Behavior-Based Interviewing
While a hiring mistake obviously involves the direct costs of recruiting, hiring, training, and salary, it also involves unquantifiable costs. These can include: loss of teamwork, diminished morale, and loss of credibility with other departments/operating units that you service.
How can you project the behavior of a candidate? Use behavior-based interview questions. Example: “In your last job what was the most difficult challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?” Ask the candidate to be specific:
- Describe the setting or background
- Identify the actions taken
- Identify the final outcome
- Have the candidate evaluate what he/she learned
Behavior-based questions are the best way to evaluate how a candidate will probably respond to challenges because, while situations change, the approach a candidate has taken in the past is typically how they will act in the future.
Top 5 Keys to Leadership Career Advancement
As an executive search firm our clients consistently mention these 5 attributes they require when evaluating professionals for leadership roles.
1. Collaboration: the recognition that “top down” management is no longer effective; today’s top cultures succeed by being inclusive and eliciting ideas and cooperation throughout the organization.
2. Communication: leaders are expected to possess strong verbal/written skills and be able to influence others versus dictate to others.
3. Innovation: leaders are expected to have an attitude of what must I do to be an agent of innovation and change? A company listed on the Fortune 500 today has a less than 50 percent chance of still being on the list in 2021.
4. Flexibility: leaders are expected to manage their business responsibilities with their family responsibilities in a way that is seamless; there is no defined work time vs. personal time.
5. Continuous Learning: the pace of rapid change will challenge leaders to be in a continuous learning mode; it is predicted that many job openings will go unfilled due to lack of technical expertise.
I would encourage you to assess how you stack up against the 5 attributes most frequently requested by our clients and adapt accordingly.
Top 5 Things to Look For in Evaluating a Search Firm
As you are in the process of hiring top candidates this year, it is critical to know what to look for in a search firm if you decide to use one.
Top 5 Things to Look For in Evaluating a Search Firm
- Look for a specialty firm that has a history of placing “ethics & compliance” professionals rather than a firm that caters to many career areas.
- When interviewing a search firm ask them for references on companies and “ethics & compliance” professionals they have worked with.
- Make sure the search firm will have a single point of contact to interact with so there is consistency in delivery of quality service.
- Insist that the search professional for your account has real world experience in “ethics & compliance” prior to becoming an executive recruiter.
- Ask if the search firm is active and visible in the “ethics & compliance” community. I.e. are they a well recognized authority on “ethics & compliance”?
Remember, when you use a search firm that encompasses all 5 criteria, you have the greatest chance of hiring the best candidates.
Advantage of using a search firm
- A good firm will provide more qualified professionals than networking and job boards because 85% of the qualified candidate pool is not actively looking for a new job.
- A search firm will cost less than using your own resources when you factor in the “true cost” of time of all the internal professionals inclusive of HR and the hiring authorizes who will devote time to screening unqualified professionals.
- A search firm will bring you the talent you need quicker than your own sourcing because the recruiter already has a contact list of hundreds of people that meet your specific criteria.
- When confidentiality is important a search firm is the only way to go.
Be the Cause, Not the Effect
“Shallow people believe in luck, wise and strong people believe in cause and effect.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.
A motivator of others asks, “What do we want to cause to happen today? What do we want to produce?” These are the best management questions of all. People who have a hard time managing people have a hard time asking these questions, because they’re thinking about what’s happening to them instead of what they’re going to make happen.
When your staff see you as a cause instead of an effect, they will begin to think the same way.
Motivational Fit
The following eTip is the next in a series of hiring technique topics from Maurice Gilbert of Conselium.
Motivational Fit
In the interview process there is more to evaluate than a candidate's technical skills. Motivational fit is even more significant. Motivational fit is the degree to which the candidate and the employer agree on what each expects to receive from the relationship.
So, what are some questions you can ask to assess a candidate's motivational fit?
- What types of activities have you been involved in the past several years?
- What are the best jobs you’ve ever had? Why?
- What do you like best about your current job; like least?
- What interests you most about our job opportunity; the least?
- What are your career goals the next 2 years; next 5 years?
