by Beth | Jul 12, 2023 | Employee Hiring, Selecting Good Candidates
A client of mine called last week. He needed help deciding between two candidates. We walked through the interviews and his notes, and there was a clear winner when we talked it through. He was very excited about offering the job to the top candidate. His next comment, however, totally baffled me.
“I will wait to let the other candidate know after this one has accepted the offer.”
“Why?” I asked, incredulously.
“In case, they don’t accept. You know the saying: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
I paused for a minute.
He is right from a conventional wisdom standpoint, but when it comes to hiring, what if the bird in the hand is the wrong bird? Are you really going to hire someone that is clearly your second choice?
Many of my clients think this way: that somehow hiring a second choice will still be a great hiring decision. It isn’t, though. The new hire will act like the second choice (because they were), you will treat them like the second choice (because they were), and you will ultimately fire them because they were your second choice.
If for some reason your top candidate doesn’t accept the position, your job is to figure out why, fix that issue, then start over with a brand new candidate pool.
As it turned out, the top candidate did accept the position, and all is well on the home front.
POWER THOUGHT: When it comes to hiring, a bird in the hand only counts if it is the right bird.
by Beth | Jun 28, 2023 | Employee Hiring
A few weeks ago, I was flying home from New York. I had booked the plane ticket late, because it was a last-minute trip to interview a final candidate. Because of the timing, I ended up sitting in the next to last row of the plane.
If any of you are from Denver, you know that we have had substantial rain these past several weeks, so my flight home was full of turbulence. The pilot announced that descending would be a bit rough, and he instructed the flight attendants to get the plane ready to land and take their seats.
The turbulence was intense. As the plane was about to hit the runway, all of the sudden, the tail of the plane jerked to one side, violently tossing us around. I frantically gripped my arm rests! The pilot floored the gas and took off again! I have never in my life had an experience like that! The guy beside me looked at me with huge wide eyes full of fear, accurately mirroring my own.
After we circled the airport for about 20 minutes, the pilot came on to announce that we were going to land again. He told us that a tailwind had come out of nowhere, and since they weren’t prepared for it, they couldn’t land. He then reassured us that he was ready for it, and we would be on the ground in 15 minutes.
The landing was amazingly smooth, considering what had just occurred. And the entire plane erupted in applause.
Because I was in the back, I was the last passenger to get off. The pilot stood at the front of the plane and thanked each passenger for their patience and confidence in him. He was gracious and kind. When I approached, he said “Were you in the back of the plane?” I told him I was.
“Did you feel that tailwind?”
I said, “Yes! It was scary!”
He then excitedly began to tell me all about the tail wind, the direction of the wind, and how it affected the plane. His eyes lit up, and mine glazed over.
As he finished with his story, including hand gestures, I said to him, “Did you hear the applause?”
His face softened, and he said “No!… people really clapped for us?”
“They sure did. And you deserved it!”
“Wow. I’m honored.” We shook hands, and I left.
THIS is the pilot that I want flying every plane I get on. Nice job hiring, Delta!
POWER THOUGHT: Who do you want landing YOUR plane?
by Beth | Jun 14, 2023 | Lifestyle
My daughter, Katy, was in a wedding last weekend in Philadelphia. She was a stunning bridesmaid, and as she walked down the aisle, I boo-hooed like a baby! The couple said their lovely “I do’s”, the weather was perfect, the flowers lovely, and we set off confetti bombs as they walked back up the aisle. For that moment, life was just perfect.
I almost didn’t go.
I told myself that I couldn’t take the time off, because of blah, blah, and more blah. I said that I could take a longer vacation later. I pontificated that I needed to get my book manuscript finished. I tried to even bribe myself that if I waited, I could take a beach vacation somewhere exotic.
But several weeks before the wedding, the bride told Katy, “I can’t wait to walk down the aisle, look out into the crowd, and see your mom’s curls.”
So, of course I went, and looking back, I am SO glad that I didn’t miss that moment!
Also every year, I worry about leaving on vacation. I worry that my clients will be mad that I am gone. I worry that something big is going to happen while I am not there. I worry that putting off the recruiting process will drag out longer than I want it to… worry, worry and more worry.
