owner being able to be a small part of the story that someone's moving forward with the fact that I have a business that can provide them with their ideal income to accomplish whatever goals they have. That's a great feeling and that's really where my passion derives in terms of starting businesses to be able to offer opportunities, even our interns that we bring on. I bring every intern on with the intention that this is going to lead to a paid position for them, and I let them know day one hey, you're not just here for an internship. If you do the things you need to do, if you soak up as much knowledge as you possibly can, I can use you here and I'll pay you for it. So those are the things you need to be thinking about now.
Sam Anderson:In terms of like, the maintenance and the environment that you create, the playing field is a lot different today than it used to be years ago, and I start to feel like an old guy where I'm like. I'm still in my 30s, but I feel like an old guy in terms of like. Back in my day, we just went to work and blah, blah, blah, blah. I've recognized that not everybody that's going to come through these doors is going to have the hustle and the ambition that I do. Nor should they. That's my job. That's my job. I don't even have everybody coming in here all hyped up, but you have to do certain things now, so we'll keep beer in the fridge. We got arcade machines here. All right, I have my sneaker collection throughout the office. I've tried to make it a cool vibe.
Sam Anderson:We do team happy hours once a month. We do quarterly events where, if we hit our goals like, I think, the next one we have coming up we're taking the team to an amusement park for the day. I mean, who wouldn't want to work in an environment like that? Everybody here has the potential to earn 15% commission on any new employee that they can bring in the door, and I don't even need them to meet with these individuals. I just need contact information and what services you think this organization needs and I'll do the digging. If you can at least give me a name and a contact number, I will pay you 15%, and it's also making sure that you share your vision.
Sam Anderson:So in that process that we talked about, where I had everyone say their ideal salary, I listed mine too, but through this organization I plan to make half a million dollars a year. I needed everyone to know where my hit was at and where this organization's at, because if they see that I'm thinking that big, I believe what happened in a lot of their heads was huh, maybe I aimed a little too low on my ideal income. I want to exceed their expectations. So when you take that servitude approach and realize that you're here to serve your team and not the other way around, things get really fun. Things get really fun Now. At the top of this.
Sam Anderson:I said this is probably one of the most difficult pieces of running a business, but at the same time, it's also one of the most rewarding. And I'll even say this I've probably always dreamt of growing organizations to the point where I have hundreds of employees. The stuff that I deal with on a regular basis now honestly has me thinking do I want an organization that large? I still haven't fully made that decision up in my mind. Maybe 50 is my capacity and that's something you also have to recognize is where your education and your skill sets lie. Can you lead a team of 300 people? Most people probably can't. Does it feel better for you to lead a team of five or 10? You need to figure out that sweet spot for your organization.
Sam Anderson:So, managing and maintaining employee culture this is a huge piece of running a business. So I would recommend to you guys to make sure that you guys are able to change. How I led organizations was what I read was what I listened to. So make sure you are consistently educating yourself as a leader because as you scale up, your skill set is going to need to change. The same skills it took to lead three people in your organization is not the same skill set it's going to take to lead 13 people in your organization. So stay right up, keep good information pumping into your head and move in the needle every single day. So, guys, I hope you guys enjoyed this episode and we'll see you on the next one.