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Avoid Hiring MistakesYOUR EMPLOYEESAvoid Hiring Mistakes At some point in the life of your business, you'll probably need to hire someone to help out. But hiring employees brings added risk to your business. To avoid costly legal mistakes, follow these steps: Know the law. Read, understand and stay updated on employment law issues. You don't have to become an expert, but you'll be better off if you can get a general sense for how employment laws work: What actions or behavior are prohibited? What questions can you ask? How do you deal with harassment complaints? How do you properly terminate someone? Having a basic understanding of the rules and of standard practices can help you avoid pitfalls and get through difficult situations more easily. Interview legally. Remember, under federal and state anti-discrimination laws, employers cannot discriminate against prospective employees on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age or disability. Therefore, you may not ask interview questions designed to elicit information about an applicant's membership in one of the protected categories. Select employees carefully. Hire people who are trustworthy, enthusiastic and mature. This can make all the difference in the world. Do as much research as you can on candidates; checking references is a must. In the end, trust your instincts and don't hire someone if you have questions about integrity, ability or general approach. Know your policies. Make sure you have a set of employment agreements and policies. It's a good idea to have a confidentiality agreement if your business involves potential trade secrets. This will prevent former employees from taking business secrets to a competitor or from starting a competing business. If appropriate, have employees sign a reasonable noncompetition agreement as well. Noncompetition agreements typically prevent an employee from working for a competitor or starting a competing business for a reasonable period of time after leaving the employer. Sometimes these agreements also prevent employees from contacting former clients. You also need to have solid policies and procedures in place to handle employee terminations, complaints about co-workers and complaints about other matters, such as workplace safety. Make sure you adopt and communicate reasonable policies on parental leave, sick leave, vacations and similar matters. Most important, any agreements you use should be understandable, fair and legal. This will reassure your employees and help you avoid many potential pitfalls. Consult with a lawyer when you hire your first employee and when issues come up that involve potential liability. You don't need to spend a great deal of money - just enough to double-check with the lawyer on your potential liability or on steps to take to make sure things are set up correctly. For example, you might need to buy workers' compensation or unemployment compensation insurance. While you can never prevent all problems, taking these steps may help reduce the likelihood of lawsuits and will help protect you if one is filed. By Stan Soper Stan Soper, Esq., is founder of and senior vice president of legal solutions for MyCounsel.com, a legal Web site that delivers comprehensive legal information and services to small businesses and consumers. |
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You Got Attitude!You Got Attitude!All employees have attitudes that can positively--or negatively--affect the performance of your company. Here's how to determine what your employees' attitudes are and how to use this information to ensure they're fulfilled by--and productive in--their work. By Will Helmlinger Visualize a cartoon showing a man dressed in a business suit ready to leave for work. With his hand on the doorknob, he says to his wife, "If I'm not back in 15 minutes, it means I got on the bus and went to work." How many people go to work with an attitude similar to this? When did you-- or your employees--last feel this way? Are they wishing Monday morning were actually Friday afternoon? We all have attitudes. However, are your employees bringing the right attitudes and motivations to the job? Misdirected and inappropriate attitudes will impact your company and bottom line. In the late 1990s, our company participated an international study that examined the attitudes of one job category. This research led to the discovery that 92% of top sales professionals in both the U.S. and Germany had the same key attitudes and motivations. This compelling statistic revealed that appropriate attitudes/internal motivations impacted job performance. Even today, this statistic hold true! So how can you determine and gauge your employees' attitudes, and subsequently, the possible affect they might have on your company? Here's a four-step plan that will help you determine your employees' attitudes. Step 1: Defining Attitudes First, attitudes or motivations must be defined. Attitudes are our hidden motivations, interests and values. Attitudes drive our behavior. Attitudes are the standards or beliefs by which we act. Everyone is a combination of all the following work-related attitudes. Each of us maintains his/her own order of importance with each attitude. Note: Understand--attitudes will not change often, as they are embedded into us at an early age (typically ages 8 to11). Let's define each attitude. UTILITARIAN/ECONOMIC This attitude says, "Every investment I make will yield a greater return in time and resources." Functionality and usefulness are critical. Money is always a major component. Another is to eliminate wasted time. After all, "time is money!" Individuals who value this attitude first and foremost are stereotypical of many businesspeople. INDIVIDUALISM/POLITICAL People who rank this attitude highly are continually motivated to achieve the highest position