{"id":20740,"date":"2024-02-12T10:50:37","date_gmt":"2024-02-12T10:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/?p=20740"},"modified":"2024-02-19T14:53:05","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T14:53:05","slug":"first-10-hiring-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adzuna.co.uk\/blog\/first-10-hiring-rule\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the ‘first ten’ hiring rule right for your business?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This blog was originally posted on our sister site\u00a0<\/i>Getwork<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Hiring doesn\u2019t seem to be getting any easier, in fact, hiring has been challenging since well before the pandemic and we\u2019re betting that that won\u2019t change. So what\u2019s the solution? Should we continue to hire to fulfil a role? Or should we be more agile and adaptable?<\/p>\n

The first ten rule is that everyone you hire should be someone you\u2019d hire as one of your first ten team members, regardless of your current headcount.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re people that will grow with your business, they have strong problem-solving skills and know-how and when to take the initiative.<\/p>\n

Why follow the first ten rule?<\/h2>\n

The first ten rule creates a culture that\u2019s always evolving. It\u2019s one where learning and growth are key, and your employees feel a sense of ownership when it comes to the business\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about creating an interesting organisation that appeals to employees long term, as they feel that their views and contributions are valued.<\/p>\n

When you hire according to the first ten rule, you hire people based on cultural fit, their ability to learn, and a variety of skills, rather than hiring to fill a specific role. In theory, this can (and does) open up a wider talent pool.<\/p>\n

When you hire more prescriptively for someone who can do a specific job, and fulfil this current and specific business need, you\u2019ll create a team of optimisers. They\u2019ll be employees who check in at the start of their day, do their job, and then clock off, rather than employees who will drive change and growth.<\/p>\n

What first ten employees look like<\/h2>\n

They have ownership<\/strong><\/em>. They want the company to succeed and are always thinking of ways to make this happen. It feels like \u201cour\u201d company rather than \u201cyour\u201d company.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re learners<\/strong><\/em>, who can get to a high level of competency in something pretty quickly. When you\u2019re a company that is growing, you need employees who can adapt and change their roles to suit the needs of the company.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re independent<\/em> <\/strong>and can learn things through trial and error, doing their own research and sourcing knowledge from their community of peers.<\/p>\n

They want to scale<\/strong><\/em> their role, and they\u2019re able to do this solo. First ten employees don\u2019t want to do the same thing forever, in fact, they\u2019ll grow their role by finding new ways of automating and outsourcing the menial tasks so they can grow into more senior positions.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re goal-orientated<\/strong><\/em>. Rather than working to a task list, these employees work better to a goal list.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re creative thinkers<\/em><\/strong> who are always finding inspiration in unexpected places and looking at new ways to grow their skills and their role.<\/p>\n

What first ten employees are not<\/h2>\n

Subject matter experts<\/strong><\/em>. At first glance, you might find their resume lacking the skills and experience in your job description, but first ten types can learn on the job.<\/p>\n

Happy to be micromanaged. <\/strong>First ten employees need the freedom to grow. They don\u2019t like managers who don\u2019t trust them to do what needs to be done.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re also not balanced<\/strong><\/em>. They get invested in your organisation and its success. This means that they might sometimes get too emotionally invested and need coaching to support them through roadblocks and challenges.<\/p>\n

How to appeal to first ten employees<\/h2>\n

You need to be an organisation that is willing to hire for who they are, rather than for a role. It\u2019s a hiring strategy that is more about cultural fit than skills presented on paper.<\/p>\n

To appeal to the right people, you need to instil a culture of first ten hiring in your Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Think about how your EVP demonstrates to employees past and present that you are:<\/p>\n