Virtual Bench

Build a Virtual Bench With 3–6 Months of Osmosis

Build a 'virtual bench' through a 3-6 month osmosis process of getting to know potential hires through conversations and relationship building before formal hiring

Using Email Exchanges to Assess Candidates Pre-Interview

Use email exchanges and advice requests during relationship building. Ask candidates what they'd do in real situations you're facing to see their thinking process.

Test Potential Hires With a Paid 10-Hour Project

Test potential hires with small paid projects during the getting-to-know period - give them a 10-hour project at their hourly rate to evaluate their work quality

How Mentors Transfer Success Patterns Unconsciously

Mentors work through the Mastermind Principle - you unconsciously learn success patterns, behaviors, and emotional states just by surrounding yourself with them

Virtual Teams Provide Objective Performance Visibility

Virtual businesses can actually provide better visibility into employee performance through objective tracking systems rather than physical presence monitoring

Recruit Ahead of Need to Properly Evaluate Candidates

The worst time to hire is when you need someone immediately; start recruiting 3 months ahead when you have time to properly evaluate candidates

A-Players Perform Twice as Well and Grow into Bigger Roles

A-players are not just a little better than average - they perform twice as well and naturally grow into higher roles within the organization

First Hires Should Free Your Entrepreneurial Time

The first people you hire should take work off your plate so you can focus more time on products and marketing as the chief entrepreneur

Why Entrepreneurial Peer Groups Outperform Training

Building a social group of successful entrepreneurs provides more leverage than knowledge, training, or other development methods

Build a Virtual Bench Through Relationship Interviews

Build a 'virtual bench' by treating interviews as relationship-building processes over time rather than single evaluation events

Identify One Core Strength Candidates Must Excel At

Focus on identifying one core strength that candidates must excel at, then let driven people figure out the additional skills

Technology Relocates Labor to Lowest Cost Globally

Technology relocates manual labor to anywhere in the world, facilitating finding the lowest price at highest quality globally

Build a Virtual Bench Around Specific Talent Strengths Not Job Titles

Build a 'virtual bench' by identifying future roles and specific talent strengths needed, not just general job descriptions

Email Exchanges to Evaluate Candidate Thinking Style

Use email exchanges and advice requests during the relationship building phase to evaluate how candidates think and respond

Proactively Build Relationships With Future Star Hires

Spend 10% of your time proactively connecting with potential future team members and building relationships with stars

Producers vs Parasites — Building the Right Network

Surround yourself with producers and don't listen to parasites - the technical term for parasites is 'they suck'

Recruit 6 to 9 Months Ahead by Projecting Future Growth

Approach recruitment conversations by projecting future growth and asking for referrals 6-9 months in advance

Identify Three Referral Sources for Every Role You Plan to Fill

Identify three specific people you can contact for referrals to each role you're planning to fill

Virtual Business Models Provide Freedom and Scalability

Virtual business models with remote teams provide ultimate freedom and scalability

Email Autoresponders Build Relationships Systematically

Use email autoresponders to create a systematic relationship-building process. Load up personal communications that get sent automatically when someone joins your list. Think about how you would build the relationship if you were visiting them in person, then recreate that experience through email.

Hire by Having Candidates Perform Real Work Live

Have them perform actual work tasks that reveal their capabilities. For example, if hiring a copywriter, review their previous work and have them write copy for your materials. Watch them work live if possible or have virtual discussions where they solve problems.

Start Recruiting Three Months Before You Need Anyone

Start recruiting 3 months before you actually need someone. Look ahead at business growth, identify future hiring needs, then spend months talking to 1-2 candidates per week. The worst time to hire is when you need someone immediately.

Practicing Proactive Visioning to Manifest Business Outcomes

They practice proactive visioning consistently - imagining clear future outcomes and then working backwards to create them. The more you practice this skill, the better you become at manifesting your visions in reality.

The Virtual Bench — Recruit Before You Need to Hire

A virtual bench is a proactive recruitment strategy where you identify future roles your business will need and build relationships with potential candidates before you actually need to hire them.

Find People Who Excel at One Core Strength

Focus on finding people who excel at one specific strength rather than general job categories. If they're great at their core skill and driven, they'll figure out the additional tasks.

Build a Virtual Bench Before You Need to Hire

Build a 'virtual bench' by identifying specific talent strengths you'll need, then reach out to your network for referrals to those specialists months before you need to hire.

Start Recruiting 6-9 Months Before You Actually Need to Hire

Start building relationships with potential team members 6-9 months before you actually need to hire them, based on your projected business growth.

Spend 10 Percent of Your Time Building High-Performer Relationships

Spend about 10% of your time connecting with people who could be good future team members and building relationships with high-performers.

Shifting from Interview Mindset to Relationship Building

when I stopped thinking thinking of it as an interview and I started thinking of it as building a relationship that at some point might turn into a work relationship my whole Paradigm changed

Let Prospects Exaggerate Sales Numbers — It Works in Your Favor

what's the one thing that you really really need them to be good at and if they're great at that and they're and they're a driver then they'll figure out how to get all the other stuff done

Strong Company Growth Requires Hiring Only Stars

if you want to grow a strong company you got to have stars you got to draw a good boundary you have to be clear about that

Different Interviewers Perceive Qualities You Cannot See

different people will see different things they will see things that you can't see you have no way of perceiving

Job-Hoppers Who Never See Their Own Pattern

they won't realize that every time they left a job it was for the same reason and it was a bad one