Hiring the Right Person (What I Learned the Hard Way)

Hiring the right person can grow your business.

Hiring the wrong one can quietly drain it.

And I’ve done both.

We’ve just hired someone new in the workshop, and it’s forced me to reflect on how I’ve hired in the past.

For a long time, I thought hiring was mainly about skill. If someone could do the job technically, diagnose properly, work efficiently, get the work out the door, then that was enough.

I’ve learned the hard way that skill alone is not enough. It’s only a small part of the overall picture.

In SMEs (small to medium businesses) one person changes everything. One hundred percent of the time. For good or for bad.

The team goes through phases with each new hire. The new person changes the mood. They change the pace. They change the standard of what’s acceptable.

The first lesson I learned is this:

You can train skill. You can’t train attitude. Almost never.

If someone shows up wanting to be there, wanting to improve, you can build on that foundation. You can teach processes. Refine techniques. Correct mistakes.

What you can’t do is make someone want it if they don’t want to be there.

If they’re not hungry, you can’t make them hungry.

I’ve had people in the past who were technically capable but weren’t team players. They needed reminding. Needed constant oversight.

And that drains leadership energy fast.

Through this journey of ownership, I’ve had times where I wanted to throw in the towel. I had nothing left to give.

The right hire doesn’t just complete tasks. They look for the next one. They ask questions. They own problems instead of hiding them.

When someone has the right attitude, you don’t have to manage them. You guide them.

The second lesson is that culture is fragile.

In a large company, one negative person gets diluted. In a small team, they get amplified.

If someone complains, others start noticing what’s wrong. If someone cuts corners, that becomes the new benchmark. If someone lowers the temperature in the room, everyone feels it!

I underestimated how powerful that is.

One wrong hire can quietly lower the standard without you even realising it’s happening.

And once standards slip, they’re hard to rebuild.

The third lesson is this:

You don’t hire for where you are today. You hire for where you’re going.

The real question isn’t “Can they do the job right now?”

It’s “Can they grow with the direction of the business?”

And that means you have to have a direction.

Are they coachable?

Are they open to feedback?

Do they want to improve?

Are they aligned with the standards you’re trying to build?

And do you even know your standards?

Because if your business is evolving, your systems tightening, your expectations rising then you need people who can rise with that.

Otherwise, you’re dragging someone uphill who doesn’t want to climb.

And that’s not just hard. It’s dangerous.

You’ll both burn out.

Remember why you’re doing this.

If you’re hiring right now, here’s what I’d suggest:

Look beyond the CV.

Watch behaviour, not answers.

Pay attention to what they do when they’re not being watched.

Use a proper trial period.

And most importantly, pay attention to energy. Not hype, energy.

Do they bring lift into the room? Or do they take it out?

Skill gets someone in the door.

Character determines whether they raise the standard or lower it.

Hiring isn’t about filling a gap.

It’s about protecting and raising the standard of your business.

And that’s something I took longer to learn than I should have.

If you run a small business and this resonated, feel free to reach out. I’m documenting the journey of building a better business.