by Beth | Dec 14, 2022 | Employee Hiring, Interview Process, Interview Techniques, Selecting Good Candidates
Over the Thanksgiving holiday a few years ago, 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 candidate’s 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 important in an interview which can lead to a bad hire. You can also really embarrass yourself in front of your beloved daughter.
POWER THOUGHT: Did you really hear what you thought you heard?
by Beth | Dec 7, 2022 | Employee Retention, Leadership
I have a client who is really worried about “quiet quitting”, and he called me to discuss his concerns. I said, “do you know what quiet quitting is?” He said “Yes! It’s when employees quit working but are still on your payroll!” It’s easy to see why he is worried.
Quiet quitting is a very confusing term because it doesn’t involve employees actually leaving the company. According to this article, the more accurate term is “acting your wage” or doing nothing more than your job.
https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-engagement/why-we-cant-quit-talking-about-quiet-quitting?TRK=orgsocial-quiet-quitting-facebook-9-14-22&fbclid=IwAR2a7LCyRaP_NcRBDXBDifLGpCJJgVSnWN0_t4QnmlHD7sUHVzj3Pz6popA
I really hate terms like this because it makes my clients super nervous. When the business leader in an organization is nervous, then everyone on staff gets nervous. And that makes “quiet quitting” a self-fulling prophecy.
Instead of fearing this trend, let’s re-frame it: What if quiet quitting is simply employees having better boundaries around work? What if employees stop killing themselves at work, and engage in more self-care? What if instead of focusing on ‘quitting” we focused on training and retention?
At the end of the day, whatever term you use, I want you to focus on being proactive and not reactive. When you as the leader are proactive, you are calmer, and that feeling eases the tension for your staff.
POWER THOUGHT: Quiet quitting is quite the trend. Just maybe not the trend that you thought.
by Beth | Nov 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
My daughter, Katy, and I would like to wish everyone a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday.
I am so grateful for all of my clients, friends and family for supporting A-list Interviews, as we continue to grow and thrive. A giant thank you to my team for a great year as well.
I hope your holiday is full of peace, love, joy and pie!
Yours in success,
Beth Smith
by Beth | Nov 9, 2022 | Uncategorized
As part of A-list Interview’s commitment to spreading our mission and vision for changing the world through hiring people that are a great fit for their job and company, I will be on CompTeam’s podcast on December 7th. As employers head into a new year, they are reviewing their teams and strategy for 2023, and the experts at CompTeam host The People Strategy Forum each week to discuss timely topics.
A little about CompTeam: People are at the heart of successful organizations. Employees need to feel fulfilled and satisfied in order to contribute their full talents and productivity. Talent management is not one-size-fits-all, and this belief is what inspired Sam Reeve to start CompTeam.
CompTeam’s beliefs and expertise fit perfectly with A-list Interviews, and what we try to do each day as we match employees with employers to create a harmonious workplace, where everyone is doing the job they were meant to do each day. We will share the link to the podcast on December 7th, and we invite you to visit CompTeam’s website to learn more about them: https://compteam.net/
And, if you are looking to spread the word about A-list Interviews ahead of 2023 hiring, we love referrals from our best clients! Please have them reach out via phone at 303-818-0555 or email at info@a-listinterviews.com, so they can hit the ground running in 2023 with great people in the right seats. We consider a referral to be the highest compliment we can receive, and we appreciate it every single time.
by Beth | Oct 26, 2022 | Attitude
Halloween has been very hit-and-miss in the workplace, in my experience. Some companies really promote it by buying pounds and pounds of candy and giving out prizes for the best costumes. Some companies don’t celebrate it at all with the mindset of “Please don’t bring candy here! I am trying so hard to stick to my diet!”
But this year, there is something in the air. The fall is so beautiful, the air is calm, and winter is late to the party. Most of my clients are in the mood to do something different, like celebrate.
Here are some of the comments that I have heard from my clients:
“I started buying chocolate mid- September. I NEVER do that!”
“This year, by God, I am dressing up for Halloween. I haven’t done that in a decade.”
We have all been walking around in a Zombie fog the last couple years. In many countries, Halloween is the beginning of the New Year, and it definitely feels that way now. We are all tired of walking around half-dead in a zombie state and looking ghostly.
So, this year, I encourage you to step out of the norm. Make the effort to celebrate in a way that you haven’t done in a long time. Buy the candy and the costume and engage with your employees like you haven’t been able to in a while. After all, the zombie in all of us needs to wake up.
Boo!
Power Thought: Don’t ghost Halloween this year!
