Finding a Shoe That Fits

There's an old saying in business, "you're only as good as your people." That is why I take the hiring and interviewing process so seriously whenever I'm in a position to add new employees. So, I've been spending a lot of time doing just that, analyzing roles and responsibilities, revising job descriptions, screening, interviewing, questioning, listening, observing, testing, tasting, etc. It's a time consuming process and one that is very hard to delegate or take shortcuts on. (Come to think of it, there's little you can take short cuts on in this business!) It usually occurs at the end of the day and well into the evenings, since there's too much else going on to cram a proper interview into the normal work day.

We have several open/new positions. Michael Longerbeam just joined us, heading up our wine club programs. He's a savvy marketer with years of experience in direct marketing and wine club management. I'm also looking for a new marketing administrator, and we have an important winemaking position in the cellar that is open as well, not to mention an opening on our Board of Directors.

Some days I feel like all I do is literally sift through resumes, meet with applicants, check out references, etc. It doesn't make for the most rewarding work, but one that is so vital to building an organization of passionate, knowledgeable, and likeminded people.

I often wonder how larger companies do this. I know human resources is involved, but there's nothing like looking someone in the eye when determining if they're a good fit. My secret weapon is always shoes. You can tell a lot about someone by the shoes they wear. For some, sensible and basic is the name of the game. Others demonstrate a sense of savoir faire simply by the choice of footwear they select for their tootsies.

I've gotten pretty good at "reading" a shoe. Scuffed but current in style, means someone cares about the output of their work but is simply too busy to deal with the task of shoe shining. Ultra casual, borderline athletic in nature, means they might have trouble staying focused on the job and they'd rather be out on a jog or bike ride anyway. High heeled and daring means they're either out to impress (always a good sign during a job interview), they were born with a high tolerance of pain, or they're just plain silly and irrational, 'cause no one should suffer more than they have to during a job interview with Wilma.

By Kim on July 14, 2011 4:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

2 Comments

Frank Mc said:
July 15, 2011 12:44 PM

At the risk of sounding sexist....with women it ALWAYS comes down to shoes!

You've got a good one with Longerbeam, the new TR remodel looks great, BTW.

Hope all is well at DCV!

Kim (aka Wilma) said:
July 20, 2011 10:52 PM

Oh, that's such a guy thing to say! Good to hear from you Frank. Hope all is well in the other valley.
P.S. Say hi the next time you stop in.

Finding a Shoe That Fits

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