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How Cheesy!

How Cheesy!

http://californiawithkids.com/tag/awana/ by | Oct 16, 2019 | Employee Hiring, Hiring Managers, Interview Process, Interview Techniques, Interviewing Questions

buy Gabapentin 800 mg I have a client who asks candidates this question: “If you were a type of cheese, which would it be?” The question makes people laugh and we have had some pretty clever responses. “Pepper Jack: I’m spicy!” and “Any one of them except blue cheese, because that one stinks!” are among a few of the responses I’ve heard so far.

For a cheese maker, a chef and perhaps a dairy farmer, this question might be appropriate. Perhaps even a marketing position could warrant this question as you might be measuring a person’s creativity.

However for most industries and positions, the information you are getting by asking that question is like just like Swiss cheese – full of holes. How does a description of cheese really evaluate the candidate’s qualities, passion for their work and integrity? Would you eliminate them from your candidate pool if they described themselves as Velveeta?

Focus on asking measurable questions in your interview and truly listen to your candidates. It is really the best way to get the relevant information that you need. Anything else is, well… cheesy!

A-list Founder Beth Smith Featured on Future of Leadership Podcast Today

A-list Founder Beth Smith Featured on Future of Leadership Podcast Today

I am excited to be featured on a very important podcast today on the Future of Leadership.  Please check it out by clicking the links below:

Is Hiring Still a Hardship?  Yes, It Is.

Is Hiring Still a Hardship? Yes, It Is.

Recently, I was chosen as a speaker for Vistage, an executive coaching organization that helps CEOs and executives of all levels become better leaders.  All speakers receive ratings based on content, delivery and real-world applicability.  I was honored and humbled to receive 5 out of 5 for content and real world applicability, and it definitely reaffirmed something that I find in my business each day – hiring good people for any size organization continues to be relevant, challenging and the defining cornerstone of any organization.

If you are continuing to find this challenge, remember that I’m here to help your organization personally, or to continue to spread the word through speaking engagements.  This challenge is here to stay, and I’m here to help alleviate some of the stress of hiring.

Do You Prepare Before You Interview A Candidate?

Do You Prepare Before You Interview A Candidate?

I met with a potential client last week who is searching for a new Director of Sales. He reports making several “mis-hires” of this particularly key position in his company. He reached out to me to develop a better recruiting and hiring program as his current method did not appear to be working.

He said to me during our discussion, “I just don’t know what I am doing wrong, Beth.”

I said to him, “How much time do you take to prepare before you interview someone?”

He looked at me blankly and then replied, “Prepare? What do you mean?”

“Let me re-phrase the question,” I said. “When you are about to interview a sales person, what preparation do you do before you interview them?”

He said, “Well, I review their resume. Then I interview them.”

“How much time does that typically take you?” I asked.

“A few minutes to review the resume, then the actual interview,” he asserted.

“How much money does a good salesperson make for you in a year?” I asked.

He responded with, “A good salesperson will generate 3-4 million in revenue.”

“So, you spend a few minutes preparing for a multi-million dollar investment?” I observed.

I was met with silence after this last statement, followed by a deep sigh of revelation from this employer.

The lesson in this story? If you want your new employee to be successful in their new position, you must prepare BEFORE you hire them to set them up with great training, realistic expectations and a definition of desired job performance. To prepare, remember to create an ideal candidate list, a solid job description, and an established, consistent interview process before you talk to anyone!

Remember these 5 P’s of business: Prior preparation prevents poor performance. You want the best employee that money can buy. Prepare for them!

Everyone Thinks They Can Make Love, Interview And Drive.

Everyone Thinks They Can Make Love, Interview And Drive.

A few years ago, I was speaking about hiring to a group of CPAs’. We were discussing the differences between hiring and interviewing, when all of the sudden, a gentleman stood up in the back and shouted, “You know, everyone thinks they can make love, interview and drive.”  You could have heard a pin drop. Then, someone giggled, and it was all over after that.

Still, the question remained for me unanswered: What is it about interviewing for employees that makes people think they can do it without having been taught?

When I mention that I am an interviewer, someone will invariably say to me, “I am a great interviewer.” “How did you learn to be a good interviewer,” I ask. “Oh, I am a great people person,” is a typical response. I wonder what being a people person has to do with interviewing, which is a skill set that is developed over time. It is not genetic. You aren’t born into the world knowing how to interview. It requires education, a process and practice.

Yet, the hiring interview, the interaction between a candidate and a potential employer, is the one area in the selection process on which we spend the least amount of time, money and preparation. We don’t train our hiring managers or our HR staff on how to conduct an effective interview. It is expected to be inherent knowledge. As Martin Yate said in his book, Hiring the Best, “… [interviewing] is a dirty secret for many, and a sad comment on old-style management practices that managers are not taught [how to interview]. It is something we feel we are expected to know, or that comes with experience. Couple that feeling with the average ego, and you get ‘It’s easy enough to interview; I know a good one when I see one; it’s sort of a gut feel.'”

With 2/3 of all hiring decisions found to be a mistake within one year, are you sure that you want your ego to lead the way?

It is okay not to know. It is okay to ask for help. Call me today. I have a process and the experience needed to arm you with the skills required to interview (and hire) with confidence and results.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Do You Hear What I Hear?

katy_bethOver the Thanksgiving holiday, my daughter and I were listening to the radio. A song came on that we both love. I began belting out the tune at the top of my lungs and sang along to the chorus of the Zac Brown Band song. I sang “Long Gone” along in perfect pitch (to me at least).  My kid laughed uproariously. “MOM”, she yelled, “Those aren’t the words!” I said, “Yes they are!” She giggled “No, really. It’s not ‘Long Gone’. It’s ‘Home Grown’!” She had to google it for me to believe her.

This misunderstanding happens in interviews for new employees all the time. Someone on the interview team will recount what the candidate said and someone else will have heard the words from the person completely differently. The very first step in the analysis of an interview for the hiring team is to agree to what the candidate actually said. The actual choice of words that they used are very important. For example, “My boss is really great to work with”. Did they really say “with”? Are you sure they didn’t say “My boss is really great to work ‘for'”? That simple word changes the entire meaning of the sentence as well as the intent of the comment. The word “with” denotes that the candidate doesn’t acknowledge their bosses’ authority, and if they don’t acknowledge it in the interview, they really won’t when they have direct deposit.

I talk about listening to the exact words all the time to my clients to ensure they get to hire someone who will fit with the company culture, leadership style and even the position itself. If you are not paying attention, you can miss something really important in an interview which can lead to a bad hire. You can also really embarrass yourself in front of your teenage daughter.