Motivation Shots from The Doc

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Posts Tagged ‘Interviewing’

Recruit People Who Think – Six Steps to Success

Posted by The Motivation Doctor on July 13th, 2010 View Comments

When you’re interviewing someone for a job, what do you look for? Perhaps you look for previous experience, technical expertise, a particular level of intelligence and probably many other qualities and characteristics.

Can I also suggest that you pick someone with the talent to think, the ability to control their own mind.

Old style management doesn’t encourage employees to control their mind, they aren’t encouraged to think. That was certainly the case when I started work back in the bad old days however it’s still prevalent in many businesses today.
It’s evident in many of the organisations that I work with that there’s a culture of – “I’m the boss – I tell you what to do – you don’t question it.”

The successful manager doesn’t react that way, they employ people who think; people with a mind of their own who aren’t afraid to say what they think and feel. You need people who question, and who challenge you as a manager. Now I know you’re getting scared but a successful manager needs courage!

I remember sitting in on a second interview with a manager colleague of mine who was interviewing candidates for a sales job. One of the candidates was a guy called Phil; he was a very strong character, full of questions and suggestions on how the job should be done.
John, the manager turned to me when Phil left the room – “That guy’s good, I reckon he’d be a good salesman for us, but I don’t think I could handle him.”

John, the manager, was a much quieter type of person than Phil, and I knew he felt uncomfortable with his style.
So I asked John – “What do you want this new salesman to do?” “I want him to bring in new business” says John. “Do you think he can do that” I asked. “Of course I do, I just think he’ll be difficult to handle.”

It all comes down to outcomes; of course, you’ve got to consider how you’re going to work with a new team member, but you sometimes need courage to take a risk.
John hired Phil and he brought in the new business that John needed. Phil always was a handful and a challenge for John but they learned to work together.
So look for clues when you interview a job candidate such as:

1.    Do they run their own mind or does someone do it for them. – You’ll be listening for clues such as: “My husband suggested I do this” or “My mother says that I should”…or “My family were all engineers so that’s how I ended up becoming one.” None of this is wrong in its own right but it will give you an indication as to whether this person runs their own mind or not.

2.    Can they solve problems - Do they think things through and try to find a solution? Or do they let someone else do it for them? You’re listening for – “When I get a difficult customer I believe its best to let my manager deal with them.” Or alternatively – “I had a real crisis on my hands so I considered what options I had and …..”

3.    Are they fairly disciplined – Is there structure in their life and work, or do they just react to circumstances. You’re listening for – “Before I start a job I like to plan how I’m going to do it.”

4.    Are they creative – Do they look for new ways to do things? You’re listening for – “We always used to fill out reports in a certain way but I suggested to my manager a way that would save time.”

5.    Can they arrange things – Do they have the ability to organise themselves and others? You’re listening for – “One of the team was leaving so I organised a going away party.”

6.    Do they think about their own performance – Are they questioning themselves and thinking about how they could do better? You’re listening for – “I was really unhappy with my results so I decided to…….”

Put this to the test right away and it will ensure you get the best people on your team.

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Don’t Recruit People Based on Experience

Posted by The Motivation Doctor on May 28th, 2010 View Comments

What do you look for when you’re interviewing someone for a job? I’m sure there are many factors that are important to you, and probably experience is one of them

A job applicant’s previous work experience is often used to judge whether they have the capacity to do the new job.
Many managers go through the resume discussing each previous job with the applicant. The applicant then goes on to tell the manager how clever they are and how successful they were in all their previous jobs.
It’s almost a case of – “Have you worked in our industry before?” – “Yes, I have lots of experience in your industry” – “Great, can you start on Monday?”

I’ve been in the situation where I’m interviewing someone for a sales job and they have several similar jobs on their resume. I’ve often asked myself – “Who on earth employed this person in a sales job, because I have no confidence in their ability whatsoever.”

