Do the Job in the Interview

I've learned from Nick Corcodilos, of AskTheHeadhunter.com, to get candidates to do the job during the interview.

Every experienced interviewer knows how to pose behavioral questions. "Tell me about a time when you were faced with this situation". But I've made my best hires when I've actually put candidates in front of a computer for 15-30 minutes and have them do the job.

Here are a couple of examples from some of the best hires that I've made.

1. I've had candidates who will use to a proprietary software package to manage inventory poke around the software, and explain screens to me. The successful ones told me the item numbers, how much is on hand, where it's located and more. The unsuccessful ones couldn't. 
2. I've had account managers use Outlook during the interview to answer typical emails that they would receive from clients. It created an opportunity for us to see how well they can think through the situation, craft a professional email message, and use the software.

One that I'll never forget was when we let a warehouse manager candidate hang out in the warehouse for as long as he wanted to. He got to see how we process orders and processed some orders himself alongside the people that he would be leading. And he got to interact with our people "in the real world" instead just some conference room. He stayed for two hours, and everyone that he interacted with got to see how he would do the job.

Anyway, I've learned that it's better to have candidates show you how they'd do the job than to have them tell you how they'd do it.

It's important to like the people with whom you work.

I've learned that it's important to me to work with people that I like to be around. When considering a job change, or when considering a new hire, it's important to me to find a good cultural fit.

That doesn't mean that I want to hire only people who are similar to me. It's actually quite the opposite. I know what my skill set is, and I know that it's not complete. I try to surround myself with smart people who have the skills that I lack. I also believe it's important to be around people whose life experiences are different than mine. I enjoy that environment because we each bring a different point of view. And, together we can develop solutions which are better than any which we would have developed individually. It also makes for enlightening conversations.

I've learned that the same applies to my social life. I embrace being with people who have been married for a long time. And I especially appreciate people who speak well of their spouse. A wise man once taught me that when I vowed to "honor my wife" a couple of decades ago, I promised that I will always treat her with dignity and respect, in public, in private, in her presence and in her absence. So I will never refer to her as "My Old Lady" or complain of her imperfections. I am committed to be and grateful to be her husband, so I refer to her as "My Bride", and I speak of her virtues.

I believe that the common thread in my professional and personal relationships is a shared set of values. It is important to me to be with people who are different than me, sometimes smarter than me, and willing to share their wisdom, experiences, and values.

reCareered: Build a Linkedin Profile That You Can Be Proud Of! - Page 2

reCareered: Build a Linkedin Profile That You Can Be Proud Of! - Page 2

Motivation

I've learned that motivating a group over a long period of time takes a variety of actions.

In the workplace, some people will be motivated by internal competition while others pledge that "we're all in this together" and the only competition is outside of our company. Sellers tend to fall into the prior group while shipping and receiving personnel tend to fall into that latter.

Similarly, some people prefer group recognition, while others prefer individual recognition. Some prefer a very valuable prize (gift card or vacation) for a single recipient, while others prefer a nominal prize for all (pizza party). Some people appreciate a logo'd apparel item while others don't want to be a walking advertisement for the company.

The solution is to try a variety of actions over a period of time. That increases the chances of motivating everyone. It also prevents recognition activities from fading into entitlements.

By the way, a simple and sincere "Thank you" is still appreciated by everyone.

Your Company's Culture is Built Upon Its Lore

I've learned that a company's culture is based upon its lore. It's lore is the retelling of the times when the rules were bent to do the right thing.

Here's an example. I once inherited a small group of associates, one of whom was a "temp" who had been there for several years. Temporary personel don't receive health benefits, they don't get paid for holidays and they aren't accumulating a pension. Therefore, both parties should expect it to be a short term assignment. If the assignment lasts for years, then a situation is created where a group of people, "the temps", are compensated less equitably than their peers.

Soon after taking the assignment, I told my "temp" that I expected to gain some efficiencies by making several process improvements, and that within 3-6 months I would no longer need her services. When the time came to let her go, I did something unheard of. I gave her two weeks of severence pay. Not only that, I let the other associates know that I was trying to do the right thing by compensating a multi-year associate with a reasonable severance package.

By bending the rules in that manner, I created a story that was told for many years. I had added to the company's lore, which fed the culture that this is a company that cares about their people.

The moral of the story is that a company's culture is based upon the lore that is created when the rules are bent or broken. If a company's culture is to change, it must break some established rules.

Okay, What Shall We Do Next?

I've learned from Nido Qubein that ”Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.”

I believe that is true in all aspects of my life. As I try to live in the moment, I try not to languish in the moment. I'm aware of all of the good in my life, and I'm planning for what's next. It's not a matter of wanting more. It's knowing what I want, then pursuing it.

Optimism, Perseverance and Pursuing One's Dreams

I've learned that Teddy Roosevelt had a way with words when speaking of optimism, perseverance and pursuing one's dreams.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." -- Theodore Roosevelt

That's a quote that I need to memorize!