If You Want To Make Sure
You're Hiring Good Employees,
You Better Avoid This

The Dangers of Hiring Yourself

If you don't avoid this it will mess up your plans for hiring good employees. It is one employer interview tip you will want to know about because it happens to all of us. Let me explain...

About six weeks ago I met Julie at a workshop we both attended. After just a few comments back and forth we both said, almost at the same time, "It seems like I know you from somewhere."

I immediately liked her, and it seemed like she liked me. It felt like we were kindred spirits. We couldn't find a past business or personal connection, but I did notice that we had similar communication and behavioral styles. We seemed to think and act similarly, and so it was easy to find common ground quickly.

We are drawn to those who seem like us. When you find someone who thinks and acts like you do, at a cocktail party or trade show dinner, you've just found a way to make the evening more enjoyable.

But if in your quest for hiring good employees you hire someone who thinks and acts like you - mostly because they think and act like you - chances are good that you've just put the wrong person in the wrong job.

The net result? Very frustrated managers, unmotivated employees and lost productivity in time and money. Your hiring good employees plan is now shot to hell!

Tom the President of a software development company figured this out recently.

Because his company has improved revenues over the last year one of his goals this year is to hire a Sales Manager.

The current Operations Supervisor (Margaret) is a highly valued and effective employee. Tom has been toying with the idea of promoting her to the Sales Manager job. She is dependable, incredibly organized, and her favorite saying is, "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail."

Tom couldn't agree more - with the adage - or with Margaret's determination and focus.

But, should Tom promote Margaret to Sales Manager?

Success in a sales management position requires a person who is direct, result-oriented, fast-paced, and control and challenge-focused.

The right person for the job will naturally persuade and direct others, adjust to change in a split second and be energized by new challenges.

Does that sound like Margaret?

No.

Margaret IS Tom's 'prime example' for how much hiring good employees makes a difference (her work excellence continually shines and helps the company), but Margaret has achieved her success because she's in a position that works with her style.

Her current position requires that she be stable, slower-paced with a focus on quality and accuracy, research-oriented, logical and methodical.

Margaret thrives when she can plan, implement, define quality standards and conduct research. She's a great employee thriving in her current position because she's doing what she loves and using her strengths fully.

Tom could move Margaret into the Sales Manager role, he knows and trusts her, and at first it seems like the easiest answer.

But before long, he'd be disappointed with the results. And Margaret would be frustrated by the new responsibilities, she'd probably find it difficult to achieve success in the new role.

Over $250 billion a year is lost in productivity by workers who are not committed to their work.

Workers who don't have the opportunity to use and express their natural strengths are usually not going to give their very best at work.

When you are interviewing a candidate and you start to think,

Pay attention!

You may be about to hire yourself.

But are "you" what the job really needs?

The style descriptions listed below are based on the science from the behavioral style assessment: DISC. The DISC model provides a simple framework for understanding and appreciating different temperaments and communication styles.

Each communication style brings natural strengths to the job.

And all of us have a communication style that is most natural and comfortable to us.

Focusing on getting a good match between a person's style and the style the job needs is one of the keys to ensuring that you are hiring good employees.

With your job in mind, pick the top three job behaviors that will be required and determine the percentage of time required in each area.

The best person for the job will be the one that is the best match to those three key behaviors.

Remember, most jobs are multi-faceted. You may look at this list and think you need to find someone who is good in all of these things. Keep in mind, no one is good at everything. Focus on picking what's most important.

• Frequent Interaction with Others. Strong people orientation, versus a task orientation. The job will deal with multiple interruptions on a continual basis, always maintaining a friendly interface with others.
• Versatility. The job calls for high level of optimism and a can-do orientation. It will require multiple talents and a willingness to adapt to changing assignments as required.
• Customer-Oriented. The job demands a positive and constructive view of working with others. There will a high percentage of time spent listening to, understanding and successfully working with a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds to achieve win-win outcomes.
• Frequent Change. The job requires a comfort level with juggling many balls in the air at the same time. It will be asked to leave several tasks unfinished and easily move on to new tasks with little or no notice.
• Analysis of Data. The job deals with a large number of details. It requires that details, data and facts are analyzed and challenged prior to making decisions and that important decision-making data is maintained accurately for repeated examination as required.
• Urgency. The job requires decisiveness, quick response and fast action. It will often be involved in critical situations demanding on-the-spot decisions be made with good judgment.
• Organized Workplace. The job's success depends on systems and procedures; its successful performance is tied to careful organization of activities, tasks and projects that require accuracy. Record keeping and planning are essential components of the job.
• Competitiveness. The job exists within a demanding environment where consistently winning is critical. The job demands tenacity, boldness, assertiveness and a will to win in dealing with highly competitive situations.

As you are implementing your hiring good employees plan and you are putting your interview questions together, make sure you are matching your candidate's behaviors, communication style and temperament to the needs of the job.

Ask the candidate questions based on those top three behaviors and you'll be hiring good employees AND avoid the danger of hiring yourself!

Have you ever hired your dream candidate only to later discover they were…a nightmare?

What hiring manager hasn’t been there?

What if I told you there’s a way to recognize a potentially poor hiring decision before you extend an offer?

Find out more about this eProduct/mini-workshop now:
How to Conduct an Interview --- Pick a Winner Every Time!

Would you like to learn more about the Communication Style Assessment DISC?

Use your results to solve relationship and communication challenges AND make better hiring decisions!

Click here for our eProduct/Mini-workshop:

How to Solve All Work and Home Relationship Problems

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