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What a Great Time to be Hiring!

What a Great Time to be Hiring!

 

Lesson One: Hire to Specific Performance Expectations

 

The process to hire top talent requires a recruitment definition based on specifically defined performance expectations for the person required. Many companies use job descriptions to define their hiring requirements. Unfortunately job descriptions list duties and responsibilities, activities in which to indulge. A more useful approach to defining a hiring requirement begins with identifying the results you expect the new hire to achieve during the first year. Then the selection process is focused on how the candidate will achieve results, or performance, rather than just the duties or activities of a job.

 

Lesson Two: Implement a Pro-Active Recruitment Strategy.

 

A continuous flow of candidate prospects means looking for great additions to staff - even when there is not an immediate need. This current labor market is the perfect time. Every manager should be made accountable for recruitment as part of his or her performance measurement, and consequently, as a part of their bonus consideration. Candidate sources are everywhere. People at trade shows, conferences, and meetings, as well as other executives, like competitors, and customers, should all be looked on as potential employees. Even social events become grounds for recruiting

 

 

Lesson Three: Crack the Interview Façade.

 

People usually put up a front when being interviewed. During the interview one needs to get behind this façade. To do this, treat the interview as a narration of a person’s life and accomplishments. Start the interview from a candidate’s early career and follow it to current times. Note candidate success patterns and relate them to the requirements as defined by performance expectations.

 

 

Interviewing is a skill which can be learned. Good interviewing starts with active listening. Show interest in what the candidate is saying. Take notes. Do a lot of nodding to encourage more discussion. Ask for examples. Problem solving is a good form of getting behind the façade. Keep probing, by asking the so-called editorials, like who, what, when, where, why and how. This will provide a much clearer picture of the candidate’s past contribution and performance potential.

 

Past performance is the best predictor of future performance. Make sure there is an understanding of specifically what the candidate has personally accomplished, how he or she thinks, and how the candidate’s style would fit with the company’s culture

 

Lesson Four: Don’t be Fooled by the Halo Effect.

 

Super star performance is not always transferable. Don’t assume outstanding performance by a candidate in one particular facet of his or her job will apply to the performance expected of the candidate in a different position. Skills and experience are not always transferable from one position to another or from one company culture to another. For example, the skills a sales person has that have made him or her very successful in a direct sales position are quite different than the skills required to be a sales manager. Or, a candidate who has been a leader in a large corporation may not have the attributes to lead a small entrepreneurial organization.

 

The “Halo Effect” may be awe striking, but don’t let it over shadow requirements.

 

Lesson Five: Don’t Shortcut the Hiring Process.

 

When a hiring requirement presents itself, the path of least resistance is to find someone like the person who previously occupied that position.  However, business is dynamic, and so are the requirements of individuals to be successful. Performance goals change. Thus, looking for someone to fill a position without considering targeted performance can result in hiring the wrong candidate.

 

Following all the steps of a thorough hiring process reduces the inherent risk in making a hire. It helps a hiring manager make a more objective and predictable selection.

 

 

Lesson Six: Make Intuition Work.  

 

Intuition can play an important part in the hiring decision. Don’t ignore intuitive feelings. They are generally based on a reaction from some event or situation in the past that triggers a notion about the candidate. Could be as complicated as a lack of trust in what the candidate said. Or it could be as simple as thinking this person will not be fun to work with. When in doubt, check it out.

 

Lesson Seven: Check One More Reference

 

            Reference checking is a way of ensuring that the candidate’s skills and capabilities, as portrayed during the interview, are what he or she really can deliver. After interviewing a candidate, certain tentative conclusions are drawn about expected performance. Strengths, shortcomings, work behavior style and other concerns need clarification or amplification. References should verify conclusions, answer any concerns or stimulate further questions to ask the candidate in a follow-up interview.

 

Reference contacts needs to go beyond just the people the candidate provided. Although interview probing techniques are used in speaking with references, it should be assumed that the names given by the candidate have been “primed” to give a glowing report. Consequentially, additional reference names need to be contacted; names discovered during the reference checking process. Ask each reference person for additional people who could provide more insight into the candidate’s capabilities.

Implementing and sticking to these lessons will lead to sound hiring decisions. Take advantage of this enormous, talented labor pool today to build a winning team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





What a Great Time to be Hiring - To learn more about this author, visit Richard Pinsker's Website.

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Dave Kurlan
Dave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website

John Power
John Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website

David Acheson
David Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns.  David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website

Linda Richardson
Linda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website


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About The Author


Richard Pinsker
(Visit Richard's Website) Richard J. Pinsker, CMC, FIMC, is Managing Director of The Transitional Career Center, www.transitionalcareer.com, a coaching and recruiting firm for non-traditional work life cycle talent. He provides one-on-one coaching and interactive workshops for professionals considering transitional carreers and recruits transitional talent for organizations.

Mr. Pinsker is also President of Pinsker and company, www.pinskerandco.com, an executive selection consulting firm. He coaches executives on how to hire people who exceeds expectations, and conducts retained search enragements for board members, presidents and CEOs, and the full executive team.

He is the author of "Seven Steps to a Rewarding Transitional Career,"  "Hiring Winners," and "Seven Rules for Hiring Extraordinary Talent." A recognized professional speaker, he has presented to trade and professional associations and has appeared on nationally stndicated talk shows.

He is a Certified Management Consultant, an elected Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants and holds degrees in psychology from the University of Wisconsin. He resides in Granite Bay, California and can be reached at richard@transitionalcareer.com.


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