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Set Your Mind Right: Hiring With Intention

bySarah Waggoner

As a kid, I remember my dad saying one phrase over and over and over again. Whether it was before a big test, an athletic performance, or just before making a big decision, he would remind me, “Sarah, put yourself in the place of most potential.” As I have gotten older, I’ve come to realize the place my dad was referring to was right between my ears…I needed to get my mind right in order to put my best foot forward, whatever the action may be. In this blog, I want to challenge hiring managers, firm owners, and HR directors to really look at their mindset, putting themselves in the place of most potential before making a new hire.

It is always an exciting time in your firm when you are ready to bring on a new team member. At least it is for me, Vista’s Director of Talent Acquisition! Whether your firm needs a replacement for someone who has quit or is leaving, or you are looking for an entirely new position, it is imperative the hiring manager, or whoever it may be making the final call on the hire, is in the right frame of mind to do so. But you might be asking yourself…what does “right” mean? Are there things I need to be aware of when hiring besides making the hire? Yes! Yes, there are. Here are a few ideas to consider BEFORE putting an ad out for a new team member:

  • 1. The resume isn’t everything!

    Are you sabotaging your potential new team members by judging them solely based on their resumes? Are you “turned off” by a resume that doesn’t check every single one of your experience or educational boxes?

    Did you know more than 62% of Americans over age 25 don’t have a bachelor’s degree? I love the recent quote by Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro, “I’m sick and tired, frankly, of this attitude that if you don’t go to college, you don’t have the requisite skills to succeed.” He goes on to say he wants folks to know the state of Pennsylvania is going to judge job seekers based on their skills and their grit and determination. His first official act as Governor was eliminating the college degree requirement for 92% of jobs in their state’s government. Other states have joined Pennsylvania in decreasing the education requirements in certain governmental positions, opening some 65,000 jobs to candidates who do not possess a college degree. This trend has been seen in today’s labor market as well: one in five employers has decreased their educational requirements to attract candidates who have otherwise been shut out.

    Could you be limiting your candidate pool with outrageous requirements? Finding a resume that does check ALL your boxes is awesome (and rare), but attitude is everything. Sure, having the required skills and experience to do the job is important, but attitude is what will make or break the team. You need someone who can think outside the box, take initiative, and be self-driven—all qualities that come from within. A great way to sniff out this type of person is to focus your interview questions on problem-solving. Ask the candidate to tell you how they would solve a particular issue; this will give you an insight into the type of person you are hiring. And don’t forget to look for those “soft skills” such as communication, collaboration, and decision-making abilities. All these qualities are infectious and will rub off – different perspectives can bring fresh new ideas to the rest of the team in a positive way. I’m not suggesting you speak to every single applicant. I know your time is valuable. However, just limiting your applicant bank to only “rock star” resumes might prevent you from discovering an A+ player.

    We often hire team members based on the set of skills we are looking for to do the job well. Most hiring managers believe a person’s resume can “clue them in” to those skills. It has been my experience that the best-fit team members are found when you are hiring based on their mindset and attitude and not their specific abilities or previous experiences.

  • 2. Potential new team members are people, just like you.

    We all long to be valued and treated with respect. Your potential candidates do too. After all, they have applied to work for YOUR firm, and that says something about them. You can explore how well they have researched your organization and their enthusiasm to work for you over a phone interview if that is one part of your hiring process. However, not responding to them in a timely manner says volumes about your firm. It’s easy to forget hiring as part of your firm’s marketing strategy, especially if you’re laser focused on simply finding THE right team member as soon as possible. By doing this, we risk losing quality applicants due to offering a poor candidate experience.

    From the moment a potential candidate applies for a job at your firm, you should strive to create an inviting and positive experience. This doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming, but it should include thoughtful emails, timely responses, personalized orientations, and much more. An important part of creating an engaging experience is providing clear and concise communication about the job and your requirements. Take some time to review the job descriptions you are using, making sure they accurately reflect the role you are looking to fill. Additionally, ensure that your company’s values and goals are clearly communicated to potential candidates.

    Think about the last time you were looking for a job. Was it a positive experience? Reflecting on your experience will often help you to get your mind in the right place and perfect the candidate’s experience and their view of your firm.

  • 3. You might not be the best person to hire someone.

    As an owner, HR director, or manager, you might know what your firm needs. But are you the right person to decide who can do it? Hiring can be lonely if you are doing it in a vacuum. I want to encourage you to lean into your team when making a hire.