Put your customer hat on for a moment and think about the people you’ve dealt with in the past who were pretty hopeless. The salespeople, the plumbers, the maintenance engineers or the customer service people on the end of the phone. When these people were interviewed for their job, they probably discussed with the interviewer about their experience, how good they were in their current job and all their previous jobs. However, based on your interactions with them, I bet you’d have something to add to that discussion.

Experience shouldn’t be ignored, but it’s not a reliable indicator as to whether someone can give you the outcomes you want.

What you’re really looking for is talent!

It doesn’t matter how long they have been in your industry, or how long they have been in the type of job you’re trying to fill. You need to establish whether they can give you the results you need.

Depending on the job you’re trying to fill, keep asking yourself, does this person have the talent:

  • To make customers want to come back?
  • To generate more sales for the business?”
  • To make customers say positive things to other people about my business?
  • To manage my people and make them top performers?
  • To make my life easier and help me achieve my outcomes?

Concentrate on the factors that you will ultimately be judged on and keep those at the forefront of your mind.

I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.
John Wooden (1910-, American basketball coach)

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Posted in Customer service, Leadership, Management

The Truth About Intelligence and Recruiting People

Posted by The Motivation Doctor on May 27th, 2010 View Comments

One of the programs that was installed in my brain as I grew up was that ‘intelligent’ people could do almost anything due to the fact that they had the capacity to learn.
The education system when I was young was based on the understanding that, if you left school with a whole raft of qualifications, then any job was open to you.
If you wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, pilot, engineer or an architect then all you needed was these school qualifications and you could go on to learn anything.
Sadly, many people who did train to be doctors didn’t turn out to be very good doctors, as with lawyers, pilots or any other job you care to mention.

When I was an apprentice engineer I can remember working with young engineering college graduates. Some of them were really good, they had talent for engineering and it was really apparent. However, there were others who, if truth be told, were pretty hopeless. Their intelligence had helped them learn enough information to qualify for a degree in engineering but they just didn’t have the talent.

I once appointed a college graduate as a salesperson. I fell into the trap of not thinking but reacting to my programming and believing that because he was ‘intelligent’ then he could learn to sell.
I discovered that he had the capacity to learn all about our products but he didn’t have the talent to persuade others, or to go out and find new customers.
I was also stupid enough to believe I could teach him; however, as I’ve said many times before - “You can’t make people what they’re not!”
You can teach people skills and give them knowledge however, if they don’t have the talent, then their performance will suffer.

The successful manager looks for intelligence, but more importantly he looks for talent to do the job and achieve the outcomes needed for the business.

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Posted in Leadership, Management

The Five Factors of Successful Recruiting

Posted by The Motivation Doctor on April 27th, 2010 View Comments

Are you absolutely sure you know what you’re looking for when you come to recruit a new member for your team?

1. Outcomes

This is the number 1 factor of successful recruiting. It is absolutely vital that anyone you employ can deliver the outcomes you need.

In a previous ‘Motivation Shot’ I wrote – Recruit People Who Can Deliver the Outcomes You Need. If you haven’t read it, go check it out and come back here.

There are four other factors you need to consider

2. Company structure

You need to think about whether the person you interview will be happy in your company and your culture. Some people who move from a large company to a much smaller one often find it hard to adjust.

Some years ago I moved from a large international organisation to a small local company. I went into the job with my eyes open and had three successful years. However I often felt frustrated in the smaller company mainly by their culture and the way they went about their business; I was glad when I moved back to a bigger organisation. I just wasn’t a ‘small company’ person.

I’ve interviewed people in a similar situation. I remember one lady who I interviewed for a sales agent’s job at one of my clients. She was keen to get the job, she had loads of experience, all the skills required and I was confident that she could do it. However, when describing her current job with a large company it became very apparent that she wouldn’t fit into this smaller one.

She kept talking about all the things they did in her present company and how she went about her daily duties. I knew that this job she was applying for was totally different from what she’d been used to. If I had employed her I believe that she wouldn’t be happy, would end up not doing a good job and would probably spend her time trying to find a new position.

