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Secrets to Hiring Great Employees Janet Stiffler, Executive Training Resources
Looking for a few good men and women…? It’s not a game. It’s a serious part of your business. Employee turnover is a problem for both small and large companies. Whether first-line managers, upper management, or general workers, turnover of employees is hard on everyone and hurts your business. Change – good or bad – is hard to deal with. Managers wonder why it’s so hard to find good employees. It’s easy to point a finger at the welfare system that makes it easy to not work, at the laissez faire culture that encourages ‘do your own thing,’ at the school systems that churn out under-achievers, at TV shows that promote instant gratification, to…. whatever. But the bottom line remains the same for business owners, you need competent, reliable, loyal, productive employees. The challenge is to find and retain GOOD employees. Let’s look at the recruiting and retention processes. That’s where it all starts. That’s where YOU build the all-important employee base for YOUR business. RECRUITING
How do you find and keep high-quality employees? It begins with the recruiting process. Be specific in advertising your requirements and expectations. Typical requirements might include: - Class of driver’s license - Educational requirements - Physical requirements (but avoid discrimination!) - Drug-free work place (drug screen required?) - Related experience - Salary history - Cover letter - References - Unique requirements/qualifications for the position you want to fill. This specificity lets the prospective employee know right up front what you expect him/her to bring to your business, and helps you screen out the “maybes,” the “drifters,” and the unqualified applicants. It’s really worth the extra cost of a longer, more specific ad. APPLICANT SCREENING
Be precise when you screen the written applications so that you don’t waste your time, energy, and resources interviewing unqualified applicants. Abide by the basics prescribed in your recruitment advertisement: - If your recruitment ad required a cover letter and salary history, did the applicant comply? If not, it tends to show that they cannot follow simple instructions. - How many different jobs has the applicant had? Changing jobs every year or two without advancement (or another logical reason) indicates a pattern of instability or questionable employability. Also, check out unexplained time lapses. - The format of a résumé can reveal a lot about a person. What is their work ethic - do they list education or employment history first? Is the month included for periods of employment periods? Listing 2001-2002 could actually be covering only a few months; they may have started in December 2001 and have been terminated in February 2002. Having screened the written applications and developed a short list of qualified applicants who apparently meet your requirements, it’s time for the interview. Hopefully, you have a list of qualified and apparently desirable applicants. If not, STOP the hiring process! Advertise again. It’s much better to take some extra time and effort to find the “right” employee than to bring aboard a questionable or potentially trouble-making new employee just to fill the work schedule. THE INTERVIEW
Job interviews can be structured in many ways, conducted in many environments, and oriented toward many goals. It is hard to set a “basic” interview format. You will vary your questions from applicant to applicant. What is most important is that you follow the leads presented in the written applications, pull the threads that the applicant provides to ensure that they are truthful, and then use your instinct to identify the best applicant for YOUR job. The one question that best measures the overall personality of the applicant is, “What is the single most important quality that you, as an employee, can offer us if you are hired?” The most common responses I hear are, “Get along with others, reliable, and flexible.” Other answers include: “honesty,” “detail-oriented,” and “perfectionist.” The answer I REALLY look for is “loyalty.” Loyalty encompasses all the positive behaviors that an employer needs to sustain a work force. If your advertising and screening processes identify an applicant with your minimum qualifications who believes in loyalty, chances are you won’t regret hiring them. Beyond the basic questions to determine qualification and employability, here are a few additional questions to ask that can give you broader insight into the applicant:
(Demonstrates intelligence, personal dedication, reliability, and loyalty.)
(This shows how innovative he/she is and if he/she is likely to look for ways to improve processes.)
(Potential for growth.)
(His/her level of self-confidence and perseverance.)
(Adaptability and communication skills are a high priority when hiring a
(This answer will let you know how well he/she is organized, and if he/she is a self-starter.) The job interview is a two-way street. Ensure that the interviewee – your potential employee – understands your expectations for the job and is willing to take them on. Also, ensure that he/she recognizes and acknowledges the requirements for employment – absence policy, drug policy, safety policy, etc. BRINGING YOUR NEW HIRE ON BOARD
Establish a comfortable setting to welcome your new employee. Clearly communicate your expectations, job description, and any policies, rules, or requirements. Ask him/her if they have any questions; if so, resolve them. Ensure that he/she properly executes any necessary forms. Be prepared for an organized start: - Have the employee record folder complete and ready: company rules, job description, W-4 form, personal data sheet, benefit enrollment forms, etc. - Have the workplace ready: tools, phone hooked up, desk space, computer hooked up, organizational chart, locker, personal protective equipment, etc.
This demonstrates that you are organized – a good place to work – and that you value your new employee – and expect him/her to start performing. Introduce your new employee to co-workers. Your comments during the introductions can show your expectations to both the new and current employees. It gives everyone a sense of job security. MAINTAINING
Preventing employee turnover is the most cost-effective thing you can do. You must constantly strive to provide your employees with a sense of belonging, a feeling that they are important to you, and that your business success is important to them. One of your most important tasks is to clearly communicate specific job requirements and expectations, and be flexible enough to adjust for improvement. Ensure you maintain – and improve - the overall quality of your workplace.
When dealing with anyone in your organization, remember that the behaviors that get reinforced get repeated! Recognize others the way they want to be recognized. Don’t assume that others appreciate the same forms of praise that you do. Successful recognition is in the eye of the receiver, not the giver! As a manager you should be accessible, help your employees grow, focus on the positive, and, when dishing out deserved praise, be sincere, specific, and timely. As long as people work together, there will always be some conflict. People express themselves in different ways. There is no guaranteed way to effectively manage people. Each management style has benefits and down falls. No one can please everyone all of the time. Recognize that every employee is an individual with their own thoughts, and they believe their ideas and values are the best. Once you have hired a new employee, remember to do your part so they can successfully do their job. EFFECTIVENESS
With effective instruction - classroom environment, correspondence courses, on-the-job training – you can develop almost anyone to do almost any specific task. What you cannot teach are the core values: honesty, dedication, loyalty, responsibility, sociability, and ethics. You can, and should, expect them. Lead by example. Your staff is constantly watching you. It is important to set a good example for your employees. Actions speak louder than words. A happy employee makes for a happy company. What is the key topic that measures employee satisfaction for your business? Appreciation and recognition is universally established as the number one factor contributing to employee job satisfaction. Money isn’t everything, but it is a BIG second most important workplace issue. When employees feel needed and appreciated, they are more efficient, more productive, have better attendance, and are more loyal to their position and the company. It is very important that you give your employees reasonable authority along with their responsibilities. Sometimes you need to step back and understand that your employee is capable of performing their job responsibilities and do not need to be micro-managed. Assign a task and make sure you provide the tools needed to accomplish the specific task. Then, step back. Intervene when necessary, but remember that each employee has his/her own style and is probably more than capable of completing the task without your constant supervision. This is the way you grow them into doing their job for you. This is the way to grow their personal sense of accomplishment and satisfaction- that very important sense of satisfaction that will help keep that good employee who supports YOU and YOUR business. Janet Stiffler, an
Executive Training Resources
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