Here is the truth: none of those worries ever come to fruition. As a matter of fact, the opposite is usually true. My clients are able to get more work done, because I am not there. They are relieved that they get to take a break, and typically, the hiring process goes faster upon my return.
In addition, I am happier and more relaxed, and I have time to think about the hiring process from the 30,000 foot view, not just from the ground level.
Vacations have always been important: whether you go somewhere exotic or have a “stay-cation” and spend the week at the pool working on your tan lines. But especially this year, vacation is more important than EVER.
Not only are people burnt out, a huge amount of people are leaving their jobs. If you want to keep your best employees, my advice is always to let them go on vacation. And when they are gone, make sure that you are covering their work so that they can completely unplug.
We know that innovation comes from experiences outside the office. So, if you are worried that no work will get done, some of the BEST work happens when you and your team unplug.
When we return, we all have killer tans, and you get solutions to big problems.
And the bride got to see my curls as she walked down the aisle. Sniff!
by Beth | May 31, 2023 | Attitude
A couple months ago, I bee-bopped into the gym on a beautiful Saturday morning. I started my stretches and got on the bike for a long ride. One of the boys that works the front desk came over to me and said “Do you drive a black Toyota Rav 4?” I said “Yes! Why are you asking?” He said “Well ma’am, it was broken into.”
Horrified, I ran out to the car, only to see no window on the driver’s side back seat, glass everywhere, and my wallet was gone.
I spent the rest of the day calling credit card companies and canceling cards, when suddenly it occurred to me: I was supposed to get on a plane to Canada first thing Monday morning. I couldn’t drive my car with a missing window, because it was snowing. I couldn’t order an Uber, because I didn’t have a credit card. I couldn’t ride the bus, because I had no way to get to the bus stop. In addition, I had my passport, and a little bit of cash, but what happens if I had an emergency in a foreign country?
It was time to rally the troops.
I called my client in Canada, and he graciously pre-paid all of my expenses. My neighbor kindly offered to drive me to the airport AND pick me up. A woman from the gym, who I barely know, wanted to provide me with cash and her credit card. I didn’t take her up on that offer, but what an amazing gesture! Several of my friends presented me with food, money, and experiences with their own stolen credit cards, hugs, and listening ears. People from the gym offered their support with kind words and sympathy for my situation. Even the police gave advice on what things to watch out for in the future.
While having your wallet stolen is a terrible experience that cost me a lot of money and time, I am overwhelmed with the love and support that I received. The outpouring of kindness that came to me gave me an extra bounce in my step, and the lesson that I learned was that even when things look awful, you can find something good. Focus on the miracles, not the lack.
POWER THOUGHT: You have the choice to look at a set-back as a chance to re-set.
by Beth | May 17, 2023 | Interview Process
Several weeks ago, I wrote about my daughter’s frustrating job search (read about it here). Out of 37 jobs that she applied to, she heard from about half. She received a job offer from a hospital that she didn’t even interview with (a mistake), she was offered a job on the spot and was subsequently rejected by email 3 days later, she was offered 5 jobs in departments that she didn’t want, and she broke down crying that she was going to be living in my basement for the rest of her life.
Then, she received a call from a Nursing Manager at a hospital in Dallas. They had about a 6-minute conversation, and the woman said “We are having in person interviews in Dallas next week.” Katy said “Well, I am going to school in Miami.” The woman said that they could do a zoom call.
Katy decided to fly to Dallas for that interview, because it was a job that she really wanted. The woman promised to send Katy an email with all the details. Katy never received that email. She called the woman several times and didn’t hear back. Katy finally called the HR department to get the address of where to go. She got to the right hospital, on time, and had a FANTASTIC interview. Katy was SO excited!
The following Friday, Katy received an email at 8 pm from the Nursing Manager, saying how sorry she was. The Nursing Manager had been sending emails to the wrong email address, and realized that Katy had never received any of her communication. 6 days later, Katy received her job offer. She is completely ecstatic.
The lesson here is that you can’t mess up the right thing. It is mind-boggling to think about all the ways that this could have been a disaster, and it wasn’t.
When you are tired of interviewing, keep plugging away. Your right job/employee/opportunity will present itself in time, and you can’t mess it up. Go!
POWER THOUGHT: You can’t mess up the right thing, and the wrong thing will always be a struggle.
