One of the most common problems that my clients have when they are interviewing people for a job is that they “feel sorry” for the candidates. “I just want to offer the job to all of them!”
I often ask, “Do you know why you want to offer the job to all the people?”
Most people have no idea why they struggle, but the answer is simple: we are biologically wired to include others. We are biologically wired for connection. So, when someone comes in for an interview, and they are nervous, anxious, worried and scared, we want to make it better. We want to help them feel better, and help them succeed in the interview
Here is the disconnect. When you have 300 applicants and 1 job, you will reject at least 299 of your candidates. You may reject all 300, re-post the ad, and keep going. And it is difficult, because we aren’t wired to reject people. You have to be exclusionary when you are hiring, which goes against our humanity and our most basic instincts as humans.
So next time that you are hiring someone, remind yourself of this: instead of “rejecting” someone, you are releasing them into the universe so that they can find their dream job and you can find your dream candidate. It’s a win/win.
Everyone deserves to be happy, especially you. Don’t forget that next time you endeavor to hire someone.
A friend of mine was hired recently to work for a large corporation. Upon being hired, he was informed that if he arrived to work on time for his first 2 straight weeks, he would receive an $800 bonus. Further, if he arrived on time for the following 2 straight weeks, he would receive another $800 bonus. Lastly, if he was on time for work for 4 straight weeks, he would receive an additional $2000. Thus, the motivation of the company is a guarantee that this new employee would be on time for work for his first 8 weeks, in turn setting good habits for on-time work arrival.
As I have recounted this story to those in my network, the reactions have been varied and intense. Comments such as:
“You have got to be kidding me! They are paying someone a bonus to show up for work?”
“Is this what we have come to as to implement company culture?”
“I thought that being on time for work is what a salary is for.”
“What happened to the work ethic?”
It is interesting to me the visceral reactions to using monetary bonuses to reinforce desired behavior in an employee. It is also very interesting to me as to why the company feels compelled to offer money to an employee to ensure they will be on time.
The real fact is that being late is a sign of lack of commitment. If your new employees are not automatically arriving to work at the agreed upon time, they should not have been hired. Ask more questions during your interviews about timeliness to avoid having to incentivize punctuality. After all, your time is too valuable to invest in a bad hire.
It has become an annual tradition to remind my community to let go of those on your team who are not performing.Happy New Year 2019!
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. I say start the new year fresh!
For example, a past client had an employee who consistently gave the employer 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, the employer 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, now is the time.
So often I am asked, “Do I HAVE to have a job description?” In this 1 minute and 37 second video, I explain 3 reasons why having a fresh job description when you hire is a critical step.
On Friday the 13th, I had a meeting planned with one of my favorite clients. I arrived excited to be there and was greeted by the team having a company lunch.
I asked my client, “What is the occasion?”
He replied, “Flood prevention.”
Oh…Wait! What?
Everyone on to the team laughed as they began to fill me in on the joke. Apparently, the company has a cultural tradition of having lunch on Friday the 13th. The one time that the company did not have a lunch on this notoriously superstitious date, their conference room flooded. So now, they NEVER miss having a company lunch on Friday the 13th…flood prevention!
During lunch, there was a lot of good natured ribbing of one another with a very comfortable banter where everyone was included. It was a lighthearted meal that showed how much of a team this group had become. And, I might add, highly productive and efficient.
Very often, leadership refers to the people who make up the workforce within the company as “human capital”. This reference has always struck me as an odd way to refer to the people, not just “humans”, who sell and produce, care for clients and are essentially the lifeblood of a company. They are so much more than “capital’, they are essential. This CEO is an excellent example of how our workforce should be referenced. He greets his employees by name, asks about their family members and supports whatever fun his people may be having. He never refers to his staff as “human capital”, FTE’s or “current head count”. Instead, he uses words like “team”, “crew” and “associates”, much higher titles of respect and acknowledgement.
If you want to change your company culture, begin with your language. Refer to your staff by name, not as “human capital.” Then celebrate the people who create success with the occasional company lunch, even to ward off superstition. Remember to laugh a lot and chime in on friendly banter. And if you happen to prevent your building from flooding, then congrats… 2 birds, one stone.
I received a call last week from a woman that I have never met. She was an employer who wanted to ask me some questions about firing an employee who is “making my life a living hell”. I asked her to explain why she believed the person was an underperforming employee. She replied, “She is doing nothing towards her job and everything to make everyone else’s job harder.”
“Can you give me an example?” I asked.
“I sure can,” she said. “She called a long-term vendor of mine and cancelled an order that we had placed. This order was instrumental in getting a project done for our top client. Luckily, I have a fantastic relationship with this vendor, who called me personally to make sure that the order should be cancelled. This is not the first time, nor is it the first incident. In addition, she shows up late, none of her work is done on time, and her attitude is turning away new clients.”
“How long has this been going on?” I asked.
“5 years,” she replied. I gasped. Why on earth did this woman put up with an unacceptable employee for as long as she did?
There are a few reasons an employer will keep a poor employee in place:
1) The employee was not performing unsatisfactorily for the whole 5 years, just part of it. The employer creates a false sense of “it will get better over time.”
2) You have a conversation with an underperforming employee and it gets better for a short time. Then a new erosion of performance begins. The employer begins to believe this is just a cycle of behavior to justify.
3) The employer thinks that they cannot have the position be empty while they hire someone else. And since many do not like the hiring process, they delay the search.
4) They feel bad for firing someone.
Here is what I told her, “I greatly appreciate that you want to provide a good working environment for your employees, and I understand that you feel bad. I have never in the 16 years that I have been doing this had a client tell me that they regretted firing an employee. NOT ONE. I have had clients regret hiring someone and regret not firing them sooner, but I have never in my career had a client regret firing an employee.”
If it has crossed your mind that you need to fire an employee, begin to truly examine the situation. If you determine the employee is no longer a fit, follow a consistent firing policy, including documentation and explaining severity of your dissatisfaction to the employee. And, don’t wait. You are just putting off the inevitable. As they say in business, hire slow, fire fast.
