Effective Hiring Practices

In 2024, Meadowlark Design + Build hired seven new team members, and as part of that process we changed our approach to recruiting with strong results. 

Here are some of the new concepts we put into place 

A Dual Emphasis 

In the past, we made hiring decisions based on job skills. Our priority was assessing whether the candidate had the required experience or abilities. 

Over time that changed. 

Meadowlark Design + Build runs on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) which focuses heavily on “right person, right seat.” That means we hire around our core values which serve as a guiding set of principles. 

 Today we take a deep look at the candidate’s skills as well as whether they share our values. Since then, we’ve noticed that several of our new hires activated into their jobs and our company culture almost immediately. It’s exciting. We’ve seen that the training period might be a lot shorter for the right person in the right seat.

Job Descriptions and Postings

On the recruitment side, one area we looked at was our job postings. Simply changing the language in our ads provided us with more qualified candidates. 

In the past, the job descriptions were a little flat and we used Chatgpt to add color and establish a voice for Meadowlark’s ads. Over time, and with prompts from us, the software learned our preferred, creative language. In fact, when our Bookkeeper applied for the position, she mentioned resonating with the phrase “multi-tasking maestro” from the job description. We have AI to thank for that. 

Finding the best fit

To learn if a candidate is the right fit, we start with a phone call, then an interview with the hiring manager and often a second interview with the leadership team. 

We also look at details beyond what a candidate says in the interview setting.  For example, after the meeting, we walk potential hires through our office and have a little more casual conversation as we stroll through the campus. This provides a sense of how they interact in a different setting. We also pay attention to when (or if) they send a thank you, and how quickly they reply when we reach out. All of that denotes their level of urgency toward obtaining something that they want. 

Rather than just checking the boxes, we want our team members to bring energy, creative ideas, and growth to Meadowlark. Taking these steps has helped us hire better candidates, and we’re optimistic as we continue to iterate the process.