If you're anything like me, you've spend much of the past few weeks (probably more time than you care to admit!) planning for your fantasy football draft. There are people out there who say that fantasy football is a waste of time. Not true. I got to thinking about it and realized that, actually, it's excellent preparation for managers or CEOs who are responsible for hiring new members of staff. That's my story and I'm sticking to it...
1. Do your research
If you're taking on a new member of staff you owe it to yourself, whether you'll be directly involved in their management or not, to learn a bit about what they'll be doing on a daily business. You wouldn't go into a fantasy football draft not knowing the difference between a running back and a wide receiver, so how can you expect to successfully
interview a potential front end developer if you have no idea what the job involves? A cheat sheet listing interviewees' skills and experience, plus any questions you want to ask them, is always a big help.
2. Always take the best guy (or girl!) on the board
With a little research under your belt, you'll be better placed to see who you should be picking when you're on the clock. In fantasy football there's always a temptation to be a homer, i.e. pick only players from your favourite team. Bad decision - I don't care if you're the world's biggest Packers fan, you take Adrian Peterson if he's still on the board at the end of the second round! Likewise, you might be tempted to cast your vote for a
potential hire who went to your alma mater or was in your frat. Personality absolutely has its place in the hiring process, but you can't let external factors like these cloud your judgement.
3. Go with your gut
No clear choice? In fantasy football and hiring alike, don't be afraid to go with your gut. What seems like an inconsequential sleeper pick or low-level hire might just end up adding a ton of value to your team. Enthusiasm and potential can be just as valuable as the numbers people have previously put up on the board - if someone is as valuable as they seem, make sure you consider why they're still on the market.
4. Measure based on results, not feelings
Hiring, much like building a fantasy football team, is always a bit of a gamble. As I said above, there's no shame in going with your gut. However, you can't
keep going with your gut for the entire season. Whether you're looking at the yardage of a fantasy running back or how well a new hire is adapting to their workload, you need to keep a close eye on
performance in the first few weeks and months.
5. Admit when you were wrong
What happens when it gets to week six and your wide receiver hasn't caught a single pass? You shop for a trade or, if that looks unlikely, you cut them and start the hunt for a replacement. Likewise, if an employee isn't making the grade, you can't be too stubborn to admit that you need to sit them down for 'the talk'. If a business
relationship isn't working out, the best thing to do is often cutting the cord.
Point after Touchdown
Although there may be some similarities, fantasy football and the act of hiring/firing employees are very different beasts; you'll never have to look a player in the eye when you cut them from your fantasy team, but the same can't be said of
letting go an employee. Remember, this is someone's livelihood we're talking about - some business owners seem to pride themselves on being ruthless and cold but, in my book at least, being caring and polite as well as direct can go a long way.
