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career strategies for couples |
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Hiring the Best:
A How To |
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NEW YORK - Web-site designer Tim
Glaesemann faced a dilemma common to many entrepreneurs --
his client list was growing, and he needed to hire an
assistant to help him at Circa New Media, based in Pelham,
N.Y
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By Jane Applegate
Featuring Dr. Mark
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As Reported in: |
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Succeeding in Small Business': A
weekly column by Jane Applegate, 6/29/99
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Glaesemann thought he found the perfect employee
when he hired a young designer who claimed to be schooled in
many of the cutting-edge technologies Glaesemann wanted to
incorporate into his Web designs.
But three months and a lot of headaches later, the employee
quit, leaving the office keys and a resignation letter on
Glaesemann's desk while he was out of town on a business trip.
The employee's departure saved Glaesemann the pain of firing
him.
Looking back, Glaesemann admits he didn't have the skills or
time to properly verify his former employee's credentials or
references.
"The employee misrepresented his abilities and could only do
half of what I needed him to do," said Glaesemann, who says his
mistake was being wooed by the "wow factor" on the applicant's
resume and not actually testing the potential employee's
abilities at the computer.
TOP
Finding and hiring competent, capable and quality staff is one
of the enduring challenges facing small-business owners.
With a strong economy and record-low unemployment in most of the
United States, it's even tougher today for small companies to
compete for talent.
Given how tough it is to find good help, entrepreneurs often
succumb to what employment experts call the "warm-body syndrome"
-- hiring quickly just to have somebody filling a position.
TOP
This often leads to the expensive consequences of a bad hire -
workplace disruption, loss of productivity -- and the stress,
anxiety, legal and personal complications of having to fire an
employee.
"To make the best hiring choice, you need to make a commitment
to the importance of hiring well, instead of rushing through it
and end up having to fire poorly," said Dr. Mark Goulston, a Los
Angeles-based psychiatrist and business-relationships
specialist.
Goulston said business owners also get into big trouble when
they hire someone to do the work the owner doesn't want to do or
can't do well.
"When you hire someone to do tasks that you dislike, that
employee really has you over a barrel," said Goulston, author of
"Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior"
(Pedigree Books). "If you don't take the time to hire the best
person for the job, you'll find they actually make that area of
your business worse, and then you are dealing with a crisis in
your area of weakness."
TOP
Noeleta Lacey, owner of Advanced Record Management, a Los
Angeles off-site corporate documents and record-management
company, estimates it costs her 13-person company between $6,000
and $8,000 to hire and train each new employee. "It is
expensive, but we want people to stay with the company," she
said.
Through trial and error, Lacey uses a hiring system that
includes a phone interview, then an in-person interview, which
gives her a chance to see if the chemistry is right.
"I want to know how (applicants) handle anger and stress," said
Lacey, who asks candidates to discuss their first job and to
describe their future goals.
After a prospective employee balked at learning to perform tasks
not related to her specific position, Lacey began making it
clear that there are no specific job descriptions at her
company. Employees are expected to perform a variety of tasks.
TOP
"A bad employee can be deadly," said Lacey. "They can tie you up
for months. You are afraid to do anything, but at the same time,
your needs are not being met."
Glaesemann said his bad hiring experience taught him to be more
thorough in checking references.
His former employee provided a college professor and a previous
employer who did attest to the applicant's ability to work with
new Web technologies. The problem was Glaesemann failed to ask
about the applicant's background or experience in some more
basic skills that the job required.
"References can only answer the specific questions you ask
them," said Glaesemann, who admits suffering from another common
hiring problem --denial.
"I wanted to believe the best about him," said Glaesemann. "I
kept lowering my expectations of what I wanted, and then, when I
needed him to do the job, he couldn't do it."
TOP
So, how do you find the right person for the job? Goulston and
Lacey offer these hiring tips:
- Take time to compose a
job description for the position, and put yourself in the
shoes of the person you want to hire. What qualities would
your ideal candidate possess?
- Check references
carefully. If the former employer won't answer your questions,
find a former colleague, vendor or supplier. Ask questions
that pertain to the job the employee will be performing for
you.
- Listen carefully. Resist
the impulse to spend your interviewing time talking about the
position and the company. Let the applicant to do the talking.
Listen to what he or she is saying, and don't let your desire
to fill the position color your judgment.
- Ask the person to tell
you about his or her last job. While every situation is
different, in general, you want to watch out for an employee
who speaks negatively of his or her past employers.
- Suggest applicants tell
you something negative you should know about them. You are
looking for honesty -- and a sign that a person is aware of
his or her flaws and is taking steps to correct them.
- Ask applicants what they
would do if they got in over their head. An employee who turns
to a colleague is a team player. A person who turns to a
supervisor has a different mindset. An employee who isolates
himself when in trouble can be extremely damaging to your
business.
Ask, "Where do you see yourself in five
years?" or "What are your future goals?" Small businesses need
employees who can grow and evolve with the company. An employee
who does not have goals or ambitions may resist learning new
skills or taking on additional responsibilities. |
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TOP |
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