Management Diary The Quintessential Survival Guide in the Corporate Quagmire!

Smart Hiring: What Makes the Right Employee?


Good hires do not happen by accident or luck. In this economy, employers are finding a large pool of available workers. But finding the right employee for a position is still a challenge. Few managers, when asked, can describe "right." Others can't agree on what qualifies one to be qualified, at least in measurable terms.

Before hiring some, ask yourself these four critical questions.

  • What are the three to five essential have-to's for this position?

    • Are we looking for a person with great technical experience whom we then can train in our customer service process? Or are we looking for a person, with great customer service skills, whom we can train in our technology? Be crystal clear on what it takes to be successful in the position by looking at your top performers. What makes them top performers?

  • How do we know if this person has what we need?

    • People bring competencies to work just like a carpenter brings a toolbox. But not every carpenter is a craftsperson, even if he is carrying the very top-of-the-line tools. Using behavioral interviewing, assessments, or simulations can demonstrate the competency.

  • How much competence is good enough? Do we need a 10?

    • Managers make a big mistake in assuming that everyone needs to be "10" in everything. The fact is that many superstars have just average competence, while many a failed employee had a lot of 10s but one fatal flaw. Don't lose out on a good hire because he doesn't walk on water.

  • Do they have the right skill set, but the wrong personal style?

    • A candidate's personal style might indicate that an individual prefers to work alone, is highly competitive, prefers strict guidelines and compliance, is easily agitated by criticism, and is a skeptic. He may have the desire to lead but becoming competent will be a daunting task.

    Another is outgoing, enjoys working with people, exhibits a moderate level of assertiveness, is innovative, and tolerates stress well. This person's style certainly would make it easier to build rapport with and acceptance from direct reports and the management team.

    Marcia Zidle, the 'people smarts' coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job - to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management.

    Subscribe by going to http://leadershiphooks.com and get the bonus report "61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers". Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks - resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs - fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.

    MORE RESOURCES:

    A look at economic developments around the globe (AP)
    AP - A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Friday:
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    FILE- In this March 18, 2011 file photo, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman answers a a question during a news conference in his New York City office. Although shrugging off the “sheriff of Wall Street” title, Schneiderman stood firm against major banks when he rejected a settlement over the mortgage collapse a year ago, because it shielded them from future investigations (AP Photo)AP - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a lead investigator into the mortgage collapse that wobbled the U.S. economy, hasn't taken the title "Sheriff of Wall Street" that one of his predecessors rode all the way to the governor's mansion.



    Summary Box: Commodities fall on Greece debt woes (AP)
    AP - GREEK WOES: Commodity prices fell broadly as a plan to fix Greece's crippling debt crisis remained far from settled, renewing concerns about global economic growth.
    Most commodity prices fall on Greece debt woes (AP)
    AP - Commodity prices fell broadly Friday after a plan to fix Greece's crippling debt crisis suffered a setback, renewing concerns about global economic growth.
    Bernanke urges action to heal housing markets (Reuters)
    Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Friday issued a call to action to restore U.S. housing markets, saying depressed house prices and sales are a serious drag on the economic recovery.
    Obama call for manufacturing revival a tough goal (AP)
    AP - President Barack Obama is making a strong election-year push for an economic revival "built on American manufacturing." But he faces an uphill slog, with little consensus even within his own party on how to do it.
    Gov't on pace for $1T deficit despite January dip (AP)
    AP - The federal deficit was lower through the first four months of the budget year than the same period last year. Still, the deficit is expected to top $1 trillion for the fourth year in a row, putting more pressure on Congress and President Barack Obama in an election year.
    Bernanke: Weak housing has hurt consumer spending (AP)

    U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks about housing markets in transition at the International Builders' Show organized by the National Association of Homebuilders in Orlando, Florida February 10, 2012. REUTERS/David Manning (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS POLITICS REAL ESTATE)AP - Ben Bernanke says declines in home prices have forced many Americans to cut back sharply on spending and warns that the trend could continue to weigh on the economy for years.



    January budget gap shrinks (Reuters)
    Reuters - The monthly budget deficit narrowed to $27.4 billion in January from $49.8 billion in the same month a year earlier, partly because some benefit payments normally made in January were shifted to December, the Treasury Department said on Friday.
    Anxiety over incomes hits consumer morale (Reuters)
    Reuters - Americans felt worse about their personal finances in early February, but rising confidence in the labor market's prospects should help to support spending and the broader economy.
    Romney appeals to U.S. business with harsh China talk (Reuters)
    Reuters - Mitt Romney slammed China's "autocratic model" of capitalism in a speech to technology executives on Friday, keeping up attacks on the economic powerhouse days before a visit from a Chinese official expected to be the country's next leader.
    Housing a "significant headwind" to recovery: Fed's Pianalto (Reuters)
    Reuters - The housing market is holding back the broader economic recovery now that foreclosures have become "a national crisis," a top Federal Reserve official said on Friday.
    Exclusive: Future of bank benchmark rate under review (Reuters)
    Reuters - A global probe into whether banks colluded to set the interest rates at which they borrow money from each other has thrown into question the future of the benchmark they use to price financial products worth an estimated $360 trillion.
    Bernanke urges action to heal U.S. housing markets (Reuters)

    U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks about housing markets in transition at the International Builders' Show organized by the National Association of Homebuilders in Orlando, Florida February 10, 2012. REUTERS/David Manning (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS POLITICS REAL ESTATE)Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Friday issued a call to action to restore U.S. housing markets, saying depressed house prices and sales are a serious drag on the economic recovery.



    Spain cuts firing costs in new labor reform (Reuters)
    Reuters - Spain cut severance pay for workers on Friday and watered down collective bargaining rights, giving more power to employers as it attempts to kick start its moribund jobs market and slash Europe's highest unemployment rate.
    Portugal watches Greek debt drama with foreboding (Reuters)
    Reuters - Portugal's economy will shrink as much as Greece's this year, according to IMF projections. The two will have identical current account deficits and the red ink in Portugal's budget will be almost as deep as in Greece's.
    Trade deficit widens to $48.8 billion in December (AP)

    In this photo of Feb. 4, 2012, a cargo ship, owned by German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, crosses New York Harbor. The U.S. trade deficit widened in December, reflecting a jump in imports of autos and industrial machinery. For the year, the deficit climbed to the highest level since 2008 as both exports and imports rose to all-time highs. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)AP - Monthly U.S. exports to Europe grew in December, a hopeful sign after a steep decline the previous month. But, some economists remain concerned that the region's debt crisis will still weigh on the U.S. economy this year.



    U.S. jobless rate projected to fall sharply (Reuters)
    Reuters - Economists in a survey see the unemployment rate falling much faster this year than previously expected, an improvement in the jobs market that could help President Obama's re-election chances.
    Consumer mood worsens in February on income worries (Reuters)
    Reuters - Americans felt worse about their personal finances in early February, even as they saw a light at the end of the tunnel for the jobs market, a survey released on Friday showed.
    Instant View: Consumer mood worsens in early February (Reuters)
    Reuters - Americans turned less optimistic about the economy in early February on worries about falling income even as their outlook on the jobs market rose to a record high, a survey released on Friday showed.     		RELATED ARTICLES
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