3. The team

Will the job applicant fit well with the existing team? Maybe your team are a group of loners who don’t communicate with each other but it’s unlikely. You can’t pick people who are all the same; you don’t want a set of clones in your team. However you need to pick someone who is on the same wave-length as the rest of the team.
Perhaps you could involve a team member at a second interview, they might have a better feel for whether the person would fit or not.

4. Your style of managing

How will the person respond to you, will they be able to work with your style of management.
I’ve had applicants complain about their existing boss – “Do you know that he expects me to do such and such.” And I’ve thought to myself, “That’s exactly what I’d be expecting as well.”

You’ve got to have a good connection with this person that you bring into your team. That doesn’t mean to say that you’re going to be best buddies but you’ll need to be able to work together.
Consider if you’re the kind of manager who likes to work closely with your team and regularly check their progress. If so, you’ll need an individual who wants structure and detail and is comfortable with close monitoring.

If on the other hand, you’re the kind of manager who sets outcomes and leaves the team to get on with it without much help from you. Then you’re going to need someone who’s happy to work with minimum supervision.

I once made a mistake with a guy I appointed into a field sales job. Because he was a college graduate I felt that he would be able to pick up the knowledge and selling skills really fast.

I’m the second type of manager I described above. I tell people what the outcomes are and let them find their way to achieving them. I keep in contact and give feedback when they do well and also when they need to improve things.

However this guy was at me all the time – “What do I do next, where do I go now, how do I do it?” This of course took up too much of my time. The others in the team made decisions themselves and regularly checked with me. This guy was a ‘bad fit,’ it didn’t work and he left very soon of his own accord.

5. They need to be happy

Job applicants don’t know what they’re getting into when they start a new job. They might think they know but how can they when they’ve never worked in your team or you company before. Just as it’s a risk for you when you start someone new, it’s also a risk for them. You’ll never totally eliminate the risk but it’s your job minimise the risk for both you and the applicant.

I’ve seen too many people start a new job and then find that it doesn’t suit them, they don’t like it and they want out. It causes problems for you as the manager; so I suggest you do every thing you can to avoid it.

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Posted in Leadership, Management, Motivation

Recruit People Who can Deliver the Outcomes You Need

Posted by The Motivation Doctor on April 22nd, 2010 View Comments

These could be more orders, or more happy customers, or fast maintenance turnaround; it’s what you and your team are judged on. You need to be clear in your own mind as to the outcomes you need.

A telecom company that I work with employs engineers to repair and maintain telephone systems. This company have always employed people who are technically competent and can do all the screwdriver and wire-stripper stuff.
However it isn’t enough to be technically competent nowadays, this organisation needs engineers who can interact with customers in a positive way. These engineers visit homes and offices and the interactions they have with customers will have an effect on their levels of customer service.

In fact, positive customer interactions are now as important as fixing the phone.

If you were a manager interviewing engineers for this telecoms company, then you would have to consider the applicants interpersonal skills as one of the key requisites of the job.

A few years back I was approached by beer brewing company regarding customer service training. They had suddenly come to realise that the employees who spent the most time face to face with the customers were the delivery drivers.
Up until then, all customer service training had been directed at sales people and office staff, who often had irregular contact with the customers. The drivers were speaking with the customers once and sometimes twice a week. So it made a lot of sense to employ people, who as well as delivering the beer efficiently could also be trained to make the customers feel special.

I spend a great deal of my time in hotels usually operated by one of the big chains. The first and last person you speak to in these hotels is the receptionist. I’m often surprised at the poor response from some of these receptionists. I’ve been welcomed by highly efficient people behind the desk who process me quickly and effectively; however they’re often about as warm as an Eskimo’s ice cream.

They don’t make me feel welcome and they don’t make me want to return. I would have thought these were two very important outcomes required from a hotel receptionist. However, I suspect they were employed primarily on their academic qualifications and their ability to ‘process’ customers.

