Our Aim: Hire happy, healthy, high-energy conversationalists who are have an attractive social presentation and are highly available to work.
PLUS…The X-Factors
Yes, we have a general profile of the kinds of people we want to hire, but they ARE general and easy to name and measure. But there are other things we are looking for because while we hire entry-level positions, we are looking for incredible people who can do MORE than what they are first hired for…and that could be any number of side-work tasks OR whole positions that they will be promoted for later.
So, we are also looking for what some might call the X-Factors, which are much harder to name and measure (especially with our short recruiting process). Here are a few that we are looking for…
creativity, innovative mindset, follows directions, free-thinking, respect for authority, high-energy, funny, respectable, caring, personable, hard worker, do-whatever-it-takes work ethic, integrity when no one is watching and when things get tough…
Also, a life-time learner, constant self-improver, embodying all that WD stands for, being the public face of the company, setting the pace for the entire culture and morale and tempo of the team, maintaining healthy doses of fun and safety and productivity in the culture, etc
Our Funnel Strategy
At the top of our recruiting funnel, we are walking a fine line between trying to be as attractive to as many people as possible...while also writing both the ad and the landing page in such a way that some people begin to opt-out as they see what is required and offered.
That is, at first, we are in sales mode and want them to want to apply. As we get to the screening and interviewing process, it all flips so that we are LOOKING for reasons to cut people from the list so that we are ONLY spending time with the very few who meet our strict criteria.
Read: We are busy, we’ll have 100+ people apply and don’t have time to give each person a thorough qualifications check…so we are cutting people pretty fast.
This is SUPER IMPORTANT: We are NOT asking ourselves if this person miiiiight be able to work here if we worked with them a bunch and helped them along. No, we are not trying to prove any points here or root for the underdogs of the world. Just the opposite actually. Just like Value #1 states, we are looking for the WOW factor…amazing people who are highly capable!
So the main question isn’t…Could we make it work with him/her, but does this person amaze me? Will the team be WOWed by my selection? Will our clients be WOWed by them?
Wow is the standard. If you look around Wonder Dog and find anyone who doesn’t wow you, then they weren’t the hire we thought they were and they’ll be cut from the team soon, OR you haven’t seen what we see in them…yet.
Hiring WorkFlow - The Big Picture
Below is the general flow of the hiring process. It may vary some, but this is the jist of it!
Phase 1 = Ad > Landing Page > Screening Application > Thank You Page Asking for Why Mea Video
Phase 2 = 1st Interview (Phone or Zoom) > Call Employers >
Phase 3 = “Try Out” to audition for the job and see the job in-person >
Phase 4 = 2nd Interview (Must be Zoom) > Final Decisions
(Some of this is changing with the new Wonder Dog Academy business model)
Legal Limits Around Recruiting
- Do NOT ask about their race or color.
- Do NOT ask about their religion.
- Do NOT ask about their sex, gender OR sexual preference.
- Do NOT ask about if they have a disability.
- Do NOT ask about their national origin.
- Do NOT ask about their age.
- Do NOT ask about their marital status…(but you can ask about their “life situation” in general and then just let them talk, or ask them what their partner does for a living, or what their partner’s schedule is, and then let them talk from there).
When calling previous employers to check references, you can only ask “Did this person work for you from this date to this date, and would you hire him/her again?” They are allowed to offer up more info if they choose, but we can only ask those two questions.
The RECRUITING WORKFLOW
1) The Job Ad
The Purpose of This Step
- Draw great prospects into the funnel.
- Like any sales ad, it gets potential recruits excited about the possibility of working for our company with an emphasis on our vision, mission, culture and how it would benefit THEM, while spelling out exactly what is required so that the unqualified won’t even waste our time or theirs applying.
2) Recruiting Landing Page
The Purpose of This Step
- Just like the ad, we are giving them MORE of a sense of our company's mission and vision to see if this is something they might want to help us with, as well as offering them a realistic view of the work we do, what we pay, the meaning behind the job and the status that comes with it…WHILE trying to repel those who are NOT qualified (based on schedule, income, traveling to WDA, etc) to save us all time.
3) SCREENING Applications
The Purpose of This Step
- Gather the right info on them and see if they can follow instructions.
4) “WHy Me?” VIDEO Uploads
After the form, they are sent to a Thank You page where we ask them to send in a short video introducing themselves and telling us why we should pick them…in exchange for an expedited screening process, moving their application to the top of the pile.
The Purpose of This Step
- See if they can follow instructions.
- See if they are hungry enough to work for us that they are willing to send in a video on why we should pick them.
- Videos give you a good feel of who they are, their vibe and social presentation and who you are dealing with.
5) Screening To CUT-Down the List
The Purpose of This Step
- We’re looking for easy and quick reasons to cut them from the list based on our criteria so that we can only call just the few. (More details to follow below on the questions to ask yourself as you do this).
