This past week I’m reminded of how important employees are to an organization. You can’t do it all yourself — and at a particular point in time, you realize that you need someone who will do some of your tasks. Easy. Right? Nope.

Some pivotal questions rise. Do you find someone who is very much like you? Or do you find someone who complements you? Or do you hire a friend? Or do you hire someone who’s available.

At PCG, we’ve done all these. And I can’t say that either is a “stand-out” success. Which leads to the question, what’s the best way to hire?

Availability is key. For obvious reasons. We try to keep a file (sometimes large) of people that are looking for work (filed under the tasks they are good at). When the need arises for a position, we run ads and combine the resume lists to find the best people for the task. But ultimately we hire good people who want to work hard. Have a passion for what we do and a personal desire to be better.

Part of “good” people, is the desire to have a heart of a teacher. And the insatiable urge to be taught. By their peers. By the internet. By books. They seem to learn everywhere.

Tasks, software and procedures can be taught to “good” people a lot easier than the reverse.

No one likes to be managed, so we allow our employees to self-manage with goals. All we do is supervise the process and hold them accountable. And we’ve been very fortunate that the people we choose, have turned into experts in their fields. And most have become very good friends.

And when one leaves. It’s a sad day. But the process starts over again. And you move on.