Nick Powills: After You Cut One Corner, Where Does It Stop?

Have you ever asked an interview candidate about a corner they cut? What about a business prospect? What do you do with that answer?

In life, there are certain corners we cut. We almost have to. Chaos is all over the place – and sometimes, we don’t have a choice.

But, is that ever a good thing when it comes to our careers? Do shortcuts help or hurt?

There is certainly situational corner cutting. But, for the most part, the pathway to getting rich quickly doesn’t work. Getting rich – in life or in a career – takes persistence, time, patience and a whole lot of other buzz words.

When interviewing candidates to join your franchise, do you ask them about cutting corners? Do you use that test question to help you gain insight into how they may behave with your brand? If they cheat on tests, taxes or significant others – does that make you nervous? Does it put that candidate into the risk category?

In franchising, franchisors are trying to find the right candidates. The process is tough on both sides. For a franchisee, they are risking their life’s savings, quitting their job and picking your franchise over the other 4,000 options facing them. For a franchisor, the risks are the same – there’s pressure in bringing the right person in to be a part of a consistent brand they have worked tirelessly to protect and grow. The matchmaking process is not easy at all.

So, brands must determine: What is your take on corner cutting? Are you asking the question so that you at least have a little more insight or opinion whether the franchise marriage is going to work?

While it is scary to potentially find your way to no, it’s scarier if you don’t try.