So, some food for thought; be very sure that when you recruit a new employee, they can deliver the outcomes you need.

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Posted in Leadership, Management, Sales

A Manager’s Guide to Picking the Right People

Posted by The Motivation Doctor on April 20th, 2010 View Comments

The time will come when you will need to interview someone to join your team. This could be someone currently working within your company or it could be an external candidate. Whatever the situation, you’re going to have to make a decision about whether they’re suitable for the job or not.

I’m aware that in some organisations a middle manager may have a new team member picked for them. The applicant is either hired by the Human Resources department or the senior manager. If you’re in this situation then you must fight against it by communicating with your manager.
If you send me an email, I’ll reply with an article on how to give feedback to your manager in situations such as this.

It will be extremely difficult to be a Motivational Manager unless you decide who’ll be on your team. You need to have total faith and belief in every member of your team and they need to know that.

It may be the case that you work for an organisation that use sophisticated selection systems such as psychometric testing. Or you might work for a small company where you write the job advertisement, do all interviewing and make the coffee.
Whatever the situation, there comes a time when you’ll be eyeball to eyeball with a potential team member.

Before you can ask a question or conduct an interview, you need to be very clear in your own mind about exactly what you’re looking for.
Now you might jump in here and say – “I know what I’m looking for – a new receptionist or a maintenance engineer, or a sales agent and I want a good one.” But what do you mean by a good one?

As a manager you need to be very clear about what your outcomes are. Whether you call them goals, objectives or targets, these are the factors that you’re ultimately judged on. You’ll find them in your job description or contract, and I’m sure your manager will concentrate on them at your next performance review. It’s what you’re paid to do.

You need people in your team:
1.    Who can deliver the outcomes you need
2.    Who will fit with the company structure
3.    Who will fit with the existing team
4.    Who will respond to your style of managing
5.    Who will be happy in the job

It’s not about intelligence, experience or qualifications; it’s about people who achieve and make your life easy!

Keep following Motivation Shots and I’ll explain how to achieve the five factors above.

Click the orange button in the top right had corner of this page, and the ‘Shots’ will be delivered straight to your inbox.

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Posted in Leadership, Management, Motivation

How to be Great at Picking People

Posted by The Motivation Doctor on February 12th, 2010 View Comments

Do you really know what you’re looking for when you interview someone for a job?

Let me suggest to you; it’s not about their knowledge, experience, or their intelligence; it’s about their talent to do the job.

Starbucks logo
Image via Wikipedia

Let me ask you another question; how do you like your coffee? I don’t know if you’re a fan of the ‘bean’, but I’m very partial to Starbuck’s Tall Americano with an extra shot and ‘no room for milk’. I’ve been hyped up on it all over the world and it always tastes the same, which is great! And, a bit of extra information thrown in for free; in Singapore Starbucks, they ask you if you want your muffin warmed up; I haven’t experienced that anywhere else.

Outlets like Starbucks are successful because they provide a consistent experience across the board. We all know where we could purchase a cheaper cup of coffee, but the Starbucks experience draws us in. I also have to say, that the coffee serving process is usually excellent; happy, smiley people and fast service.

The other day, I experienced ‘Mr Grumpy’ coffee person. He was slapping down coffees at the end of the counter and grunting out their contents. I asked him which coffee was mine (I’m not scared) and he growled his response. I had to ask him again, before politely pointing out the error of his ways (I told you I’m not scared)

This guy shouldn’t be there, and I don’t necessarily blame him for his poor customer service. I really don’t believe he should be in a customer facing job, and no amount of training will help. My question is – “Where is the person who put him in the job?”

If you’re a manager or a business owner then I’m sure you’ve interviewed people to join your team. Are you absolutely sure you know what you’re looking for when you interview someone?

