How to Hire the Best People [Expert Insights]
An interview by Lindsay Purchase. Lindsay's Expert Insights interviews appear every second Tuesday.
A self-professed “techie at heart,” Luc Levesque has clearly refined his skills as a master of startup expansion and success.
As he explains, Levesque “essentially built TravelPod from the ground up.”
Not familiar with TravelPod? You may have come into contact with it more than you think. While the basis of TravelPod is a site for travellers to share their experiences through a blogging platform, it is also well known for the “Traveller IQ” app, an addicting game that went viral on Facebook in the past year. What began as a “hobby” for Levesque a few years ago has since transformed into a highly successful website tied to travel giant Expedia.
| "You’re better to pass on a rock star than hire a dud." |
High speed, high performance: these are some of the keys to TravelPod’s impressive accomplishments and underlying startup culture.
“If I had to encapsulate it in one word it’d be hustle,” Levesque says of startup culture. “Going through road blocks, thinking outside the box... just doing what it takes to get things done and being as creative about it as possible, and not being hung up on process.”
In order for this level of performance to be achieved, Levesque believes the right team must first be in place. For him, it’s all about finding the “rock star.”
Of course, these people aren’t easy to find. It may take a lot of time and resources to seal the deal with an exceptional candidate. “Finding the right person versus the wrong person can have such a material impact that I think it’s worth the extra cost,” he notes.
There are a few key things that will distinguish these people from the rest of the pack. Levesque claims, “If you want someone to excel, you have to find somebody who absolutely loves it.”
For him, attributes such as educational background and charisma hold little weight. As part of his hiring philosophy, Levesque argues that “Past performance is the best indicator of future performance.”
There are two standards which must be met in order to be considered a good fit for the team. First on the list: “are they nice? Are we really going to want to work with this person?” Next, Levesque reiterates, “I need at least a few signs of excellence. I’m not looking for somebody who can do the basics, I’m looking for a rock star.”
There is one exception to his rule of hiring. Levesque has learned, “You’re better to pass on a rock star than hire a dud.”
The immense gains of hiring such high-potential people may seem to outweigh the negativity of bringing in a mediocre employee, but Levesque disagrees. “When you bring the wrong person in, it affects morale if you have to let them go; it affects the culture, brings other people down,” he says.
Once you’ve had the good fortune of hiring a rock star, the next step is keeping them there.
Levesque comments, “The easiest way to motivate high performing employees is to give them work that’s challenging and that they truly enjoy.”
Throughout the hiring process, and into workplace practices, Levesque’s experience with startup success reminds us, “It really pays to take the time.”
