Recently, LaRosa’s, opened a new location called Eastgate. I’m fortunate to be the Executive Director of HR for this iconic Cincinnati company, and we had a pivotal role in this store opening. HR interviewed every new potential Team Member because we were looking to add 70+ folks to this much larger pizzeria !!
You may think that this isn’t such a unique story. I mean, EVERY HR person does recruiting !! That’s not always true. I haven’t had to interview for over five years. It’s great to be in a role that is highly strategic, but it felt fantastic to be back in the field to meet potential new employees. We interviewed the candidates on-site and in booths in our restaurant. Again, not unique, but it was for us because typically the hiring is done by the Manager in his/her pizzeria.
So, why was this experience cool ?? Interviewing is just a “natural” skill in HR. There’s nothing special about it. Ahh, that’s where you’re wrong !!
You see, the great new people we were talking to were going to be filling an incredible role !! They are the front line connection to our guests who eat at our locations. Getting the best people is key for outstanding guest experience !! Every hire counts. Every one.
Also, I forgot an incredible experience that I should have never taken for granted. The cool thing about a store opening is that we interviewed people, and then offered them a job right on the spot if they were going to join our team. To see a person get a job is a gift. Not giving them a job, but seeing their reaction. Often, we are a person’s first job ever. We also had people who were looking for new opportunities or a chance to work for our great company. In every case, the joy of their reaction was spectacular !!
This new beginning should never be overlooked or seen as something mundane. When you hire someone, you change their lives !! Often in HR, we become numb to the great things we get to do that alter people’s lives and careers. Don’t overlook it. It matters. If you don’t think so, ask a jobseeker.
Take a new approach to what you do HR. Look at it as how it impacts and affect’s humans. Trust me, you will never be jaded again !! It will always give you that new sensation !!
Wow. This article is so true. I think people in HR do get jaded over the impact that they can have on someone’s life – good or bad.
The article was wonderful a reminder about what people go through looking for a job and hope that they are picked accordingly.
I loved to hear “New Sensation” again and how appropriate…following your article. A great way to get you motivated at the beginning of the day! THANKS!
Steve,
Thank you very much! That was fantastic! Everyday as HR professionals, we have peoples lives and livelihood in our hands. This starts at the first contact to the day of separation for whatever reason. They trust us to make the right decisions for the right reasons, stay compliant, and be ethical. When HR professionals lose sight of those things or enjoy “getting rid” of someone it is DEFINITELY time to make a career change. We are sort of “career doctors” if you will. Thanks again! EXCELLENT!
Hi Steve,
It really brought back memories when I read this. Great post. I agree with you 100% we can forget what all Recruitment entails and also the gratification you see on the individuals face if you hire them. Thanks!
Rhonda
Thank you for an inspiring article, Steve! As a jobseeker, it is good to be reminded that HR people really do change lives and they care. I am feeling more motivated today because of you!
Hi Steve, Thank you for sharing this great perspective. This article was a wonderful pep talk for me since I’m currently recruiting for 3 different positions and have over 1000 applicants. We really do change people’s lives when they join our team. It would be so cool to see their reaction in person. HR Rocks!!
Hey, Steve!
This was great. You are quite right that we do have the ability to alter the course of a person’s career when we hire them. It’s easy to become numb, as you said, when you interview over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and……(you get my point). Thanks for the reminder of the important role we play in the lives of those who apply.
Hi Steve,
Really like this article, and I hope you don’t mind me sharing it on LinkedIn.
Nice post! The best reward is seeing how the people you hired have evolved in or out of the organization. It is some type of self-assessment. And yes, it is strange how much you remember the circumstances, how you presented the case to the hiring manager, and realizing after time has passed how right or “wrong” you have been. Luckily, I never had any real bad hire. Being in a strategic position makes you forget the reward of field work? In fact, having a strategic mindset gives you the advantage of making level-minded hiring decisions. It is not always obvious but it is the fact. Conversely, it is always good to go back on the field from time to time and not loose that “human” touch or HR. It makes you a more effective HR professional. Yes, it is a system but a system made out of people’s lives.
I like the part about how a recruiter can change somebody’s life. As a recruiter you should always remember that, and don’t take rush decisions. Hiring a person (or not) will affect you much more that it will ever affect you. So, please, don’t dismiss or hire a person based on first impressions. Take a bit of time to reflect on what happened during the interview and make sure you take the best hiring decision.