by Beth | Feb 28, 2012 | Interview Process
I was meeting with a new client to discuss the possibility of hiring their “right hand” person. As I do with every client, I asked her to dream big. “If you could have any person that you wanted for this job, who would they be and what would they know?” Do you know what she said? “I want them to be punctual.”
When you make a bad hire, you say to yourself, “Well, I can work with this employee if only they do xyz.” Then, xyz doesn’t happen. Then, you say to yourself, “If only they will do abc, then I can work with that.” Of course, abc isn’t going to happen either. The next thing you know, you are just wishing for someone to be punctual.
So, what if you changed the word punctual to “Committed”? If someone is committed to the job and committed to the company, then they will be punctual.
I dare you to dream big around your next hiring decision. Think roses and rainbows, to infinity and beyond. Conduct effective interviews and you will find your dream employee!
by Beth | Feb 22, 2012 | Adventures in Interviewing
Last week, as I was interviewing, I kept smelling bacon. It smelled SO GOOD! I felt like that dog in the Beggin’ Strips commercial whose sole focus was to get some bacon! Anyway, I turned to my client and said “I must be going crazy because I think I smell bacon!” She laughed and said “You aren’t crazy. Our staff makes lunch together, and they usually cook breakfast foods.” As I rounded the hallway to see for myself what was taking place, there were 5 people with plates piled high with bacon, eggs, pancakes and French toast crammed into one little office around an even smaller desk sharing a meal together.
Company culture can be created in so many different ways, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot or take up much time. These staff members not only enjoyed their bacon, but they were able to talk about work in a casual way. They created friendships and deeper relationships over those amazing pancakes, all while they were passing the syrup. Ask any of the employees and they will tell you that those brunches are not only fun, but they are also productive.
If your company is lagging behind, or employee morale is low, it might be time to introduce some fun into the game.
Making bacon together really can help you bring home the bacon!
I would love to hear from you if you or your employees introduced a morale boosting activity that has become part of your company culture?
by Beth | Feb 14, 2012 | Employee Retention
Your superstar employee is out pregnant. An amazing employee’s father is dying of cancer. Your right hand man injured himself in a Rugby game. For these employees, you will do whatever it takes to help them get back up and running. You will bend over backwards to accomplish whatever is needed to help them because you know that the effort is appreciated and will be reciprocated.
Then, you have that one employee who always spends their accrued vacation hours before they have really earned them. When they call in sick, you grit your teeth and seethe. Life happens, yet you are bothered.
The question is why do some situations bother you with some employees and not with others?
The big difference is that your rockstar employee will have a contingency plan in place so that work gets done in spite of life interruptions. They will work from home when their child is sick, or they will make plans to cover their job if they need to suddenly leave town. It isn’t their job to do that, but they do it anyway as a way to contribute to the team and the core values of the company. That extra little something that they do to make your life easier is why you will work hard to make them happy. Those who don’t aren’t really team members.
by Beth | Feb 1, 2012 | Employee Hiring, Interview Techniques
Listening is the corner stone for conducting a successful interviewing process. I can’t say this often enough. While listening to the candidate to measure integrity and skill set sounds obvious, it is also important for the interviewer to listen to themselves. The voice inside your head will sound the alarm bells if something is not quite right. If there is something worrying you that you can’t articulate, ask for help. Schedule another interview and have someone sit in on it with you. Whatever you do, don’t ignore it! Hiring someone is a big responsibility, so take the time to do it right by listening.
by Beth | Jan 25, 2012 | Employee Hiring, Interview Techniques
Last Monday, I interviewed 14 people with my clients. Exhausted, my clients looked over at me with wide eyes and said “How do you DO this all day?” Because I love it! I love the interview process, especially when I see my clients light bulbs go off about the process. They get it. They have made a great choice, and they know it. The candidate is also happy because the client is sure of their choice.
I followed up with another client of mine recently. I have helped them hire many people for a variety of different positions. When asked how everyone was doing and the response was “All of our people are great. Thanks for your help!”
So why is the interview process so hard? The largest reason I have seen in my experience is that the interview team is not prepared. A lot of work that must happen long before posting that job ad. Keep in mind:
- You can’t get what you want, unless you know what it is.
- Your team has to be prepared, understanding who is responsible for the variety of tasks & roles necessary in the interview process.
- An interview is an interaction unlike any other in our culture. You can’t just wing it and expect it to work.
So, put in the time upfront to really examine what your ideal candidate looks like and to prepare your team. It will be well worth it in the end. And, when I follow up with you after your next interview process, you too can say “Beth, our people are amazing!”
I was meeting with a new client to discuss the possibility of hiring their “right hand” person. As I do with every client, I asked her to dream big. “If you could have any person that you wanted for this job, who would they be and what would they know?” Do you know what she said? “I want them to be punctual.”
