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One often unrecognized fact about hiring and promotional processes is that a job interview is a two-way evaluation. That is, the candidates as well as the employer have the opportunity to assess the goodness-of-fit between themselves, the job, and the organization. In order for both sides to make informed decisions, however, the employer must provide all relevant information, both positive and negative. To do otherwise would be a disservice to all stakeholders as well as to the organization. If asked why they decline to mention the down sides to a given job, most employers say they don’t want to scare off good candidates. I’ve got news for them: they’re going to lose new hires who discover their expectations will not be met. On the other hand, new hires who are poor fits are likely to stay, causing negative repercussions throughout the organization. Acknowledging the lack of fit earlier in the selection process rather than later will save you money and time, as well as avoid the costs associated with reduced productivity and employee morale, and unhappy customers. Here are eleven actions you can take to provide candidates for hire and/or promotion with a realistic job preview: Before the interview:
During the interview:
After the interview:
While no one likes to lose otherwise good job candidates, hiring or promoting someone who is a poor fit for the job and/or the organization does a disservice to everyone. Who would you rather have serving your customers: people who went into the job with realistic expectations or those who are disillusioned because their expectations were not met? To find other articles and resources that may be of value to you, I invite you to visit my web site at www.BusinessAlignmentStrategies.com and my blog at www.OptimizeBusinessResults.com. Alignment Solutions is a concise, bi-weekly newsletter written specifically to help organizational leaders optimize their business results. Your e-mail address is never shared with anyone for any reason. You may unsubscribe by clicking the link on the bottom of this e-mail.
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© 2016 Pat Lynch. All rights reserved. |
Archive for June, 2016
Alignment Solutions Newsletter: Timing is Everything
Wednesday, June 1st, 2016 |
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Timing is Everything
Years ago I was hired by a large fire and rescue agency to salvage a critical project that was well outside its members’ areas of expertise. With a mess on its hands despite weeks of frantic efforts to handle the issue internally, and with a deadline fast approaching, the agency finally called an expert. Asked why it took so long to seek the help they knew they needed, a fire captain replied, “When faced with any problem, we always do something. Even when we don’t know what we’re doing, we still do something because we’re the fire department and people expect us to handle whatever comes up.” If you’ve ever attended a public safety educational event, you know that first responders tell people to call 911 in an emergency. “Even if you’re not sure whether the situation truly requires a fire, EMS, or law enforcement response,” they advise, “call us anyway. We’re the experts; let us decide.” Given those clear and simple instructions, why do some people insist on trying to handle an emergency themselves before calling 911? Perhaps this scenario sounds familiar: although you are well trained in your field, you’ve been asked to achieve a goal or provide a deliverable outside that area of expertise, and for which you have had no training or preparation. Perhaps you must develop a department strategy, or create a new process or system, or resolve a difficult workplace situation. Even though you don’t know where to begin, you opt to give it your best shot rather than ask for help. After all, how hard could it be? (Note: for your own good, don’t ever pose this query as a rhetorical question.) Although these situations seldom involve danger to life or property, delaying a request for assistance is likely to result in significant costs and/or a failure to deliver a key outcome. Next time you find yourself in a situation in which you’re required to do something that’s beyond your area of expertise, ask yourself this question: “Is there anyone else in the world who knows how to do [the task at hand]?” In the rare case in which the answer is “No,” then take it on yourself. However, when the answer is “Yes,” call an internal or external expert. And when calculating your return on investment, don’t forget to include the peace of mind that comes from knowing that a key outcome will be achieved successfully and on time. Because even though you are not the fire department, people expect you to know what to do. To find other articles and resources that may be of value to you, I invite you to visit my web site at www.BusinessAlignmentStrategies.com and my blog at www.OptimizeBusinessResults.com. Alignment Solutions is a concise, bi-weekly newsletter written specifically to help organizational leaders optimize their business results. Your e-mail address is never shared with anyone for any reason. You may unsubscribe by clicking the link on the bottom of this e-mail.
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© 2016 Pat Lynch. All rights reserved. |