    There are countless ways this team approach to hiring can impact your current team as well as your potential new employee. Involving your team in the hiring process helps them to know you value their opinion and gives them ownership in the success of the new hire. Your current team members can take pride in helping select someone who will fit into the existing firm culture and bring an exciting new element to the workplace. Don’t leave them out of the process, or you might miss out on finding the perfect cultural fit for your team. After all, this new team member will be part of their team.

      • Can you get feedback from them about the personality fit that will work best in their department?
      • Can your current team members mentor this new hire and welcome them into your firm?
      • What can you do to make sure the transition into your firm is as smooth as possible?

    These are all questions you should consider when incorporating your team into the hiring process. You don’t have to hire alone, and you might not be the right person to make the final decision. Hiring is a team sport, so get everyone involved!

  • 4. You should be hiring for growth.

    It is easy for the hiring process to begin when your firm has an immediate need. When that need is at the forefront of our mind, we tend to focus only on getting an individual in the door who can fill that void, and do it immediately, with no instruction. I often hear, “We want someone who can hit the ground running!” When we narrow our mindset this way, we stop looking for well-rounded team members. We have put our potential candidates in a box. We should be looking to hire talent who will grow with your firm through various stages.

    When interviewing for growth, it is important to evaluate if your candidate has a growth mindset. Individuals with a growth mindset welcome any challenge. They believe their effort and attitude will bring forth a good outcome, and they embrace any chance to improve their skills. We often fail to evaluate for a growth mindset because we are head down looking for a candidate’s ability to do the job at hand. Don’t hire someone who can just do the job. Hire someone who wants to grow and develop with you…even if they don’t have the skills or experience you thought were “must-haves.”

The Right Mind

Ask yourself this: Are you putting yourself and your firm in the place of most potential when it comes to hiring? While every hire is a risk, making sure your mind is in the right place will not only impact your firm but help your hiring process as well! I want to challenge you to keep an open mind when it comes to resumes, remember candidates are people first, utilize your team when hiring, and be sure you are hiring for growth. It’s likely you are in the position you are in today because someone took a chance on you! Put yourself and your possible new team member in the place of most potential!

Learn More About The Author

Sarah Waggoner
https://vistact.com/who-we-are/sarah-waggoner/

Sarah Waggoner

Director of Talent Acquisition
Vista Consulting Team
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Recent Posts

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Ciera Parks

Ciera Parks is a Human Resources Executive with 15 years of experience working in higher education, manufacturing, nonprofits, cannabis, e-commerce, and technology. Ciera advises and partners with businesses on their HR needs to develop strategies that improve workplace culture through customized alignment and training. She has a proven track record of success in developing people strategies that drive performance, improve efficiency, and increase profitability. On top of this, Ciera is well-versed in building effective organizational structures and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) topics.

Ciera’s professional accomplishments in the human resources field include a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Development and a Certification from the Society for Human Resources Management. Ciera has also been elected as The Community Involvement Director and Professional Development Chair for two of Amazon’s employee resource groups (ERGs), been selected as the Director for Diversity & Inclusion by CHRA, and is the President of neXco’s National Cannabis Chapter. These honors are a result of her commitment to leadership and skill development for all workforce populations.

Merrill Hodge

Ever since Merril Hoge was eight-years-old, he dreamed of being a professional football player. Growing up in a small town in Idaho, the goal seemed unrealistic. But Merril didn’t just dream about this goal. From that young age, he used the words “Find A Way” to take action to overcome any obstacle and to attain any goal. In 1987, Merril made his childhood dream a reality when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played until 1993 and led the team in rushing and receiving in four of his first five years, setting a record in his third year for receptions by a running back. He is one of only two Steelers players to rush for more than 100 yards in back-to-back playoff games. He was the Steelers Iron Man of the Year two years in a row (1989 and 1990) and was named to the All-Madden team in 1989. Merril joined ESPN in 1995 as a football analyst and sideline reporter. He has since served as a host and analyst for a wide variety of ESPN programs.

In 2003, the habits and mindset that Merril formulated throughout his childhood and carried into adulthood, helped him Find A Way to overcome the ultimate challenge – cancer. Merril took on chemotherapy with the same tenacity that got him to the NFL and beat it. Through the difficult moments, Merril found inspiration, and on July 2, 2003, Merril was cancer-free. Merril loved playing in the NFL and loves working at ESPN but what he cherishes most is being a dad. He has used his Find a Way philosophy to become a better parent and to challenge his kids to take ownership for their lives.