Let me give you an example of what I mean:
I’ve just read a job advertisement for a Sales Manager for a soft drinks business. It says – “We are looking for someone with excellent relationship building skills, vision drive and energy. They will be results driven and be able to demonstrate leadership and highly developed inter-personal and management skills.”

Now that’s all fairly standard stuff and what I’d expect to see in a job advertisement. If I was trying to find someone for that job, what I’d really be looking for is – ‘someone to increase sales of soft drinks.’ Now I’m not saying you put that in the advertisement, but let’s face it – that’s the outcome you really want.

It’s great to have all the qualities listed above, but at the end of the day, can this Sales Manager bring in the business?

Back to the coffee shop; if it was your business and you needed to employ someone to join the team, what qualities would you look for in a job candidate?

You might say – “Someone with a bit of experience in a coffee shop, someone who looks clean and tidy and who’s a nice pleasant person.”

All of this is great, but what I’d look for is – “Someone who would make the customers want to buy some more coffee or food; who’d make the customer want to come back, and who’d probably recommend my coffee shop to other people.”

Now you may think that the characteristics you described above would bring the results I’m looking for, and you may be right. However; when you’re preparing to interview someone, be absolutely clear in your mind what outcomes you need from this person. It’s not about their experience or their intelligence; it’s about their talent to do the job.

It doesn’t matter what kind of business you’re in, talent is what you’re looking for. It could be:

* The talent to sell
* The talent to detect an engine fault quickly
* The talent to analyse information accurately.

I’ve seen lots of sales people who had great relationship building skills, vision, drive and energy, as described in the job advertisement, but they couldn’t bring in the sales.

You need to ask the right questions, that uncover the person’s talent to achieve the outcomes you require – and I’ll explain that in a further article!

Or you could check out my book at Amazon.

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Posted in Customer service, Difficult people, Management

How to Get More Sales by Picking the Best Team – Free Ebook

Posted by The Motivation Doctor on November 30th, 2009 View Comments

Click on the article and open it up to full screen for easy reading. You can also download it and read at your leisure.

Posted in Leadership, Management, Sales

Interviewing – Use your intuition

Posted by The Motivation Doctor on November 30th, 2009 View Comments

It’s vital to run your own mind and think before you speak or take action, however, it’s also important not to think too much. Sometimes you need to trust your instincts and your gut feelings.

If you’re interviewing someone and your gut feeling is that this person isn’t right for the job, then don’t hire them. Too often, managers suppress their gut feeling – they think, “I must be stupid, I’m probably wrong, they’ll be okay once they’ve started working with me.”

Trust me – they won’t!

In his book ‘The Luck Factor,’ Dr Richard Wiseman states – “Lucky people make successful decisions by using their intuition and gut feelings.”

What are your thoughts; do you trust your instincts?

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Posted in Management, Motivation

How to get More Sales by Picking the Best Team

Posted by The Motivation Doctor on October 21st, 2009 View Comments

MS3-250Can I ask you a quick question; is recruiting and interviewing people part of your job? When I first started as a manager, no one showed me what to do. It was a long time before I received any training in interview techniques, and I certainly learned a lot in my fifteen years as a manager.

I’ve written this book based on what I’ve learned and experienced; I hope you find it useful.

Even if you’re not involved in the recruitment process at present, you may find it helpful when you’re being interviewed for a promotion or a new job.

Think for a moment about a manager or a coach of a sports team; can you imagine them employing almost anyone for their team – of course not! They’ll always pick the best person who can score points, or stop the other team scoring; who’ll work well with the team and help win the championship.

Only when you have the best people, can you train and motivate them to achieve your objectives and outcomes.

If you really want to know how to get the best out of your team, read my book – How to be a Motivational Manager, It’s available at Amazon and other retail and internet bookstores

For the moment, you may find this EBook useful. It’s about how to pick the best people in the first place!

You can read it online, or download it from these two websites:

youpublish

slideshare

All I ask is that you forward this to anyone you think may benefit from it.

Posted in Management

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