by Beth | Jan 12, 2022 | Company Culture
Last week, Colorado lost almost 1000 homes in an awful fire. A client called me who had employees that lost their homes, and frantically he said, “Beth, I don’t know what to do here! How do I help my people?” So, I put together some suggestions.
1) Pick up the phone and call them. They need to hear from you. They need to know that you are going to support them and that you have their back. They may not be in a place to call you back immediately, so don’t read into it if they don’t. Call once every week to two weeks, with no expectation of a call back.
2) Take action. Don’t ask them what they need, just provide it. When my daughter, Katy, was in the hospital the first time, my friend Beth sent a ton of food to our hospital room. She didn’t ask; she just did it. Also, a friend sent a handmade blanket to the hospital. I have it on my lap as I am typing this. I have never forgotten these beautiful acts of kindness, and your employees won’t either.
3) Items to give. When someone has lost their home, “stuff” isn’t what they need, because they have no place to put it. Take them food and water; bottled water, fruit, nuts, crackers, peanut butter, bread. The people that have come to the donation center where I donated my time asked for blankets, towels, socks, underwear, and warm clothes.
4) Donate money to the family directly. In the Boulder 2012 fire, $650,000 went to the Red Cross, but the families didn’t see that money. If you have a friend or employee who was directly affected, donate directly to them or take the initiative to set up a GOFUNDME account.
5) Listen. Just listen. Your friend, family member, employee needs a safe outlet to process their heavy emotions when a tragedy strikes, and they have a huge loss. You don’t have to fix it for them; in fact, you can’t. But you can be a sounding board and provide support when they need it most.
Finally, take care of yourself, so that you can be available for them. Rally the troops and check in regularly. We all need each other right now, and your employee will never forget the action that you are taking on their behalf.
Power thought: Put your oxygen mask on first, and then help your employee out with the suggestions above. They will never forget your act of kindness.
by Beth | Dec 30, 2021 | Company Culture
As we begin each New Year, many of us take the opportunity to re-group and redefine goals for our businesses. This time is often filled with renewed energy to get our lives and work in order. As a part of your New Year’s goals, it might also be time to fire that one employee that is not contributing to your company’s vision.
The impact of an unengaged employee on your business can be catastrophic. Decreased productivity, lowered company morale, and miserable working environments have been common complaints by my clients as they come to the decision to relieve an employee, especially when an estimated 50% of employees will change jobs in 2022! I say start the New Year fresh!
A past client of mine had an employee who consistently gave her ultimatums. The threats were often “If you don’t do this, then I will quit.” Who wants to work with an individual who is constantly threatening you? The team was struggling to work with the individual, my client was unhappy with the performance of the individual, yet the concept of firing and replacing this person seemed daunting and ill-timed. When my client finally became fed up, they did indeed fire the employee. I won’t sugar coat the transition. It was hard, uncomfortable and came at a terrible time, but my client knew that this was the right decision for the company.
In addition, the busiest day of the year for applicants looking for a job is the second Tuesday in January. Think about this: the people who are fed up with their work environments are also looking to make a change. So, if you want to start the New Year with someone who REALLY wants to work for you, get going! Now is the time.
POWER THOUGHT: New Year, new goals, new culture!
by Beth | Dec 15, 2021 | Employee Hiring
Over 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 beloved daughter.
POWER THOUGHT: Did you really hear what you thought you heard?
by Beth | Dec 8, 2021 | Employee Hiring
“I have a problem” confessed one of my favorite clients on a conference call last week.
“Oh yeah? What is it?” I asked.
“I have too many employees,” she sighed.
Well, THAT’S one I haven’t heard before!
Meet Lindsay Shaw, from Lindsay’s Boulder Deli and Haagen Daas. She and I did some hiring and management consulting in 2018, and she has since gone on to hire and train successfully on her own. I called her randomly to find out how she was doing, especially during a labor shortage for restaurant staff. She has the opposite problem of most other restaurants. She has former employees coming back to her and begging for hours.
Which presents the question: Why is that?
Lindsay: “I think that when you are short on staff, it is tempting to lower your standards. But when you do that, the good people will leave to find a better place to work. The ‘great’ employees want to work in a place with high standards; a culture that values being the best and the brightest, and because they are so great, they can get hired wherever they go.”
While it seems counterintuitive, when there is a shortage of staff, do NOT lower your standards. Hold those great employees in high esteem and hold out for the best candidates. Then you can be like Lindsay with amazing staff, low drama, happy customers and a healthy and thriving work environment.
Happy hiring!
Power thought: Great staff thrive with high standards. Bad staff thrive with low standards.
by Beth | Nov 24, 2021 | Uncategorized
My daughter and I would like to wish everyone a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday.
I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to 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 am grateful for every one of you!
Yours in success,
Beth Smith