and wield the greatest personal power. Their ultimate goal is to assert themselves and "win"--sometimes at any cost. This attitude may also be defined as the entrepreneurial attitude. "I control my own destiny!" THEORETICAL The theoretical attitude says, "I use my cognitive ability to discover and understand." Individuals with strong theoretical motivations are always hungry to learn, research, problem solve and "solve mysteries." Individuals who constantly thirst for knowledge may be viewed as intellectuals and can engage in prolonged debates or conversations. To the extreme, they will be so absorbed in the learning process that they may be labeled as "professional students." TRADITIONAL/REGULATORY Rules and regulations are the foundation for this attitude. System and order, unity and tradition are extremely important to individuals who value this attitude highly. Structure, clarity, "right and wrong" are key ingredients. Individuals who are motivated with this belief might be labeled as being "judgmental, stubborn, very structured, even rigid." SOCIAL/ALTRUISTIC Individuals who demonstrate this attitude are extremely sympathetic to the causes of others, are exceptionally kind and place others' interests above their own. They actively seek ways to help or care for others personally and professionally. They have an inherent "love for people" and may well view others who are not motivated similarly as being "cold or inhumane." They may be labeled as humanitarians. AESTETHIC A person who is motivated by this attitude ranks "form, beauty and harmony" at the top of the scale. They live life from the viewpoint of symmetry and grace. Aesthetic individuals focus on the subjective enjoyment of events in their lives. They work to create a world that satisfies their vision for living. To the extreme, they find it difficult to live in the "here and now" and can be labeled as "artists or creative-types." Generally speaking, two attitudes will stand out above the others; the remaining attitudes will be situationally important to you. Which are your top two attitudes? Step 2: Determining Attitudes Next is the practical application into the work setting. Part of any interview process should be the discovery of the candidate's attitudes. The following sample interview questions are used as a first step to understanding the applicant's most important motivations. UTILITARIAN/ECONOMIC What role does earning a significant income play in your job choices? In staying with a company? INDIVIDUALISM/POLITICAL What role does being in control of a situation play in your job satisfaction? THEORETICAL Describe the amount of time, energy and effort you need to master a subject or topic you currently know very little about? TRADITIONAL/REGULATORY Give me an example of a rule that you follow relative to managing or leading others. Why is this rule important to you? SOCIAL/ALTRUISTIC What responsibilities does society have today to take care of others? AESTETHIC Describe the type of future you'd like to create for yourself. Step 3: Verifying the Attitudes Next, you can objectively evaluate the attitudes of applicants by administering an attitudinal assessment. This tool will clearly define his/her motivations and rank what attitudes are most and least important. You can even learn the keys how to effectively manage and motivate them; and define opportunities for their training and professional development. This tool can eliminate much of the guesswork and objectively decide whether their attitudinal model is the one that best fits your needs. Step 4: Benchmarking Job Attitudes One step still remains--measuring what attitudes are necessary for job success. The best way to measure the desired attitudes is by utilizing a computerized evaluation. This helps eliminate personal biases. With an objective benchmark, you can now compare a candidate against your desired job attitudes, and determine where gaps exist. The wider the gap--the greater chance the person won't bring the right attitudes and motivations to your company. As you know, properly motivated employees impact sales, productivity, retention, customer service... and your bottom line. Finally, let's come full circle on the top sales professionals. Ninety-two percent exhibit Utilitarian, Theoretical, and Individualism as their top attitudes. What attitudes are your employees bringing to their jobs |
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You Got Attitude!You Got Attitude!All employees have attitudes that can positively--or negatively--affect the performance of your company. Here's how to determine what your employees' attitudes are and how to use this information to ensure they're fulfilled by--and productive in--their work. By Will Helmlinger Visualize a cartoon showing a man dressed in a business suit ready to leave for work. With his hand on the doorknob, he says to his wife, "If I'm not back in 15 minutes, it means I got on the bus and went to work." How many people go to work with an attitude similar to this? When did you-- or your employees--last feel this way? Are they wishing Monday morning were actually Friday afternoon? We all have attitudes. However, are your employees bringing the right attitudes and motivations to the job? Misdirected and inappropriate attitudes will impact your company and bottom line. In the late 1990s, our company participated an international study that examined the attitudes of one job category. This research led to the discovery that 92% of top sales professionals in both the U.S. and Germany had the same key attitudes and motivations. This compelling statistic revealed that appropriate attitudes/internal motivations impacted job performance. Even today, this statistic hold true! So how can you determine and gauge your employees' attitudes, and subsequently, the possible affect they might have on your company? Here's a four-step plan that will help