Remember, motivational fit is the best indicator if an employee will enjoy the environment and be a productive team member.
For additional information on this topic, contact me at maurice@conselium.com
Peak Work Performance Demands High Energy
In today's work environment we are often asked to do more with fewer resources, especially time. There are only so many hours in the day; so addressing this issue requires us to bring more energy to the workplace. We can accomplish this by focusing on the following four factors that help determine our energy level on a daily basis:
- Good nutrition – eat five meals a day to maintain balanced energy. In addition to the normal breakfast, lunch, and dinner, add a light snack at mid-morning and mid-afternoon. This may consist of a piece of fruit, a small cup of yogurt or almonds.
- Sleep – most doctors and sleep experts recommend at least seven hours of sleep per night. Proper sleep is nature’s way of allowing our bodies and minds to recover from the stressors of the day.
- Exercise – many people make the excuse "I don’t have time" and overlook the importance of exercise. However, exercise provides you with more energy and it increases your endurance. A side benefit is also the enhanced mental state achieved by the release of mood-enhancing endorphins in the brain.
- Relationships – developing and maintaining positive relationships at work and with family and friends provides a feeling of connectivity to the world. This in turn is a great source of energy and a positive attitude.
Entire books are written regarding good nutrition, sleep, exercise and relationships. You would be well served to incorporate these fundamentals into your life and see how it will benefit your performance at the office.
Top 8 Attributes of a Successful Manager
We polled candidates we placed for our clients and asked what are the top 8 attributes they want to see in their immediate supervisor? Here are the results:
- Represents and instills integrity in the company and his/her department
- Seeks continuous improvement in the products or services offered by his/her department
- Creates a positive work environment and culture of respect for one another
- Leads by example…works just as hard as the rest of his/her team
- Communicates in an open and effective manor
- Constantly seeks good ideas for his/her team
- Has a positive attitude…a can do attitude
- Demonstrates passion and knowledge of what his/her department has to offer
The above poll was taken by Conselium, an executive search firm specializing in areas of corporate compliance and risk.
Employee Retention Starts With You
The following e-tip is the next in a series of hiring technique topics from Maurice Gilbert of Conselium.
Employee Retention Starts With You:
It's not all about money, perks and benefits. You, as a manager, have significant control over what your employees want including:
- Challenging, meaningful work
- A chance to learn and grow
- Pleasant and stimulating co-workers
- Recognition and respect
- Flexibility
- A great boss i.e. you
For additional information on this topic, contact me at maurice@conselium.com.
e-tip is compliments of Conselium – Personalized Search Solutions - www.conselium.com
Make Your Point in 30 Seconds
How long is the average television commercial? 30 seconds. Why? This is due to time constraints and the fact that the attention span of most people is 30 seconds.
I am not implying that an entire conversation will last only 30 seconds. I am saying that a well delivered message within a conversation will fit within this guideline.
This is best achieved by following this simple format:
• Develop a clear objective. What is your goal? What do you want to accomplish with the conversation?
• Who is your audience? Who is in position to get you what you want?
• What is the right approach to get what you want? How do you satisfy the needs of your listener to get what you want?
• What is your hook? How will you best obtain the attention of your audience?
• The close. Ask for what you want.
Example: An employee wanting to take a continuing education course speaking to his/her supervisor. “John, the implementation of SAP is critical to the company’s strategic plan. I believe it would benefit our team if I would become familiar with SAP prior to the implementation. There is a course being offered at XWZ University March 10th that I would like to attend. Please let me know so that I may enroll.”
Accelerate Change
As Peter Drucker said, “Every organization must be prepared to abandon everything it does to survive in the future.”
Your role as a manager is to help facilitate change among your staff so that your company can adapt and change to the demands of a competitive global economy.
It is human nature to resist change. So how can you help your staff “buy-in” quickly to make the necessary adjustments?
1) You must explain how embracing the change will benefit you, them and the company.
2) You must be prepared to communicate the change in an enthusiastic rather than an apologetic way. You must sell the change.
3) You want to make it clear to your team that change is an ongoing part of growth of a company and of individuals.
