There’s no question, building a great team is essential to building a great business. A great business relies on its people to drive it forward- to where you, the business owner, want it to go. Of course, your leadership and the systems and structure you’ve put in place will frame and guide your team, but the team itself is the cornerstone of your success. That’s why, when it’s time to hire, you really can’t afford to choose the wrong candidate. Here, I’ll explain my 3x3 Method, to help you hire the best possible candidate. This approach has saved me countless mis-hires, and I hope it can do the same for you.

The 3x3 Method:

1. Conduct at least three interviews

The more time you spend interviewing, the more likely you are to see the true strengths and weaknesses in your potential candidates. No matter how rushed you are to fill a position, you need to take the time to investigate the character of each candidate to determine if they’re right for you.

2. Interview in at least three different environments

I recommend conducting your interviews in both formal and informal settings. You want the interviewees to drop their shields and reveal their true personality. If you are looking for someone with good phone skills, it's a good idea to conduct a phone interview as well.

3. Involve at least three different people in the interview process

Choose at least three people on your team whose judge of character has proven to be solid and bring them on board to assist you in conducting interviews. Different people bring the perspective you need to this process. I recommend conducting both private and group interviews. But remember, you should never set up interviews in an intimidating way as you don’t want to pressure candidates to misrepresent themselves. In most situations, group interviews are most telling when they are less formal, more of a “come and meet the team” atmosphere.

Three interviews, in three different locations, involving three different team members is a sure fire way to see more deeply into the qualities and character of your potential candidates.

As you proceed with this method, remember that the candidate’s goal is to be the person they think you are looking for. Your goal is to find out who they really are to make sure they are a great fit for the position in question. Keep in mind that the best indication of future performance is past performance so you’ll want to thoroughly investigate work history. Testing can also be helpful but more than anything, you need to read between the lines. How candidates behave is usually more revealing that what they say. How are they dressed? Were they on time? How much do they know about your company? Are they targeting your company specifically or are you just another interview to them?

Many interviewers make the mistake of talking too much. Make sure to plan your questions in advance and conduct the interviews so that the candidate is doing 90% of the talking. Ask questions and probe into their answers for examples and explanations. If they say they “work hard” you might ask them for an example of what “working hard” means to them. Everyone will say they are reliable and responsible, but you are looking for informative examples. I.e. ”Tell me a time when a project was completed on time because of your extra effort.” Design your questions so that you get a solid understanding of the skills you are looking for in the job description.

Hiring is important no matter how senior –or entry level- the position might be. The cost of a mis-hire is high so you want to give yourself the best chance you can of doing it right. Over the years, I’ve used my 3x3 Method with remarkable effectiveness. No, this is not the fastest way to hire a new team member. However, the time you spend here will be well worth your effort. After all, you’re not just building your team, you’re building the future of your business.