As a school owner, we know you make having an impact in your community a priority.
You curate every aspect of your customer experience to attract new members and get them in your door.
You want your students to buy into your vision and stick around.
But do you give the same care and attention to your employee experience? If not, we’ve got you covered. If you want to create a black belt employee experience, you must start by with recruitment.
Let’s break down our top tips to level up your Black Belt Employee Recruitment to build a team of A-Players.
What is Recruitment Really?
Recruitment is the process by which you find and attract new talent to your organization.
If you want to create a black belt employee recruitment process, take an honest look at your strategy.
Is your focus “finding” talent or “attracting” talent?
Let’s be honest, today’s market is competitive.
You should be attracting the right employees in the same way you attract the right students.
When you shift your mindset and “attract” the right people, consider the following:
1. Black Belt Benefits Package
What do your employees and prospective employees find valuable?
And think big with these.
Benefits are not limited to health insurance and 401K.
Sought-after and mainstream benefits of recent years include:
- Flexible schedules/remote working days
- Discounted memberships
- Continued education credits
- Commission
- Unlimited PTO
2. Black Belt Company Culture
Let’s first begin by defining what a company culture looks like.
Company culture is the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of the people within the company or – how you do what you do. There are a few different methods you can put in place if your culture needs a face-lift.
What we put our attention on dictates the direction of our thoughts and actions. It’s good to get a sense of where you want to be and to create the systems and processes necessary to get there. Core Values should act as a guidepost by which all decisions are made.
Think of it like Google Maps for goals, it will keep you headed in the direction of your destination. Create core values and leverage them in your black belt recruitment strategy.
When attracting the right people to your company, ask:
- “How do you support your personal development outside of the work place?”
- “What’s the thing that you feel sets you apart from other candidates? What’s your superpower?”
- “What are the elements of an environment you can thrive in?”
Keep in mind, your core values will likely evolve with time, and as the size of your team grows.
If you want your team to buy in, get them involved in the evolution of your core. Collaborate with your team! This makes them feel heard and helps promote employee satisfaction. Once you’ve established some Black Belt core values with your team – get your reps in!
You MUST Read them.
Say them.
OWN them.
As martial artists you know that it takes drilling something over and over until it’s a reflex.
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks. once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick. 10,000 times.” -Bruce Lee.
If you want to learn more, we recommend reading the book Traction by Gino Wickman. It’s a great resource to help build your team around your vision.
3. Be proactive!
Don’t wait until you’re desperate to start the employee recruitment process. That is not the black belt way!
This can cloud your judgment. Since we often times under utilize logic when we are in a rush to make tough decisions. This can also lead to poor hiring habits… like hiring people that aren’t a good fit for the company. If they do not align with the core values we spoke about, they likely won’t work out long-term.
A black belt employee recruitment strategy has the following mantra – ABH: Always Be Hiring. Even if you aren’t hiring, always act like you are. You never know who you might meet in your normal day-to-day interactions.
Say you meet someone with exceptional service skills at your local shop. Even if they aren’t looking for a job, they may be able to provide you with a referral for someone who is! It may take up to 4 or even 6 months to find someone who is both qualified and a right fit for your team.
Plan accordingly. Decide on a monthly budget for expenses ahead of time when you are actively hiring.
Putting some Ad spend behind job posts can help it get in front of more people. The more people that see it, the higher your chances of finding a rockstar.
Here are a few platforms where you can post jobs:
- Linkedin (free and paid options)
- Indeed (free and paid options)
- – ZipRecruiter (3 paid tiers)
4. Brand Awareness drives perception
Brand awareness is not just for clients. It’s for your Black Belt Employee recruitment strategy too.
Not only do you need to ensure people know you exist, but you also need to show prospective talent how you can help them get what they want (financial freedom, work-life balance, professional advancement, etc.).
A Black Belt Employee recruitment strategy combines organic and targeted efforts. People will interact with your brand online. If they are wanting to make a career change, your online presence will act as a first impression – so make sure it’s a good one.
It can be as simple as posting team member shoutouts. Some of our favorite posts are pictures from team-building events or even vlogs of your team on the job.
Factor your business’ brand AND your personal brand into your recruitment strategy. Learn the Keys to Establishing Your Personal Brand.
Here are some platforms to grow your brand awareness:
- TikTok
- Youtube
5. Events are your friend!
Go to mixers, job fairs, and industry events with your team. Your team is your biggest advocate. So get them in front of people looking for a career change.
Now more than ever, people are prioritizing worker satisfaction even above earning potential. People value workplaces that allow for positive interactions with the whole team.
Don’t underestimate the power of putting in face time with the members of your team. Building rapport and leveraging employee advocates can level up any employee recruitment strategy.
6. Your Network is your Net-Worth
How can you leverage your network to find new talent?
It’s easy, just ask!
Combined with your brand awareness, you will have top-tier talent looking for a spot on your team.
7. Having a thorough Job Description
Try to paint a realistic picture of the day-to-day responsibilities.
- What measures for success for this position?
- What does the work schedule look like?
- What does the environment/culture look like?
- What are any skills or certifications required for the role?
People value transparency, so be upfront. In your job listing include: Expectations, Salary ranges , Timelines for training and Advancement Opportunities.
8. No more boring Job Applications
Let your application be a representation of your company culture.
One of our core values at Grow Pro is that we cultivate people’s strengths in a modern and fun environment. We wanted to highlight that in our application. That’s why ours now showcases things like creative interests, stats, and personal virtues.
9. Black Belt Interview
Start with building rapport. You’re going to be spending a lot of time with the members of your team. So, it doesn’t hurt to take the extra time to do some due diligence and ensure you actually like the person.
This is when Cris asks “Can we picture having lunch with this person?”
There are plenty of times we have interviewed people that are strong contenders on paper. Yet, when they come in and meet with the team, they show all the ways they are not a good fit for our workplace culture.
During the interview, the focus should be to answer this question: Is this the right person for this role? Want to learn more about fine-tuning your hiring process? Check out the book Who (Geoff Smart & Randy Street).
If the interview went well, you might want to consider “next steps”. At Grow Pro, we send follow-up assessments.
Ours includes tests on customer service skills, typing speed, and behavioral styles.
These will vary based on the role you are hiring for.
So, try to avoid generalized assessments.
Test specific skills that employees need to be successful in the role. There is a multitude of resources available for employers here:
- Indeed
- TestGorilla
- GoodHire
10. Black Belt Job Offer
You’ve deliberated with your team and decided to move forward with your chosen applicant.
Now it’s time to craft a job offer letter.
This should include all the essential information prospects need to decide to join your team.
- Start date
- Salary
- Important dates
- Pay cycle information
- Resources
- Training Schedule
- Policies: lunch, PTO, dress code
Conclusion
But how can you take your customer experience to the next level and stand out in a crowded market?
- Understanding what you can do to improve your customer experience at every stage of the customer journey
- Using customer feedback to drive continuous improvement
- Streamlining processes to enhance the customer experience
- and much more!