Easy Things to Look for To Cut From the List
, aren’t in school, aren’t moving soon, aren't fixated on lots of personal travel (i.e. they like to go on vacations a lot and so we are forced to work around their schedules), or other non-work life activities that might interfere with their dedication to our team's mission.
People can get cut for all sorts of reasons - low energy, answering questions in a confusing way, not asking us questions, being bad communicators, living a stressful/drama-filled personal life (if they open up about it) that might interfere with their focus while at work, etc.
6) Phone/Zoom Screening to Cut It Further
The Purpose of This Step
- More of the same: we are looking for people to cut.
- If you liked their application, social media and video, but don’t like them on the phone/zoom, then cut them from the list and move on.
- We are looking for traits and intangible attributes that can’t be taught, namely, the X-Factors listed above, such as passion, energy, excitement, looking for a sense of purpose, etc.
- Do we like them? Would they make a cultural fit? Serve the mission and purpose well? Are they good talkers? Do we want to invest time into doing a second and longer call with them?
- Looking for LIFE energy. Do they have a strong/bubbly personality and zest for life?
- Could they step up and be a leader as the company grows?
- Are they intelligent? Are they good communicators?
7) Call THEIR Employers (Implemented Soon)
The Purpose of This Step
- We’re looking for cordial relationships with former employers. You won’t believe what we find out when we call about people!
8) Background Check (Implemented Soon)
The Purpose of This Step
- Do they have any red flags that pop-up in their background?
9) RIDE DAY “Try Out & Audition”
The Purpose of This Step
- Did they do their homework in between Call 2 and the Try Out?
Are they prepared based off the information we gave them?
- Checking for social skills, searching out motives even more
- Look for reasons not to hire them
- Ask about how they handle stress/anger/bad attitudes
- Show them what we do (training, sales, programs, etc.)
- Answer their questions
10) Final Interview with Someone Else
The Purpose of This Step
- Be sure that someone else on the team sees what you see.
11) Final Decisions
The Purpose of This Step
- Unless there is agreement between the 2 interviewers, we find that it never works out.
Now Let’s Drill Down to the Details
1) How to Start a New Job Post
NOTE: When you post on Indeed, DO NOT UNPAUSE OR REUSE the same old ad. Instead, start a brand new post, then choose the old ad from the template. Doing this creates a new “creation/posted date” which many applicants look at and sort by when looking for jobs…but if we just post an old job, then it looks like we’ve been trying to hire for that job for YEARS!
2) How to Access the Applications
- Did they complete the form?
- Is their pay range in line with the job?
- Are the available when we need them?
-Can they travel for training?
- Are they people people?
- Are they dog people?
- Do they have a decent car within the last 10 years for use all day?
- Would you send this person to a million-dollar home to represent the brand we have fought SO hard to build and protect?
- Can they work independently - self motivated, self-managed, self-disciplined - either by what they do now, or by completing college, or something?
*** If you answered YES to these, then text them to setup a time to do a screening call.
A Few Things to Watch For
Ex-Police/Military = These folks sound amazing on paper, but…if their vibe and “social presentation” is tough and rigid, it won’t work well for our mostly female clients who just want Boo Boo to sit and stay. Some of these guys CAN be awesome with all of their experience and discipline IF they are softies with a great personality, but hiring these guys can backfire on you if you aren’t careful to check for their “way” with people.
Dog Trainers = Maybe they are awesome, we’ll have to see upon further investigation, but many dog trainers were trained in a particular way/methodology and they have STRONG feelings that their way is the best way/right way/only ethical way and will reject all others so…heads up!
Graduates = If I see any high school graduation pics at the top of their social media profile or something like “Class of MSU ‘23,” then I’m already wondering if they are about to go off to college and are just looking for a “summer job.” These folks can waste your time by leaving in just a few months.
The same goes for people RIGHT out of college who want “something quick” to pay the bills while they look for their “real job” in their chosen career field.
If you can, see ask about their college choice or what they are planning on doing now that they graduated JUST TO SEE if they will tell us their real plans. You might even find it on their social media profile with a “TSU bound in 2025!” You could even throw out there a “so you’re looking for something to pay the bills until you’re ready to do that?” JUST TO SEE if they will be honest or to check their real motives.
If they are a no, then let them know diplomatically that “we have decided to hire someone who can stay long term with us” when they call back.
3) Screening ApplIcations & Social Media Accounts (LIVE WITH COREY)
4) Screening Texts Using The Boards App (Coming Soon)
The Boards app (short for keyboards) is a cool app where you can click a button and it’ll paste pre-written texts for your to then customize and send. It saves a ton of time with repetitive conversations.
