BusinessWeek recently published an article entitled, “Business Outlook: Business Is Lean, Fit, and Ready To Grow.”
There are pent-up needs stemming from inventories being low and consumers willing to buy when the major part of the recession is over. Businesses, according to the BusinessWeek article, have done a lot of weeding; they have gotten lean; and, they are poised to expand and take advantage of the impending demand.
I have serious questions about the readiness to grow. One thing is certain, however.
To meet the demands, businesses will have to gear up quickly. Readiness will depend on acquiring the people needed to do the work. My observations tell me many businesses have not done anything to improve the hiring processes they used to acquire the turkeys the recession helped them get rid of. That means, they soon will be dealing with the same old distracters they had before the recession.
This is truly a time of great opportunity.
There is a little time before the crunch happens. You can use that time to ensure you will never again hire turkeys. There is no category of people called turkeys---there are only managers and leaders who do a less than wonderful job of selection, and they make turkeys out of perfectly good people.
The questions that must be answered are: “Is this the position in which this person can excel? Is this employee a good fit for the position?”
It is amazing how many hiring decisions are still made primarily on data from interviews. Although interviewing techniques have improved over the years, research has continued to demonstrate that the interview alone is only one piece of the data needed to make a good decision. Employee selection is now a science and should evolve systematically by applying the best assessment practices that have been learned in the last several years.
Now is the time to look at your hiring process and make it as effective as any other of your capital expenditure processes. The people you are going to bring on will either make you more money and make your life easier than it has ever been, or they will cause you a myriad of headaches.
This seems like a no-brainer. Revamping your hiring process is neither painful nor expensive. There are inexpensive assessment techniques and tools readily available to help you hire the right person for the right job.
The hiring process and tools used will probably be similar for many of your positions. What will change for each position is the content of each step.
What are you going to measure? Each position needs a list of skills, attributes and competencies that are required of a person who can do the job well.
These lists tell you which assessments will be most effective and what to look for with each. Once the assessments are determined, it is simply a matter of putting them together in a process that is efficient and cost-effective.
You may want to bring in someone from outside your organization to help you develop and implement the process. If you work with a consultant, make sure you hire someone who has a lengthy track record of success in this area and has clients who are successful and are willing to talk with you.
This is a hot topic area right now, and many have jumped on the bandwagon with very little experience. You also want to look carefully at the instruments you choose as assessments. There are instruments available with good research behind them and there are many that have no research or are inappropriate to use in hiring. This is an area where an experienced consultant can steer you in the right direction.
My recommendation is to take action now, while this time of great opportunity is still available. Make your life as successful and pleasant as it can be. You may never get another opportunity like this to create the best staff you have ever had.
Note: If you are concerned about success in hiring, contact me by phone at 602-357-4399 or by e-mail at ken@positiveoptions.net