Where are the sparkplugs?

Sparkplugs are the people in your business who make things happen – and they are essential if you want to grow beyond what you alone can ignite.

We all need them in our businesses – the people I call “sparkplugs.” Sparkplugs ignite fuel. They make combustion. They make things happen. They are essential if you want to grow beyond what you, and the business owner him- or herself (if not you), can ignite.

But where are they? When you get one, is it just luck? Or are there things you can do that will actually increase your probability of getting a sparkplug on your team?

I know it’s hard but it’s not impossible. There are definite signs that someone is going to be a sparkplug versus just another warm body in a chair. But do we all pay attention to those signs when we are hiring? I think not. And do we set the stage for someone who is a sparkplug to want to work with us? Many times, unfortunately, the answer is “no” there as well.

Here are some things I look for in people to find a sparkplug:

1. Self-employment history. Those who have had their own businesses and made a living from them better understand what it takes to make a business successful than those who have never done it. It’s just that simple. In lieu of this self-employment experience, I would look for selling experience where the person had to kill (make sales) in order to eat. That is second best.
2. Crazy passion for the work itself. It’s hard to motivate someone when they don’t have to literally pull themselves away from the work because they love it so much. I want people who love the work and the product or service that the business provides. Anything less than that isn’t going to get me a sparkplug.
3. Other passions outside of work. When people are passionate about the work, they are often passionate about other things. They have passion! They throw themselves into whatever it is they do full-force. And yes, sometimes those other activities actually help the sparkplug’s employer because they meet other people through them and keep the sparkplug centered and balanced. Evidence of commitment and enthusiasm for anything is far better than none of that in any potential employee’s history if you want to hire a sparkplug.
4. Currently employed. Let’s face it. The best people are NOT unemployed. They have lots of options. Don’t restrict your candidate pool to those who are unemployed or you are automatically giving yourself a lower quality group to choose from. Not to say that good people cannot be unemployed – they can. But all other factors being equal, someone who is still working is likely to be a lower risk choice.
5. Willingness to do some radical things. Sparkplugs do things like take time off to help people in developing nations. They quit school in their junior year to build a cabin in the woods. They travel across the country on a motorcycle. They change their major in the last semester of college. They are willing to do some big things to change their lives in a big way. Look for this kind of radical action to find a sparkplug for your business.

When it comes to an environment that will attract and keep a sparkplug, here are my thoughts on what’s needed:

1. Growth vision and plan. The best people want growth. The best way for them to get that is to be part of a growing enterprise that emphasizes growth over profitability. Profitability is great and no doubt essential for any privately-held company, but it doesn’t inspire people. And a growing business makes opportunities for people to get into roles that they would never have if not for being a part of it.
2. Personal attention and support from leader/manager. High achievers who make stuff happen know they will be pushing limits and making waves, and are going to make some of the existing people upset at some point. They will need to know they have support from management when that happens.
3. Lack of rigid job titles and pay ranges. No sparkplug wants to work in a rigid kind of structure. If they did, they would work either for the government or a mega-corp.
4. Chance to become an owner in the business. Promises of ownership are not the same thing as possibilities. Possibility is all that is required from you as an employer. If the company has no plans or intent of ever selling ownership to employees, they really are sending out a message that opportunities for sparkplugs are limited. Sorry if you don’t want to hear this, business owners – but it’s the truth.
5. Intolerance for low performers. This is a biggie. Many architecture and engineering firms have a very bad record here. We try to keep everyone and find a place for them even if they repeatedly prove they aren’t going to do what is needed. Sparkplugs don’t like working around those who reduce their spark. It’s draining.

So yes. Getting sparkplugs to work in your business isn’t just defined by luck or chance. There are definitely signs you can look for in job candidates that they may be one, and to attract and keep one, you are probably going to have to do some things differently than you have in the past. You know this makes sense!

Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.