by Beth | Jul 29, 2020 | Adventures in Interviewing
This past week, I made a job offer for one of my clients. All of us on the hiring committee were all really excited about this candidate. The way he had presented himself in the interview process. his references, homework, and answers to our questions earned him a job offer. We were thrilled.
Imagine our shock when he turned us down.
“Can we ask why?” said my client.
“You know, I have the opportunity to pursue my dream job, which is in a completely different industry, and I am going to go for it. I really appreciate you, your time, and the offer. I will never have this opportunity again, and I am going all in,” said the candidate.
Wow.
There is so much uncertainly in the world right now. There is so much fear. Watching someone take a leap of faith in spite of all the gloom and doom is so damn inspiring.
While I am disappointed that I didn’t fill the job and disappointed for my clients that have to keep searching, I am so dang proud of this guy! What an act of bravery!
What brave act are you going to do this week?
Tell me all about it.
by Beth | Jul 15, 2020 | Employee Hiring, Selecting Good Candidates
When my daughter, Katy was looking for colleges, she started out with one college in mind, and she didn’t want to apply to any others. She was convinced that The University of Texas was the only school for her, and it didn’t help that I am a fourth generation University of Texas graduate. I had been indoctrinating her with Longhorn ideas, spirit and paraphernalia since before she was born. Even though I would have LOVED for her to go to UT, I still thought that applying to just one school seemed very restrictive and short-sighted. She and I fought bitterly, until the day we met Ms. Shelly.
Shelly Humbach of Humbach Education Consulting is a college consultant who helps families like ours; Shelly speaks “teen” and she bridges the gap between Teen Wants and Parent Expectations. She agreed with me that applying to one school was restrictive, but she didn’t agree that the University of Texas was all that wonderful. “They are very stingy with their money!” she said.
Shelly led Katy through a Discovery Process that included an ideal list; what did Katy want from her college experience, what did she want to study and what kind of climate did Katy like (she is cold when it is 70 degrees out!). The two of them created a vision for her ideal college experience, narrowed the list down to the top 5, and sent us off the visit the campuses. Wouldn’t you know? UT did not make the cut.
Does this process sound familiar to you, my loyal readers? It should!
I have many times been brought into a company where the C-suite is arguing bitterly over a potential hire; they all have great ideas, but they can’t agree on how that vision should play out. I always begin with a Discovery Meeting about what they want and need, the vision for the role, and how that role will contribute to the goals of the organization. And often, I am the one that helps bridge the gap for the interview team; after all, I have a 91% retention rate for employees after a year.
Katy will be a sophomore at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida, and that school is perfect for her! She loves the size, the location, the climate, the people, the curriculum. It had direct entry nursing, small classes, and she can converse in Spanish with her Uber drivers! The University President is an expert in infectious diseases, and they rolled out their Pandemic plan for this fall in April. The plan has been a template for other colleges to implement, just another sign that we chose the right place for us. And yet, Katy would never have looked at this school if it hadn’t been for Ms. Shelly.
We held out until we found the right fit. We never settled for second choice, and the outcome was beyond awesome. I advise my clients to do just the same; finding the right employee for the right position saves everyone involved a lot of time, heartache and headaches too. The right fit will change your life.
As for Shelly? She has forever earned a spot on my team of colleagues.
by Beth | Jul 1, 2020 | Employee Hiring
As you all know, my daughter Katy had a hip replacement 3 weeks ago. (Her recovery is going great!) The story I want to tell you is about how she found her surgeon.
We discovered in October of last year that this surgery would most likely be required by Katy’s primary care physician, and she recommended that Katy get a second opinion. We found the first surgeon through a referral. He confirmed that she would have to have a replacement, but he didn’t perform that type of surgery.
We made an appointment with Surgeon #2. When we arrived at his office, they had no record of her having an appointment. We were told that we could re-schedule in 8 weeks.
Surgeon #3: we were told to go to one location by a scheduler. When we arrived, we were told that the doctor didn’t work at that location on that day, but we could call back and re-schedule for 4-5 weeks out.
