Set High Standards

Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning . . . and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Daniel 1:4

My friend Brent, an executive-placement specialist, has helped some of the biggest companies in the world fill their most critical job openings. I once worked with him on a search committee and learned an important lesson about the hiring process:

You’ll never regret setting high standards.

Nebuchadnezzar was recruiting new palace staff. He had high standards, and even after choosing some candidates, he fed and groomed them for three years before making his final choices.

You don’t have the luxury of a three-year search, but the lesson remains the same: Hire the best candidates money can buy.

Don’t scrimp on your salary offer. If they refuse, you’ve lost. If they accept, you’re being unfair if the offer could have been higher.

Employees are more valuable than equipment, and companies rarely buy the cheapest machine for a critical job.

Isn’t the quality of your team worth every penny?