Hiring slow and firing fast with The Candle Pour

Hiring and staff management are arguably the most important components of running a successful experience-based business. “If you don’t have the right people, the entire experience is missed,” said Misty Akers, co-founder of The Candle Pour—a Tampa, Florida-based shop that offers custom candle making. In this week’s deep-dive episode, we bring back former guests Misty and Dennis to talk further on the topic of employee staffing. 

The couple shares their honed-in process, proven successful after having gone through the hiring, training, retention, and firing process time and time again. However, they didn’t always start off as experts. 

“At the beginning, it was a lot of trial by fire,” Dennis said. “It was literally just getting your stripes by getting through the days and learning as you go.” As the Akers gained a better understanding of their customers, what they looked for in employees changed as well. Initially they just looked for customer service experience. Now they look for employees who they can genuinely tell enjoy being around other people—from children to adults. 

The Akers also abide by the simple motto of “hire slow, first fast.” For many business owners, the default when an employee leaves unexpectedly is to look for a replacement as quickly as possible. And while this may seem tempting, the hiring process shouldn’t be rushed as it can be troublesome in the long run. “You start interviewing, hoping to fill holes so you can take a break,” Misty said. “But I’ve learned that it only gets worse and it takes longer to find the right person.” In regards to the “fire fast” aspect of the motto, Dennis admits that although harsh, that doesn’t mean they aren’t building relationships with all their employees. The decision is never easy, but sometimes it has to be made. 

At the end of 2020, amidst a global pandemic and right at the start of the holiday season, the Akers faced an incredibly difficult situation after they unexpectedly lost all four of their full-time employees. Despite hardship, they stuck with their motto and pitched in the extra hours themselves and closed their store when necessary to accommodate the situation, even when this meant losing out on half of their sales for the year. “When we did that, we knew we were going to lose sales, but in the long term, we knew what we were doing was beneficial for the company,” Misty said. “We made the decision to have no business at all rather than an experience that would be off.” 

Dennis and Misty also make sure to constantly communicate with their employees. If they notice something isn’t going as expected, they sit that employee down to chat and address it head on. Perhaps something is going on in a staff member’s personal life that business owners can be compassionate toward, but if it permanently affects the work that they do, sometimes the best route is to part ways. And when things are going smoothly? The couple make sure to express their appreciation—something that may sound simple but is often overlooked by managers and owners. 

The employee feedback and customer reviews they have received reflect the successful approach Misty and Dennis have taken in prioritizing their employee staffing process and model. “Yes, we’re a candle company, but we are an experience, and our employees are the experience,” Misty said. 

Here are a few key takeaways from this week’s episode when thinking about your own staffing approach: 

• Don’t waste people’s time during the interview process. As soon as you know it’s not a match, let job candidates know. This saves not only their time but also yours. Misty begins her hiring process with an initial questionnaire containing general questions about hours and customer service. This simple step helps screen out candidates, and if it’s not a fit, she lets them know immediately. 
• Employees want communication. When Misty asks candidates what they need from their employers to be successful at the job, they say communication nine times out of 10. Not only do employees want communication from their managers and owners—they want to know what the expectations are, if they’re doing a good enough job, and the areas they can improve on. 
• Your team doesn’t have to be the same, but they have to mesh. You, as a business owner, and your employees make up a team. Although no one will be exactly the same, everyone still needs to get along. 
• Show appreciation to your employees. Everybody wants to feel appreciated and valued, and sharing those sentiments with your employees can be the motivation that helps them perform at their highest level. Appreciation can be shown in various ways—Misty and Dennis always verbally thank their staff, such as for the time the pair has gained back to spend with their children. 

Interviews by Emily Washcovick

These lessons come from an episode of Behind the Review, Yelp & Entrepreneur Media’s weekly podcast. Listen below to hear from Misty and Dennis, or visit the episode page to read more, subscribe to the show, and explore other episodes.