Talent or Trainability: 5 Pivotal Points Often Overlooked in Hiring

As you prepare to hire new employees for your small business, it is common to believe that you should hire the person with the most education and experience. Beyond education and experience, hiring someone who can adapt to the position and dynamics of the company is essential. Small businesses rely on every employee and work together toward common goals. Thus, each employee must be trained properly to maximize efficiency and quality of service. “Trainability” is what is needed in all employees.

“With enough training, almost any one can be taught a particular skill.” – F. John Reh

If a person has trainability, even if the new hire comes into the position lacking some necessary skills, the individual can gain the skills while providing a needed service for your company. When looking for new hires, there are 5 Pivotal Points to consider ensuring trainability in new hires:

1. Be Knowledgeable of Needs. The first step in hiring
   new employees is to have knowledge about what is needed to fulfill the position. It is a given that you will need to know what education level and skills are necessary to fulfill the work requirements for a position. In addition, you will need to consider the level of trainability needed to meet the requirements of the job. If the position requires constant change, the new hire needs to have greater trainability than a position that is generally stagnant. You will also want to keep in mind the dynamics of a small organization and all of the areas that a new hire will need to be trained for desired outcomes.
2. Conduct Behavioral Job Interviews. Behavioral job interviews focus on behaviors that the prospective interviewee has exhibited previously. You will want to ask probing questions that make the interviewee prove their trainability. For instance, questions can be asked about the training they received in previous positions and how the new skills learned were used to improve their job performance. Key questions to ask to gauge the interviewee’s receptivity to training include:
   • Describe the training that you have had while working at previous jobs.
   • What is the hardest task you ever had to learn how to do?
   • Why was it difficult and how did you figure it out?
   • How has training improved your job performance in the past?
   • What experience do you have training others on the job?
   • What are some areas you would like to be trained in?

A properly written resume and background references can be sources of information in regard to trainability as well.

3. Hire for Adaptability. The need for adaptability is essential. In the interview, use the time to challenge the employee to prove how they have adapted to the changing demands of previous positions. You can also utilize scenarios that allow the interviewee to discuss how they might adjust to the changing demands of the job. Again, as you conduct a behavioral interview, questions probing how interviewees have adapted in the past will prove their skill in this area. This may be a good time to share some of the challenges faced by small businesses to assess how the interviewee would handle typical problems; what type of training might they seek to prepare them to handle these challenges; and how can they work with others in the company to either gain or share their skills with co-workers.
4. Willing To Learn. New hires that are trainable are open to
   learning. While a person’s education background indicates their openness to learning, it is not the only means to measure willingness to learn. New hires should indicate a willingness to work in challenging environments and develop new skills. While it is important for them to have the skills in place for the job currently, the interviewees need to indicate receptivity to training and ongoing professional development. For small businesses, a way to evaluate this is to train all new employees in everything. Given the need for employees to be able work well with everyone in the organization and understand the features of each position in the business, new hires can be trained in every position. Consequently,
   this will enable new hires to cover for other employees when there are absences or additional personnel are needed to provide a particular service. It will also build a true community among workers by enabling them to interact and communicate with each from day one.
5. Beware of Problematic History. As you look for hire new employees, beware of past behaviors that indicate an unwillingness to learn and inability to be trained. For example, if a interviewee has left a position due to changes in the demands of the job or because of a need for new training, then the person is not very trainable. Interviewees seeking positions that are stagnant and do not require skill development are not displaying trainability. Job hoppers who frequently change jobs seemingly lack a willingness to adapt and strengthen skills at their jobs. Any number of erratic behaviors or lack of willingness to acquire new skills indicates problems in regard to trainability.

When looking for the best employees for your small business, it is important to seek trainability when hiring new employees. Using the 5 pivotal points will help to ensure that new employees are not only prepared for the position now but will be prepared for the position as your company continues to evolve and grow.

About the Author: Kenneth McCall is an avid ski, boater and bicyclist. When he is not engaged in outdoor activities he directs the IT operations at storage.com, building systems and tools for homeowners and businesses needing storage.com in places like San Francisco, and many other cities, including self storage in San Francisco.

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