Scott Miller

Capping a twenty-five-year career in which he served as chief marketing officer and executive vice president, Scott Miller currently serves as FranklinCovey’s special advisor on thought leadership, leading the strategy, development, and publication of the firm’s bestselling books and thought leadership. Miller hosts the FranklinCovey-sponsored On Leadership with Scott Miller, the world’s largest and fastest-growing weekly leadership podcast, reaching more than six million people. Miller also authors a leadership column for Inc.com, hosted the weekly iHeartRadio show Great Life, Great Career with Scott Miller, and hosts and moderates FranklinCovey’s Bookclub.com series with world-renowned authors.

Miller is the author of the multivolume Mess to Success series, including Management Mess to Leadership Success: 30 Challenges to Become the Leader You Would Follow, Marketing Mess to Brand Success: 30 Challenges to Transform Your Organization’s Brand (and Your Own). He is the coauthor of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Everyone Deserves a Great Manager: The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team and the author of the Amazon #1 Bestseller Master Mentors: 30 Transformative Insights from Our Greatest Business Minds, which features insights from his interviews with the leading thinkers of our time, including Seth Godin, Susan Cain, General Stanley McChrystal, and many others.

Connie Podesta

Connie Podesta is a game-changing, revenue-building, sales-generating ball of fire whose rare blend of laugh-out-loud comedy, killer take-away strategies, and interactive, no-power-point delivery style have made her one of the most unique and memorable speakers on the stage today. 25 years. Two million people. 1,000 organizations. Hall of Fame speaker. Award-winning author. Seven books. Former Radio/TV personality. Therapist. Expert on the psychology of sales, leadership, change, accountability, and engagement. Amazing ROI. Plus (what we all could probably use in today’s crazy world )… a Comedienne.

Kendall Abbott

Kendall joined the Vista Team in 2022 as an Operations Consultant. With a keen eye for operations optimization, she specializes in areas such as intake, client touch points, and departmental organization/structure.

Kendall has worked in the personal injury realm for the last seven years, serving as the Firm Administrator and later the Director of Office Operations for a prestigious plaintiff firm in North Carolina. There her leadership mission was to implement solid systems and processes that created an optimal client experience, encouraged firm growth, and expanded the firm’s reach.  Prior to becoming the Firm Administrator, Kendall created, developed, and managed the firm’s intake department.  Her deep expertise in all aspects of a successful personal injury law firm will help her guide Vista clients toward new levels of growth.

Bill Biggs

Bill joined the Vista Team in 2022 as a Culture Architect | Leadership Strategist. Bill is also serving as the CEO of Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers and is considered one of the nation’s most innovative thinkers in law firm leadership. His unique perspective on culture and ability to inspire and multiply leaders has created a movement reshaping firms across the country. He is the founder of the Law Firm Leadership Summit, host of the Transforming The Culture of Law Podcast, limited engagement consultant to select firms, and is relentlessly committed to spreading his message of Love Your People & Demand High Performance as a platform for organizational success. He is also the President of Biggs & Associates serving high value sports professionals and franchises as a brand and messaging strategist. His distinguished client list includes Heisman Trophy winners, NFL HOFers, NBA champions, Olympians, and many of the top teams in college and professional sports. Bill is a Phi Kappa Phi graduate of Texas A&M University and completed his executive training through the CORe program at Harvard Business School.

He lives in College Station, Texas, with his beautiful wife, two sons, and a herd of dogs.

Tim Mckey

Tim co-founded Vista Consulting in 2009, along with his partner Chad Dudley. Vista’s aim was to help plaintiff law firms reach their full potential. In December 2017, Tim acquired Chad’s interest in Vista. Tim and Chad remain very close friends to this day! Tim has decades of CPA experience with local, regional, and national CPA firms. However, it is through Tim’s prior consulting practice that he found his passion. He has worked with many business owners, assisting them with defining and attaining success in their business and personal lives. Developing a management philosophy with business owners along with the associated systems and processes that assist in delivering outstanding management to Vista’s client teams is Tim’s forté.

Dr. Heather Carroll

Dr. Heather Carroll holds a Doctor of Business Administration in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She specializes in areas such as job satisfaction, motivation, burnout, and organizational commitment, particularly as these workplace factors apply to the legal industry.

