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
Over the past several months, every news outlet is publishing articles about labor shortages, no one to hire, and the Great Resignation. These articles are full of gloom and doom, and of course, there is panic on all levels about how to hire and how to retain employees. Instead of buying into that fear, I would like to pass on to you 3 pieces of really good news.
#1: When there are lots of people leaving companies, that means that there are lots of people to hire. If you are getting applications, then you don’t have a recruiting problem. You have a selection problem.
SOLUTION: Focus on your interview process and your application process. Are you making it too hard to apply? Are you following up with people quickly? Is your ad inspiring or is it yawn-worthy?
#2: Over the last year of new hires, 58% took a pay cut to go to their new position. https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2021/10/covid-19-career-change-pandemic-happier.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=nch&ana=e_n_bizwomen_tease
So, more money isn’t the answer to get people to stay.
SOLUTION: work on your culture. If you have crappy managers and a fear-based leadership style, you aren’t going to be successful in hiring.
#3: Of the folks who changed jobs, 78% of them are happier that they did. What this means to hiring managers is that if your interview process is solid, your culture is supportive, your new hires will be happier and more productive at work.
Bottom line: The workforce is changing and we as business owners have to change with it. If you enhance your culture, get rid of toxic people, you will hire better and retain more employees without spending more money.
Power thought: Best. News. EVER!
A few months ago, I started looking for a new home. The timing couldn’t have been worse. The real estate market in Colorado has been stupid lately, and I am not usually known for my patience.
Anyway, I encountered this house that had pink walls and a 3D mermaid sticking out of the wall (see photo). The place was dirty, not staged well, had a ½ eaten box of pop tarts in the basement closet, and a life-sized portrait of Mother Teresa with a kneeling rug where the dining room table should be. The office had blood red walls, and the floor-to-ceiling fireplace had been totally blocked by over-grown vines.
I turned to my realtor and said emphatically “Oh HELL no.”
My realtor, Heather Slump, disagreed with me. She said “It’s just paint and carpet, Beth. Easily fixable. Plus, the layout is perfect for you, and this place is very well-built.” She was right. She started talking to me about possibilities, and she created a picture of what this place could be, minus the mermaid. I got really excited!
Long story short, I moved in 2 weeks ago. I bought the place under asking price, and I was the only offer. This is the single best place I have EVER lived!
You can have the same experience with employees. You are never going to find great people if all you do is focus on the resume. If all you ever do is look at experience, degrees and University names, you can miss the magical merfolk that come along your desk. Make waves with your hiring process! Look outside the box!
Imagine the possibilities! You will be so glad you did!
And for the Mermaid house? Things are going along swimmingly.
You are invited to visit!
Power thought: You can have any employee that you want. Focus on the magic of your hiring process. Your mermaid/merman is right around the jetty.
This past week, my daughter Katy, applied for a job as a Personal Care Aide. She would be going to a client’s home who has some sort of disability. As a future nurse, Katy wanted to get some practical real- world experience before she started her clinicals in the fall of 2021. Really smart on her part.
She applied online to a company with her resume and targeted cover letter. The woman emailed Katy within hours and asked her for a phone interview the following day. Here is how the conversation went:
Interviewer: Do you have a reliable car?
Katy: yes
Interviewer: Do you want part-time?
Katy: yes
Interviewer: Does this hourly rate work for you?
Katy: yes
Interviewer: Then you have the job! I will send you some paperwork to fill out, and we will call you for orientation after your background check comes back. Do you have any questions?
Katy called me to report after it was over, and she said, “You are probably appalled.” Uh, yes. Yes, I am.
What kind of an interview is THAT? And for taking care of someone with a disability in their HOME???
I am horrified.
When you hire out of desperation, you make mistakes 2/3 of the time. This company got lucky with Katy. She is smart, kind, and responsible. She will make a GREAT aide to her clients. And because the company gets lucky, they won’t dig deep to figure out a way to really interview people effectively. And thus, the cycle continues.
If you are looking for front line, hourly workers, I have a shorter interview process that is highly effective, and it can turn the tide from desperate to visionary in a very short period of time. Think about it and reach out if you want to discuss. Your future company will thank you for it.
Power thought: A “non-interview” is the road to big mistakes in 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 teenage daughter.
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