Attendees at August’s Workshop Wednesday, sponsored by HISD’s Business Assistance Department, learned that there is often a financial cost to a bad hire and that hiring decisions – good or bad – can have a huge impact on a company’s bottom line.

Darryl Samuels, managing partner of DSA Associates, an M/WBE-certified firm specializing in construction management, inspection, and commercial development, gave the presentation titled Team Building: Getting the Right People on Board.

“It’s important to get the right people in the right seat on the right bus going in the right direction,” said Samuels, who explained he often uses a Tangram puzzle to assess job candidates. “I can tell your personality just from watching you do this puzzle. I use this test to see who I’m working with and if they have the problem-solving skills I’m looking for.”

Samuels explained that hiring managers need to understand the mission and vision of the company in order to determine if a potential new hire will be a good fit with the culture. He used entertaining movie clips and personal anecdotes as examples, and also discussed several methods businesses can use to attract top workers.

“It’s important to ask: Who are you? What are you about? Where are you going?” Samuels said. “If you can’t sell the job, you can’t sell your company.”

The event, held at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, drew participants representing a wide variety of business interests ranging from a large energy company to a small food service start-up.

The monthly workshop is held the first Wednesday of each month. Topics vary and are designed to benefit small and minority- and women-owned businesses (M/WBEs) that are looking to develop more opportunities and grow their business.

The next Workshop Wednesday will be held Sept. 2. For more information and to receive notifications of upcoming workshops and networking opportunities, contact HISD Business Assistance Supplier Diversity at 713-556-7273.