you determine your employees' attitudes. Step 1: Defining Attitudes First, attitudes or motivations must be defined. Attitudes are our hidden motivations, interests and values. Attitudes drive our behavior. Attitudes are the standards or beliefs by which we act. Everyone is a combination of all the following work-related attitudes. Each of us maintains his/her own order of importance with each attitude. Note: Understand--attitudes will not change often, as they are embedded into us at an early age (typically ages 8 to11). Let's define each attitude. UTILITARIAN/ECONOMIC This attitude says, "Every investment I make will yield a greater return in time and resources." Functionality and usefulness are critical. Money is always a major component. Another is to eliminate wasted time. After all, "time is money!" Individuals who value this attitude first and foremost are stereotypical of many businesspeople. INDIVIDUALISM/POLITICAL People who rank this attitude highly are continually motivated to achieve the highest position and wield the greatest personal power. Their ultimate goal is to assert themselves and "win"--sometimes at any cost. This attitude may also be defined as the entrepreneurial attitude. "I control my own destiny!" THEORETICAL The theoretical attitude says, "I use my cognitive ability to discover and understand." Individuals with strong theoretical motivations are always hungry to learn, research, problem solve and "solve mysteries." Individuals who constantly thirst for knowledge may be viewed as intellectuals and can engage in prolonged debates or conversations. To the extreme, they will be so absorbed in the learning process that they may be labeled as "professional students." TRADITIONAL/REGULATORY Rules and regulations are the foundation for this attitude. System and order, unity and tradition are extremely important to individuals who value this attitude highly. Structure, clarity, "right and wrong" are key ingredients. Individuals who are motivated with this belief might be labeled as being "judgmental, stubborn, very structured, even rigid." SOCIAL/ALTRUISTIC Individuals who demonstrate this attitude are extremely sympathetic to the causes of others, are exceptionally kind and place others' interests above their own. They actively seek ways to help or care for others personally and professionally. They have an inherent "love for people" and may well view others who are not motivated similarly as being "cold or inhumane." They may be labeled as humanitarians. AESTETHIC A person who is motivated by this attitude ranks "form, beauty and harmony" at the top of the scale. They live life from the viewpoint of symmetry and grace. Aesthetic individuals focus on the subjective enjoyment of events in their lives. They work to create a world that satisfies their vision for living. To the extreme, they find it difficult to live in the "here and now" and can be labeled as "artists or creative-types." Generally speaking, two attitudes will stand out above the others; the remaining attitudes will be situationally important to you. Which are your top two attitudes? Step 2: Determining Attitudes Next is the practical application into the work setting. Part of any interview process should be the discovery of the candidate's attitudes. The following sample interview questions are used as a first step to understanding the applicant's most important motivations. UTILITARIAN/ECONOMIC What role does earning a significant income play in your job choices? In staying with a company? INDIVIDUALISM/POLITICAL What role does being in control of a situation play in your job satisfaction? THEORETICAL Describe the amount of time, energy and effort you need to master a subject or topic you currently know very little about? TRADITIONAL/REGULATORY Give me an example of a rule that you follow relative to managing or leading others. Why is this rule important to you? SOCIAL/ALTRUISTIC What responsibilities does society have today to take care of others? AESTETHIC Describe the type of future you'd like to create for yourself. Step 3: Verifying the Attitudes Next, you can objectively evaluate the attitudes of applicants by administering an attitudinal assessment. This tool will clearly define his/her motivations and rank what attitudes are most and least important. You can even learn the keys how to effectively manage and motivate them; and define opportunities for their training and professional development. This tool can eliminate much of the guesswork and objectively decide whether their attitudinal model is the one that best fits your needs. Step 4: Benchmarking Job Attitudes One step still remains--measuring what attitudes are necessary for job success. The best way to measure the desired attitudes is by utilizing a computerized evaluation. This helps eliminate personal biases. With an objective benchmark, you can now compare a candidate against your desired job attitudes, and determine where gaps exist. The wider the gap--the greater chance the person won't bring the right attitudes and motivations to your company. As you know, properly motivated employees impact sales, productivity, retention, customer service... and your bottom line. Finally, let's come full circle on the top sales professionals. Ninety-two percent exhibit Utilitarian, Theoretical, and Individualism as their top attitudes. What attitudes are your employees bringing to their jobs |