During her nearly 20 years of legal experience, she has held many roles from Case Manager, to Litigation Paralegal, to HR Manager, to Firm Operations Administrator. The majority of Dr. Carroll’s legal experience has been in the area of personal injury. However, she began her legal career at a labor union by assisting in the negotiations of a new collective bargaining agreement between a major US airline and their pilot group. It was through that experience that her interest in team and operational matters, within a legal setting, took root. Many years, and a doctorate, later helping legal teams thrive through increased operational efficiency is her passion.

Dr. Carroll resides outside the Seattle/ Tacoma area of Washington currently. She is a military spouse and a mom of three.

Ryan LaRoque

Ryan joined the Vista team in 2014 as a Programmer. He has more than fifteen years of experience working in various finance and accounting roles with a strong background in IT and management information systems. Ryan codes in Visual Basic and is an expert with all Microsoft products. He works closely with Vista’s Operations Consultants to build out custom dashboards for our clients. These dashboards become integral in our clients’ success. Ryan is skilled at assessing and understanding our clients’ requirements and translating those into clear and concise reporting tools that allow our clients to improve firm operations.

Mary Ellen Murrah

Mary Ellen Murrah joined the Vista Team in 2019. Prior to joining Vista, Mary Ellen spent more than 16 years managing and marketing a national, legal case management software company. That position introduced her to thousands of personal injury law firms across the country. She was a familiar face at annual legal events and a frequent voice on topics ranging from legal marketing to data integrity. Over the years, she’s forged meaningful relationships with legal vendors, which has provided keen insight on almost every corner of the legal industry. She is skilled in identifying law firm business improvement opportunities and brings her extensive operations, team management, and industry knowledge to the Vista team. Mary Ellen has a true passion for tackling projects with common sense management. Her eye for detail, human resources experience, and deep operations skills are an asset to help law firms grow their businesses and help attorneys foster and maintain efficient, profitable practices.

Pam Travis

Pam joined the Vista Team in 2020 as an Operations Consultant. She began her career more than twenty years ago at a personal injury law firm where she served as Law Firm Administrator for close to a decade. In that role, she became intimately familiar with the nuances of personal injury firms and developed a keen eye for improvement and success. She then took her passion for data management and effective processes to a national, legal case management software company. There, she worked with hundreds of law firms across the country to help them implement a new system that allowed them to collect and analyze their data and institute seamless workflows. She then transitioned to the role of Training Director for a large personal injury firm where she served as project manager for a massive data conversion and software platform shift. Ultimately, she yearned to get back to her roots, traveling the country, meeting thousands of attorneys and team members, and helping them transform their business.

Stephanie Demont Mastroni

Stephanie joined the Vista Team in 2009 as an Operations Consultant. She brings her knowledge and experience in management and operational excellence to our team. Prior to joining Vista, Stephanie spent twelve years working for insurance claims departments and five years as a Chief Operations Officer of a multi-office, northeast, personal injury firm. She is admitted to practice law in Connecticut, New York, and Tennessee. Stephanie utilizes her experience to assist Vista clients in implementing tried and true solutions in law firm operations. She is an innovative thinker who can apply solutions to clients’ specific circumstances. Stephanie has a knack for assisting COO’s and Office Managers in challenging situations. She has polished coaching techniques and is skilled at helping her clients work through the decision-making process. She is extremely thorough, exhibits strong communication skills, and partners with key client personnel in delivering systems and accountability that drives results.

Terri Houchin

Terri joined the Vista Team in 2018 as an Operations Consultant. After joining a large, multistate law firm in 2004 as a front desk receptionist, Terri quickly realized that her passion for serving others was best utilized in the personal injury firm setting. She developed a love for the legal field. Terri’s passion and desire to understand all aspects of a personal injury case resulted in several promotions to Senior Legal Assistant. In 2015, Terri was selected to join a brand new personal injury firm as Senior Legal Assistant and Office Manager. In this new role, Terri was able to utilize her dedication to the profession and years of experience to help this firm quickly become one of the premier small firms in her hometown. Terri looks forward to helping personal injury firms meet their growth goals.

Amanda Hankins

Amanda Hankins joined Vista Consulting Team in 2017, bringing more than two decades of intimate experience working in personal injury law firms. Amanda’s career at a large, multistate law firm took her from Receptionist to Legal Assistant to Intake Supervisor to Medical Treatment Coordinator. This experience in working in every department of a personal injury firm serves her clients exceptionally well. She’s been there, she knows the struggles, and she knows how to drive progress. She also has experience working with one of the largest medical funding companies as a Business Development Manager. She has a true passion for customer service and loves working with law firms to teach them all avenues of keeping client satisfaction as a top priority.