Katy called 4 more surgeons. 3 never called her back. 1 called back but had no openings.
(Does this sound like your hiring process???)
Finally, Katy called Surgeon #8, Dr. Nicholas Ting. He had a cancellation the next day at 2:45. Would we like to come in? Why, yes. Yes, we would.
Dr. Ting was on time. He was kind, thorough, patient, and knowledgeable. He called Katy by name and asked her about her college classes. He answered all of her questions, and though I am positive he has a very tight schedule, Katy felt like he had all day for her. He had a text message service that provided updates and tips on a great recovery. On the day of the surgery, he came to visit her before the surgery. He explained how everything would go. He came to the waiting room to talk with me after it was over. He visited her at the hospital at 7:30 pm that night to see how she was, and 5 days post-surgery he PERSONALLY called her to “check in”.
Katy has had 5 surgeries. He was by far the single best doctor we have ever encountered.
Waiting for the right candidate to come along takes patience and discipline. It isn’t easy. You think it is NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.
But, if you wait, that person will walk into your life and change it. I promise.
by Beth | Jun 17, 2020 | Employee Hiring
My daughter, Katy, and I used to foster dogs, and one dog was a part cattle dog named Fritzy. She LOVED to tree squirrels! She would make a beeline to any squirrel within a 3-mile radius. It was HORRIBLE to take her on walks because all she wanted to do was tree squirrels. We tried every trick in the book to get her to not tree squirrels, but alas! To no avail.
My biggest worry was, ‘Who is going to adopt Fritzy? All she wants to do is chase squirrels, so she won’t be good for just any family. They will have to have some property for her to run around and do her thing, or it would never work out.’
Every time I meet with a new client, they always say to me, “I have this very unique position, and it will take a very special person with the right kind of skill-set in order to be the right hire. How will I ever find this person??”
You start with a vision for the person. For Fritzy, I listed on her profile “High-energy dog who is a champion squirrel chaser. If you have a rodent problem, Fritzy is the dog for you!” If you need an engineer who is also a people person, list that in your ad! If you need a stereo buyer who can also sell parts, write that down! You can’t have what you want unless you ask for it!
And for Fritzy? I took her to an adoption event, and a family walked up to me asking “Where is the Champion Squirrel Chaser?” I said, “Are you joking?” They said “No! We have a chicken farm, and we need a dog who will chase squirrels and rats.”
I am happy to report that Fritzy cleared out the rodent problem at the chicken farm in less than 2 weeks. The family LOVES her, and she runs all over the farm all day every day. She has never been happier.
by Beth | Jun 3, 2020 | Uncategorized
Today when this email hits your inbox, my 19-year old daughter, Katy, will be in surgery getting her hip replaced. Because of an infection 12 years ago, she has developed arthritis and has very little cartilage left to cushion the joint. This new titanium hip will restore her body to its youth and allow her pain-free movement once again.
When we first received the news that a hip replacement would be the doctor’s recommended course of treatment, I bawled my eyes out. But not Katy. My daughter beamed from ear to ear! When I later asked her why she was so happy, she replied by saying “The worst-case scenario would be if they told me there was nothing that they could do to help me. They have a plan to fix me.” Katy was able to look at the situation she was given and find the bright side. She was grateful for the opportunity to be treated and looked at the surgery as a way to better empathize with and relate to her future patients once she’s a nurse.
I think there is a lesson here for all of us to learn. Developing an infection at age 7 and needing a hip replacement at age 19 were circumstances no one could have predicted for my daughter. Instead of dwelling on the odds or the cards dealt, she has chosen to look at what she can learn and be grateful to have found a fix and an amazing surgeon to help her.
We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to it. With many bumps along the road, the most powerful thing we can do is choose to enjoy the journey with our loved ones.
I am really inspired by my daughter’s positive outlook on this whole ordeal, and I carry that forward with me as I navigate COVID-19 and it’s eventual effects.
I hope that you can too.
