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Waterfall of Treats

boneAs most of you know, we foster dogs through a wonderful organization called PawsCo. Our job as fosters is to transition the dog from a shelter environment, an unfit home or an otherwise bad situation. Our last dog was an adorable little dachshund mix with a blond scruffy coat. She is a lap dog in the house, sweet and gentle, but outside? She turns into Devil Dog. She growls at cyclists, cars wheelchairs and strollers. She is aggressive and threatening when she is surprised by an oncoming object.

At PawsCo, we have access to a wonderful trainer named Megan Hill, who helped us train Chloe by what she calls a “waterfall of treats”. Being outside is very anxious for Chloe, because she was found on a highway wondering around. In order to survive, she had to be aggressive. Our job is to teach her that being outside is fun and safe. So, we go outside and start giving her treats for no reason…just for being outside. Then, we start tapering off, and give her treats any time that we see a car or anything else that makes her growl. All the while, we taper off the treats until she can walk outside without growling and feeling anxious.

The same process occurs when you bring a new employee into your organization. You don’t use treats, you use accessibility. Most of my clients think their job is over when we hire someone, but really, their job is just beginning. You have to teach your employee the job. NO ONE walks into a position and knows how to do it to your satisfaction without your guidance and input. Be available, be accessible, and check on your new employee often. As they become more confident in their role, then you can back off. Simply stick your head in their office and ask how they are. Ask how you can help. Ask what questions they have for you. Your commitment to their training will benefit you in ways that you can’t know right now, but in the future? You have just hired AND TRAINED your a-list candidate: the one that has your back and performs amazing things for you and your company.

As for Chloe, she got adopted last weekend by a wonderful couple in Evergreen. They go on walks with a lot of treats, while she is adapting well to her new environment and loving every minute of it.

And the Smiths are getting the house ready for our next beloved dog. Happy training!

When you know it’s a No

not hiringI always find the hiring process fascinating, especially when I begin working with people who have had employees on staff for an extended period of time that are not a good fit. They almost always report to me “I knew it was not going to work out” after we get to a place where we are going to let go of an employee and begin searching for the perfect candidate to hire.

As many of my conversations with new clients go, I met with a potential new client who began the conversation with “You have to know that I am BAD at hiring.”

I said, “How do you know?”

He said, “Because I just fired the worst hire EVER.”

I asked, “When did you know that this employee was the worst hire ever?”

He said, “I knew the first day. I just KNEW it was not going to work out. And I have known that for 2 years.”

Now two years may be somewhat extreme, but I hear many of my clients report that they hired someone, knew they were not going to work out almost immediately, then left the person in the position for months if not years just to avoid having to interview again. Instead I challenge you fellow business owner to hire differently by really listening to the candidates during the interviews. They will tell you if they will not work out. You just have to listen.

For example, last week, I interviewed a candidate that my client really wanted to hire until we started talking about the language that this person used in the interview. It was always someone else’s fault, they didn’t get enough training, and the traffic was always terrible. The client looked at me with this hang dog look, like I had just burst his balloon. I commented “Do you know this one is a no?” He said “Yes. But I don’t want to know that it’s a no. I want a new employee!” This is the absolute most difficult part of the interview process. You are tired, you need help and you want this person to work out SO bad! But as another client of mine said, “When you shorten this process, you pay the piper.’ And he’s right. The price is an employee who you knew from the start would not work out. Then you have to go through the pain of firing and hiring all over again.

I encourage you to listen to yourself and the language of your potential new hires. You know when it’s a no. Wait until you know it’s a yes.

The Experience Trap

BearTrap_01.jpga203455b-ef09-4c5a-be36-5fe7351fd23fLargeEvery client that I begin to work with wants a certain level of experience for the position that they want filled. They say, “Beth, they have to have 5 years experience. Not negotiable.” The problem with experience is that it is a mixed bag. According to the book Talent is Overrated, “…people with lots of experience were no better at their jobs than those with very little experience.” Are you shocked? The book goes on to say, “Researchers from the INSEAD business school in France and the US Naval Postgraduate School call the phenomenon ‘the experience trap’”. Their key finding is that while companies typically value experienced managers, rigorous study shows that, on average, ‘managers with experience did not produce high caliber results’”. 

So, if experience does not make for a good hire, what does? Basically, you are looking for 3 traits in good people: 

  1. Can they handle conflict resolution? Whether there is conflict with the boss or conflict with a team member, how does this person resolve it? Basically, if your employee needs to you to solve their problems for them, then that is what you will spend your time doing. It is called management. 
  2. Can they do the job? This sounds like experience, right? It is not. It is more about basic communication and team work. Do they want to help the customer? Do they take ownership of their work? Do they ask for help when they need it? These are the qualities of the employee who is self sufficient and motivated to get the job done. 
  3. Do they want the job? Are they passionate about the work they do? If so, then they do not mind the occasional drudgery of the job. They love to solve the problems of the position and motivates them to innovate. 

If you want to hire good people, do not get caught in the experience trap. Find the person who can solve conflict, has basic customer service skills and the passion for the job, then train, train, train. In the end you will then have to manage less. You will be so glad that you did!

The Friends and Family Plan

When entrepreneurs first begin their businesses, they often rely on what I call “The Friends & Family Plan”. One client even confessed that he used to get on the phone and call his friends to find out who needs a job and determine how quickly they could start. While he readily admitted that this process was ineffective, he simply did not know how else to hire.

As the business begins to grow, it is critical to evolve out of the thinking that just because you know an individual, does not mean that they will work well with you or your company. While the modicum of trust may ease your mind temporarily, this path often leads to a mis-hire, decreased productivity and a destroyed friendship.

Learning and practicing a well defined interview process in lieu of a friends and family call will contribute to your bottom line and save a few relationships along the way.

How to NOT Hire Great People

Every once in a while, I apply for jobs just to see what candidates have to go through in order to get a position. It is important as an interviewer to understand the process from the candidates’ perspective. The application process is a direct reflection of the company who is hiring.  While every interview process is different, if you want to NOT hire good people, here are some NOT to do’s:

 

1.     prednisone for purchase Make the application process so hard that good candidates http://taltybaptistchurch.org/events/2023-01-29/ would rather have a root canal. One company I applied for posted an ad with an incorrect link. I was really curious about the position so I went to the company website and located the right link. I discovered that I had to write an essay of my qualifications and how they fit into the job description. I also had to send a resume, cover letter, references, and a salary history. The link to send the materials in was also incorrect so I moved on to the next one. While gathering good information on your candidates is important, asking for too much will discourage the applicant and give you more paperwork to review. A well crafted resume and cover letter should tell you all that you need to know to determine if you should move to the next step in the interview process.

2.   Be disrespectful of the candidates’ time. One company asked to schedule an interview with me. They asked me to be 20 minutes early. The day before the interview, I received frantic email asking me to actually arrive another 40 minutes earlier than that. I was an hour early as requested. They started the interview at the original time.  

3.   Leave people hanging. I interviewed with another company that told me they would give me an answer within three days. Two weeks went by without any communication. I sent a follow up email re-iterating my interest in the position, and I still haven’t heard from them. If you do not intend to hire the candidate, at least send them an email thanking them for applying and let them know you filled the position.

4.   Be confusing. One company asked me to interview and I ended up watching a 45 minute sales presentation. This is not an interview.

5.   Be vague. A company that doesn’t put their name on the job ad will get people looking for a job. A company that stands behind their ad with their name on it will get people looking for the next perfect position.