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Is This the Right Way to Fire?
The one piece of advice I always give managers who are facing the tough task of terminating a team member is this: “Don’t make it harder on the employee than it already is.” Certainly losing a job is...
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Crossing the Finish Line
So, you’ve finally hired that new employee you need for a key position on your team. The interview process was in-depth and time consuming, but you believe you’ve found the perfect person. You’ve...
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1 Great Employee = 3 Good Employees
Can a formula as simple as 1 Great Employee = 3 Good Employees really work? For The Container Store, the answer is a resounding YES. Their basic strategy is to bypass all the average and even...
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Nothing Stays the Same
Here’s a tricky truth about motivation: it’s an ever changing force. Think about your own professional experiences. Is what motivated you when you were in your 20s the same as what motivated you in...
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An Offer You Can Refuse
What do you think would happen if the next time you’re about to sign on a new employee you inserted this paragraph in your Offer Letter: I understand that during my first 90 days on the job the vast...
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What Are We Doing Wrong?
I’m asked this question a lot by companies who are trying to figure out why they have a hard time hiring the right people. And often I recognize they’re struggling with either one or both of the...
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A “Real People Person”
What, exactly, is a “Real People Person”? It’s certainly a term I hear used frequently by hiring managers to describe a quality they need in an ideal candidate. “This job requires a real people person,...
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Top Down Dysfunction
When it comes to teamwork problems, especially those tricky inter-departmental ones, most companies are quick to point fingers at the people on the teams. Whether it’s two groups clashing head to head...
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Charged Up or Worn Down?
As you’ve no doubt realized in your own job, certain activities or tasks either energize you or tire you. If you’re an extrovert, dealing with a steady stream of people knocking on your office door all...
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A Checklist for the New Year
Like many of us, I suspect you’ve spent a little time over the past few weeks thinking about 2012 and how you can make the most of the next 365 days. If you’re a manager, I hope one thing you’ve...
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Assert Yourself
When it comes to identifying the personality traits they want in candidates, I’ve noticed most managers are quick to zero in on assertiveness. I often hear, “What I need is a real go-getter, someone...
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Going Slow in the Fast Lane
I was recently talking with a manager who was trying to figure out what to do about one of her employees whom she’d nicknamed “The Plodder.” It seems this individual had one speed (slow) and couldn’t...
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Fight or Flight
Consider these two very different reactions to the same scenario: A software glitch has resulted in shipping delays to a group of your customers, and you know the problem is going to cause some major...
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Are You Getting it Right?
“It’s all about the managers. Get that right and you can make work better. Get it wrong and you’ll get skewered.” –Frank Roche, from the KnowHR blog This is true for every company, big or small. No...
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Welcome Aboard!
Despite all the time, energy, and effort managers typically put into hiring employees, I rarely see them apply the same level of attention to the onboarding process. Too often, new hires show up on the...
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Hiring For Sales: One Great Question
Someone recently forwarded me an interesting article on what it really takes to succeed in sales and why so many companies miss the mark. It’s definitely worth a read if you’re trying to figure out how...
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Hiring? Get A Second Opinion
So, you’re a hiring manager knee-deep in the interview process for an open position on your team. You’ve narrowed down your candidate pool to your top prospects, and you’re having a hard time deciding...
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Hiring? Get a Second Opinion – Part 2
What do all of the following statements have in common? “I’m not really sure what we’re supposed to talk about today…..” “Why don’t I tell you about my role here in the company and the projects I’m...
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That’s Not My Job
Not long ago I was conducting a training class with a group of managers looking to sharpen their skills in the areas of recruiting, interviewing, and hiring. Some participants had been managing teams...
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Hang On
While no one is going to suggest we’re in the middle of a hiring boom, I have noticed quite a bit of recruiting and interviewing going on in a number of market sectors these days. Even if companies are...
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