Adrian Wright hates to fire anyone. And, she hasn’t been required to do so often during her time as owner of Wright One Paint and Body Collision Center, in Augusta, Ga.
Then again, even one firing experience feels like too many.
That’s why, in recent years, Wright has put great effort into revamping her hiring process, so her body shop is always left with employees that fit in smoothly with the staff.
“I have changed how I interview altogether,” Wright says, for example.
That’s just one of three key steps the Georgia shop owner has taken to get creative during the hiring process. The steps include the following:
1. Perform Personality Tests. A while back, Wright received a personality test template from a paint vendor. Now, she gives that test during the hiring process, in an effort to pinpoint prospective hires that would fit in well with her existing staff. She says the test has been very helpful.
2. Read Leadership Books. Not only does Wright frequently scour the Internet for articles that provide leadership tips, but she also often reads leadership literature.
She reads the leadership literature “just to see if there’s a new way, or if there’s something I’m missing,” she says, with regard to leading a shop.
3. Alter Your Interview Style. Above all else, Wright has found that tweaking her interview style has left her with employees that fit her company culture nicely.
Nowadays, during the hiring process, Wright no longer spends much time focusing on hearing about a job prospect's professional accomplishments, or what they deem to be their strengths. After all, a prospect’s references will verify whether or not they’re a valuable worker.
What Wright focuses on, first and foremost, is asking job prospects questions that hint at their personality. That way, the shop owner can gauge if the job prospect will be a fit with existing staff members.
“I’m asking [job candidates] ‘Do you watch the news? What’s your favorite food? Have you traveled lately?'" Wright explains. “I’m just trying to get an idea of the person. Because they can paint cars and do body work all day long and that’s all well and good, but if the personality doesn’t mesh with your existing team, or if they don’t know how to communicate, or if they’re not used to working somewhere with procedures and processes—or, if they don’t know how to act when things don’t go their way—it makes it difficult."