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Don’t rush into hiring a new employee, think of it as an invFirst, finding good employees takes time. The biggest error most companies make is to make their hiring decision on the fly, in desperation. An employee has left, quit, disappeared — and suddenly you have ‘a hole’ in your organization. Your immediate and urgent aim is to “fill the hole” as soon as possible. Make the goal to fill the position in X months (the time frame is shorter for laborers and longer for management positions.)Think of hiring someone as an investment, the same as buying a new truck, installing new software or building an extension to your warehouse. It pays to devote some time to this endeavor. You need to “shop and compare.” Hiring the wrong person is a total waste of time and resources. You know they’ll be gone soon enough (voluntarily or not) and leave that big hole in your organization unfilled once again. In order to resist urgency, treat hiring a new person like a project — create a timeline, milestones and a budget. Map out what you are going to do step by step. Break the project down into its basic components: recruiting, first cut, interviewing, selection, the offer/negotiation. Job Description Before you place ads everywhere, write a job description. It doesn’t have to be exhaustive, but should detail the primary tasks and responsibilities. Set minimum requirements for consideration. This can include years of experience, bi-lingual, computer literate, college degree, truck license, etc. Ask the folks who will be working with the new hire for their thoughts — who knows better what the job “really” entails? Now, you can write a targeted ad. Recruiting (Run ads two weeks for warehouse help, two months for a manager and longer for a VP) Place ads in trade magazines, Monster.com, craigslist.org and local papers. Extend your reach — post your ad in at least one new classified place. Don’t get caught up in doing the same old, same old: “We post the same ad in the same places and we get the same (bad) results.” You will want to search for warehouse help for at least two weeks, managers at least two months and VPs even longer. First Cut If you have written a good ad and placed it in some good classified space, you should receive a nice stack of resumes. The first cut should be easy — many resumes will not fulfill your minimum requirements. Of those remaining, select the top candidates (3 to 10) and invite them in for an interview. (Yes, you need to do this for a warehouse guy.) Interviewing Have at least two people interview the candidates and write up a brief assessment of the candidate. Prepare interview questions ahead of time (this is VERY important). The interview is when you get to learn if the candidate is a “fit” for your company — these are subjective feelings, things that you won’t be able to ascertain from the resume. The more time you spend listening to the candidates, the more you will learn. This is the hardest part. As interviewers and representatives of our company, we want the person to like us and our company, we want them to come and work for us, leading us to devote much of the interview time to promoting the company and trying to convince the prospective employee that they would be fools not to want to come work for us. So what’s wrong with following this normal human tendency? Basically if you are busily selling your company to the prospect, you can’t possibly be examining the prospect. Your job is to extract as much information as possible from the person sitting in front of you. You want to know about his skills, his work experience, how he handles ambiguity, why she left her last job, why she thinks she is a good candidate for this job. In short, he or she needs to be doing the majority of the talking. Ask some of those cringe-worthy interview questions and listen: “Tell me about a past accomplishment of which you are the most proud.” “Describe your style when working in a team.” “How do you handle frustration/failure?” “What do you think is your biggest weakness and what are you doing to overcome it?” “Why do you want to work for a small/local/large company?” “Do you feel you like lots of management, a little guidance or none at all?” “Describe your working relationship with your last boss and why did it work (or not)?” This is a lot harder to do than promoting your company. Prepare a list of questions. If you can’t think of more than a few, visit the University of Texas’ Web site: http://web.austin.utexas.edu/architecture/resources/career/100qs.html for 100 interview questions. The moral of the interview story is harsh and simple. If your mouth is moving, you’re not listening. If you’re not listening, you’re not learning anything about the prospect. Ask each candidate to demonstrate competency. Ask him or her to type a memo or input sales numbers into an Excel spreadsheet. Ask warehouse candidate to fetch something off a top shelf with the forklift. Whatever the position is, find some way to test the minimum required skill level. Selection After the first round, assess the candidates and decide whom to call back (2 – 4 people). Write the others a brief note — “Thanks for coming in. At this time, we are not able to extend you an offer…” Don’t blow them off!!! You may be calling them back in a month or three. Re-interview the select few. Now, you should be able to decide whom to hire. (If no one looks right — by all means don’t hire.) Negotiation and Offer Given the individual’s qualifications, you should be able to present him or her with an offer. There may be a negotiation phase, particularly for the higher level hires. You may want to do a little comparative research on salary packages for management positions before making an offer. Now you have a new hire. One who looks like a good fit, has at least the minimum competency levels to perform the job and beat out all the others. You’ve invested a lot of time and effort into this hire — so don't lose them in the first few weeks! Make sure that when they start, you are ready for them. They need to know clearly what their job is, to whom they report and the career advancement path. Be sure to check on them — set up quarterly reviews for the first year — make sure to check in on them frequently. Joan Adams adams@pierian.net Joan S. Adams has consulted for industrial clients for more than 15 years. She |