I met Julie at a workshop we both attended about 6 weeks ago. After just a few conversations we both said, almost at the same time, "It seems like I know you from somewhere." We couldn't find a past connection, but we did discover that we are both very goal driven, enthusiastic, sociable and empathetic. I liked her and she liked me because we felt like kindred spirits.
We are drawn to those who seem like us. When you find someone who thinks 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 you hire someone who thinks like you - mostly because they think like you - chances are good that you've just put the wrong person in the wrong job. The net result? Very frustrated managers and unmotivated employees.
Different jobs require different styles of behavior from the people who perform them.
Tom is the President of a software development company that has tripled its revenue in the last two years. He's had a single sales person working for the company for the last three years, but one of his goals for 2006 is to hire another sales person and bring in a Sales Manager to focus on growth.
The current Operations Supervisor (Margaret) is a highly valued and effective employee, and 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 to embrace change at her pace, so that she can implement a procedure to handle the change as she goes.
Should Tom promote Margaret to Sales Manager?
Consider the behaviors necessary for success.
Success in a sales management position requires a person who is direct, result-oriented, fast-paced, 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 has achieved her success because she's in a position that works with her style: it is more stable, slower paced, researched oriented and logical. She loves being able to plan, implement, define quality standards and conduct research. She's a great employee who is thriving in her current position, because she is doing what she loves.
Tom could have stayed in his comfort zone and moved Margaret into the Sales Manager role. He would have been comfortable with her, but before long, he would have been disappointed with the results she achieved. And she would have been frustrated by the new responsibilities and have found it difficult to achieve success.
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, "This candidate thinks the way I do." Pay attention. You may be about to hire yourself.
But are "you" what the job really needs?
Communication Styles Revealed: What Does the Job Really Need?
The style descriptions listed below are from the DiSC model. The DiSC model provides a simple framework for understanding and appreciating different temperaments and styles. Each style brings natural strengths to the job and people usually have a temperament that is most natural and comfortable to them.
Jobs are multi-faceted, so you may look at this list and think you need to find someone who is good at all of these things.
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 most successful person for the job will be the one that is the best match to those three key behaviors.
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.
When you're putting your interview questions together, make sure you are matching your candidate's behaviors and temperament to the needs of the job. Ask the candidate questions based on those top three behaviors.
For example, if Organized Workplace was the #1 key behavior, ask interview questions that focus on that area. Ask for specific examples and details of past experience and outcomes.
"Tell me about...."
- Specific situations where you implemented procedures and systems
- What worked? What didn't?
- How important record-keeping is to you.
- What system do you use?
- How you analyze data.
- A project where you were required to research data to make a decision.
- What process did you use?
- What worked? What didn't?
Using this method puts the focus squarely on what the job needs, not on your own style preferences. Bring in people who are a match to the job. Then you're on your way to creating a strong team of diverse and talented people.
Additional Interview Insights: Interviewing for the Right Stuff
Almost half of newly hired employees will fail within 18 months. Here are four crucial areas you need to cover in your next interview.
A candidate comes in for an interview for a manager's position. You carve 90 minutes out of your day to interview him, because this position is an important component of the company's success.
The interview goes something like this.
| You tell him all about the job | 20 minutes |
| You tell him about the requirements for the job | 20 minutes |
| You ask about his experience and technical skills | 20 minutes |
| You ask the prescribed questions about long-term goals and motivation | 10 minutes |
| For every statement the candidate makes about his experience, his preferences, and his goals, you give your opinion about how your position matches his response | 20 minutes |
After the candidate leaves, you put a checkmark next to QUALIFIED.
So you feel good about the technical competency the candidate would bring to the job.
But what about these questions?
* Will he be happy here?
* Will he be productive?
* Will he want to stay?
* Will he contribute his talent generously?
Almost half of newly hired employees will fail within 18 months. In a recent study of 312 companies that had collectively hired more than 20,000 people, 46% failed in the first year and a half, and only 19% had unequivocal success.
What interfered with the new employee's success?
- 26% couldn't accept feedback
- 23% were unable to understand and manage emotions
- 17% lacked the motivation to excel
- 15% had the wrong temperament for the job
- 11% lacked the necessary technical skills
As surprising as these numbers are, even more surprising is that 82% of hiring managers knew the employee wouldn't work out, because they saw subtle signs of it during the interview. Managers often ignore the signs because they are too focused on other issues, are too pressed for time, or lack confidence in interpreting the signs.
Our advice:
Focus your interviewing energy on a candidate's coachability, motivation and temperament. Too much interview time is spent talking about technical competence - because it is easy to assess. But it is a lousy predictor of whether an employee will succeed or fail in a position.
At the conclusion of the interview, if you can't say whether the candidate will be happy, give his all to the job, or want to stay with the company for the long term, then either you don't have a good match in the candidate, or you focused your interview in the wrong area.
