Hiring with Poorly Defined Metrics of Success with Kurt Davis of Stealth Smiles Startup

Let’s talk about performance metrics for a minute.  

Do you have performance metrics drawn out for every person before they are hired? Are they clear on the expectations for the first 90 days of employment? 

If not, you are setting people up for failure because expectations are never in alignment. We're going to leave it to you to “figure it out”.  Then we scratch our heads when the person fails, wondering what we missed in the interview. 

What was missed was the work on defining the role and writing down the company’s expectations of what needed to be accomplished by the individual in the first 90-120 days of employment. 

I have discovered that companies who just “wing it” have a much higher offer turn-down rate and employee failure rate than companies that invest the time to clearly define what success looks like. 

Look this is not “too hard” because you don't know what will happen in the next few months of the business. If it is too hard, maybe you are in the wrong business.

Guest Bio:

Kurt Davis is a technology entrepreneur and author. 

The first 20 years of his career were spent between Silicon Valley and Asia, working with technology startups in finance and business development roles. 

Kurt is now focused on Biteline (a startup marketplace for dental professionals) & Recently published a book called Navigate to the Lighthouse: A Silicon Valley Guide to Executing Global Deals.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

• Performance metrics
• How to clearly define metrics 

Challenge?

• The company is not successful because of people not knowing
• Gate of allocation of resources
  • Deep analysis 
  • Gut & instinct drive the decisions
  • Distrust the gut …. Until it is the last variable
• The team cannot hide now that we are under the microscope
• Setting expectations:
  • The work is going to be hard
  • Leadership needs to communicate

Why is this important to the company?

• Need to get it right the first time
• Want people to trust the strategy and thought process 
• Need people to come on board the thinking & the strategy
  • Getting people behind the way of thinking

Rick’s Nuggets:

• Not sure how to clearly define the metrics 
  • Out of the scope of their expertise
  • Dont have the time
  • Not sure
  • We’ll let them tell us
• Hiring failures start with your preparation (or lack thereof)

How do we solve the problem? 

• Look at the problem (analysis)
  • Clearly define what you want each person to achieve
  • Clear about what you are investing against
  • Very clear on what you need each person to get done
  • Do they fit the culture, values
  • Measure twice, cut once
• Can the person get it done
  • Resume checks off
  • Fit value wise
  • Deep details 
    • Look at the work, ask for deliverables
    • Working exercise

Rick’s Nuggets:

• First Week, First 30, 60 & 90 days
• Have deliverables at each milestone
  • Present to the team your findings on X
  • Prepare a plan for Y
  • Deliver first version of Z
• Put them in your Job description
  • Here’s what you will