For whoever is still on the list by this step, we send them a few texts to double check the most common things that disqualify people - income, car, when they can start, available schedule, ability to travel for training, etc.
Download the Boards App to see the order of questions…(coming soon)
Congrats, you made it through Round 1 of cuts for the Wonder Dog Training & Games position we have open. We just need to double check a few things really quick, ok? If you were hired on with us... - How soon could you start? - Could you travel (expenses paid) to Memphis for 3 weeks a week after the date you gave us above?
If they pass all those tests, then send them this…
Ok great, well, we'd like to do a quick 15-30 minute call with you via Zoom so we can get to know each other a bit more. When might we squeeze that in?
Once they schedule the call (because not everyone will), then have the confirmation text say this…
We got you booked for a call with one of our recruiters at [date & time]. The link to the call is [link]. If you need a reminder about us and the job, go here…https://wonderdogtraining.com/hiring-dog-pros-all-cities/
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EVERYTHING BELOW THIS IS A *MESS* AND NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP.
GO AHEAD AND SKIM IT, BUT KNOW THAT IT’S A JUNK DRAWER RIGHT NOW
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Phone/Zoom Interview
Here is a printable list of questions you ask while you do this.
By no means do you have to ask all of these questions, because again, this is supposed to be a 5-10 minute screening call, but here are some of our favorites.
- "Tell me about yourself” (This gets them talking as you look for reasons to cut them and looking for the “intangible” X-factors mentioned above.
-Do you have pets? What do you do with them?
- What are you looking for? What are you looking for in a company & team? Not looking for? What kind of compensation are you seeking?
-Why are you looking to change jobs?
-What are you passionate about?
-Give me a quick example of when…
-What are the top 3 accomplishments you are most proud of?
-What are the three favorite things you have ever done at work?
-If you were able to do any job on the planet what would it be?
-Ten years from now, what is the perfect job you see yourself doing?
-If you had all the money In the world and were working just to work, what would you be doing?
These last 5 questions are designed to pull out what they like, they are really interested in, where their heart is at, etc.
- What do you like and dislike about yourself? Good and bad at?”
- How good are you at working alone and managing your time?
- Do you tend to do better taking orders or working alone?
- What are your life goals?
- What is your schedule availability? When can you start?
- What are you doing to grow and change your life?
- How do you connect with people?
- Fill in the blank, “To work with me, you’ll need to tolerate _______.”
- Introvert or Extrovert - Will they like talking to people all day?
- Available & Unbusy?
-Talk about the stress of a job like this and managing a schedule like the ones we do, then ask, can you really handle a job like this?
-Let me ask, why should we hire you over someone else?
If you are hiring for sales, the above question means a TON! They are selling themselves here.
NOW ASK YOURSELF…
*** Has their attitude been bright, optimistic, diplomatic, energetic? Have you seen the intangibles we have mentioned throughout this page?
If yes, and you would still like to hire them so far, then shift back into sales mode…
Pre-Framing Script to Set-Up the VISION PART OF THE Call the Right Way
All this requires lots of thorough training because this is not just a job, but an entire career (like becoming a hairstylist, electrician or app developer) learning skills that, once you have them, you can use and sell in the marketplace for a lifetime.
Typically, this would require $10-15/k and months away at school somewhere…
But with WDA, you get paid to get trained…then you get a job, without having to market, sell, work an hourly wage like most trainers, plus get paid a profit share, and as long as you work for us for 2 years, we waive all tuition fees. That’s right. We’ll pay you to get trained.
**From here, if you like this person and think they would make a good fit, let’s do the deal and get them a ride day. Let them know you’ll be sending them a test to take and when they do it, to forward us their results. The purpose of this is to see if their personality is for the job we have. Link is 16personalities.com , once they do it forward you their results. This is also a long term relationship and we want to know the type of personality of the person we are going to be hiring.
**If you don’t like them, let them know we are going to pass for now and to apply in the future maybe
Ride Day
Here is a printable list of questions you ask while in the the field.
-During this, ask questions from the phone interview sheet in a slightly different manner than you did on the initial phone interview.
-Checking for social skills, searching out motives even more
-What is their posture in appointments? Do they talk, sit in the corner quiet, etc.
-Look for reasons not to hire them.
-Go over MVV + Our Warnings. Do these align with them?
-Ask about times they have been stressed/angry/mad/etc. in the past. Listen for what the situation was. How did they handle it? Was it handled in a good manner?
-What we do (training, sales, programs, etc.)
-Answer their questions. A good sign of a potential hire is questions!
-Do they smile? (Remember, we want happy & healthy people here!)
-Dress well? Are they sharp looking? (We want people who will represent our brand well.)
-What kind of vibe do they put out?
-How are their social skills?
-How are their communication skills?
* From here, hire them or move on!*