How do you find good people for your company? Entrepreneurs ask that question all the time.
When it comes to hiring and growing your company, Canada-based entrepreneur and internet marketer Dan Lok thinks it’s all about a) the different types of employees, understanding how to tell them apart, and hiring the right type for specific roles.
According to Dan, there are three employee types:
- Grunt
- Mercenary
- Patriot
Here’s what you need to know about each.
Breaking down the types
Grunt
Dan describes a Grunt as workers who just want a 9-to-5 job, make a living, then go home – that’s it. They go through the motions and do just the minimum amount of work not to get fired.
To tell if a candidate is a Grunt, ask them: “Do you have any questions for me?” during the job interview. They’d typically ask about things like:
- How to calculate for overtime.
- How many vacations they get in a year.
- How many hours they have to work.
Depending on your business type, there are some positions where it’s necessary to have Grunts to get work done. The caveat, says Dan, is that you don’t want to have too many Grunts in your company because your business isn’t going to grow because they all just do the minimum.
Mercenary
A mercenary is an employee who simply works for money.
How do you determine if a candidate is a Mercenary? Ask the same question during the job interview: “Do you have any questions for me?”. They’d focus on money-related topics such as:
- What’s my base salary?
- How does the bonus structure work?
- What’s my commission structure?
Dan notes that it’s common for Mercenaries to work in sales positions. If there’s a better-paying opportunity, Mercenaries will likely jump ship right away.
There’s a time and place for Mercenaries because they’re great hunters – although Dan thinks you might not want a Mercenary in customer support or managing your finance.
Patriot
As their name suggests, Patriots support their organisation and are loyal, making them the most sought-after type of employee. While they want to make good money, that’s not what drives Patriots.
Patriots are driven by a mission, a purpose. They want to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Here’s how to find out if a candidate is a Patriot. Ask: “Do you have any questions for me?” during the interview. If they want to find out more about how they can contribute to your organisation, then you’re talking to a Patriot.
A Patriot may say:
- I’ve studied your company’s culture and I think I could bring value by…
- Would you be open to trying out X idea?
You can’t hire enough Patriots, says Dan. When you have a group of Patriots in your company, you’ll have a growth-oriented culture – because they always want to make things better.
Chances are, Patriots will work well with other people because they know they can’t do it by themselves to make your vision a reality.
Dan discusses the details of each employee type in this video:
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