Company Values. Define. Live. Demand.

How many times have you had an employee do something you can't even begin to figure out why they did it? The cause could be that they don't share your values. 

It doesn't matter how much coaching, training or discipline you bring to the table, if their values are mis-aligned with yours, you could have many of those "scratch your head" types of moments. 

Here's a simple suggestion that could save you this stress and create more success for you and your organization. First, define your values. Go beyond integrity, excellence and customer service. These values are expected these days and on every companies list. Set values that get to the heart of what makes you company tick.

Once you have these defined and you are confident they are core-level values, take the next step. When you have narrowed the field of candidates for any and every position you are looking to fill, list your values across the top of the page. Have each member of the interview team rate the candidates based on how well they "own" your company values. 

You can use a scale of 1-10 where 10 is "they own it" and 1 is "it's not even on the radar screen". Set a minimum level for hiring. I would suggest you set that level high. Perhaps 7 or 8 or above. Below that level, you won't hire. 

This simple process could eliminate a lot of headaches. Try it and let me know how it goes.