Help for New Managers - Hire to Compete

We are currently building this page to help new managers make hiring their competitive advantage. Over the next couple of months we will include short articles on selection, building trust, team building, on-boarding, training and more. Our desire is to help you become a respected, go-to leader. Please refer back to this site often to see what is new.

Re – hire Questions

Some employees leave your company thinking the new company is a better fit or they go after a large pay increase. Many times the new company isn’t everything they had hoped for and they look to return to your company. These questions may help you before you re-hire the person.

10 Questions to answer before you re-hire someone:

Was the person an “A” or “B” performer?
Is the person flexible?
Will the person fit your new strategic plan and culture?
Is the person a team player (we) or self-focused (I)?
Does this person fit your management style?
Is the person a creative problem solver?
Will the person do more than is expected?
Is the person trustworthy and does he/she have a positive attitude?
Does the person have specific, desirable talents, skills or knowledge?
Is the person respected by others on the team?

Our world has changed. We can’t go back, but we can move cautiously forward. People will be your strength and ultimately will define your success. Choose wisely.

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Pre-Hire Assessments: A Tool for New Managers

As a new manager, you have a lot to learn. You need to quickly get up to speed on the company’s culture, policies, and procedures. You also need to start building relationships with your team members and getting them up to speed on your expectations.

One tool that can help you in this process is pre-hire assessments. Pre-hire assessments are tests or questionnaires that candidates complete as part of the job application process. These tests can measure a variety of factors, such as cognitive ability, critical thinking skills, personality, work preferences, and motivation.

For new managers, pre-hire assessments can be a valuable tool for several reasons. First, they can help you identify candidates who have the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job. Second, they can help you assess candidates’ fit for your company’s culture. Third, they can help you identify candidates who are likely to be successful in their roles.

Of course, pre-hire assessments are not a perfect solution. They can be expensive, and they can be biased against certain groups of people. However, when used correctly, pre-hire assessments can be a valuable tool for new managers.

Here are some tips for using pre-hire assessments effectively as a new manager:

Choose the right assessments. There are many different types of pre-hire assessments available. Make sure to choose assessments that are relevant to the job you are hiring for.
Use the assessments in conjunction with other hiring tools. Pre-hire assessments should not be used in isolation. Use them in conjunction with other hiring tools, such as interviews and reference checks.
Interpret the results carefully. Pre-hire assessment results can be helpful, but they should not be interpreted in isolation. Consider the results in the context of the other hiring tools you have used.

If you are a new manager, pre-hire assessments can be a valuable tool for you. By using pre-hire assessments effectively, you can increase your chances of hiring the right people for your team.

Here are some additional benefits of using pre-hire assessments for new managers:

They can help you save time and money by reducing the number of unqualified candidates you need to interview.
They can help you make more informed hiring decisions by providing you with more data about the candidates.
They can help you reduce turnover by hiring candidates who are a good fit for your company’s culture and who are likely to be successful in their roles.

If you are a new manager, I encourage you to consider using pre-hire assessments as part of your hiring process. They can be a valuable tool for helping you make the best possible hiring decisions.

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Politicians vs. Leadership

Politicians are not the best role models. But, because of TV and social media we can watch and learn from their mistakes. The world would be a better place if politicians remembered these leadership principles.

Tunnel vision – do not surround yourself with people who only think like you. Add diversity to broaden your scope.

Likeability – you cannot always be the nicest person in the room.

Decisions – do not let your ego get in the way of a good decision.

Trust – if your team does not trust you, then you are just a bully.

Followers – 20-30% of the people will follow anyone.

Communications – talk is cheap – action pays the bills.

Respect – it is earned over many years but can be lost in seconds.

Leadership – lying and creating fear is not leadership. It is chaos.

Courage – make tough decisions even if it means losing some of your status.

Integrity – stand up for what you believe. Be the role model you want your children to respect.

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Questions for Managers

Quick hiring decisions often have huge consequences on management time, money, employee engagement, absenteeism, safety, turnover and more.

Five questions a manager should answer BEFORE making any hiring decision.

Will this candidate add talent to the team?

Will the candidate take ownership of their job responsibilities?

Will this candidate get along with the other team members?

Given my management style, can I manage this candidate?

If hired, how will I help this candidate learn, grow, and succeed – quickly?

Benefits

The new hire will have a better chance of fitting into your team’s culture.
More time leading the team and less time trying to fix a poor hiring decision.
Less turnover and more employee engagement.

Extra Benefit

Write your answers down and refer to them as needed. Excellent opportunity to improve your hiring skills.

Focus…..Ownership…..Constantly Improving

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Cost of a Bad Hire

The cost of a bad hire can be significant, both in terms of financial losses and the damage to a company’s reputation. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average cost of a bad hire is up to 30% of the employee’s first-year earnings. This means that for an employee who earns $50,000 per year, the cost of a bad hire could be as high as $15,000.

The cost of a bad hire can be broken down into several categories, including:

Direct costs: These costs include the salary and benefits paid to the employee, as well as the cost of recruiting and hiring a replacement.
Indirect costs: These costs include the loss of productivity, the damage to morale, and the cost of legal fees.
Opportunity costs: These costs include the loss of potential sales or revenue that could have been generated by a qualified employee.

The cost of a bad hire can be even higher in certain areas, such as sales or customer service. In those areas, a bad hire can have a direct impact on the bottom line. For example, a poor salesperson could lose sales, or a bad customer service representative could damage your customer relationships.

There are a number of things that employers can do to reduce the risk of hiring a bad hire. These include:

Use a structured hiring process: This process should include a thorough screening of resumes, interviews, and reference checks.
Use pre-hire assessments: These assessments can help to identify candidates who have the skills and abilities necessary for the job.
Get input from multiple people: This will help to ensure that all aspects of a candidate’s qualifications are considered.
Make sure the candidate is a good fit for the company culture: This will help to ensure that the candidate will be successful in the long term.
Be clear about the job requirements: Make sure that the job description is accurate and that the candidate understands what the job entails.
Ask the right questions: During the interview, ask questions that will help you to assess the candidate’s skills, knowledge, and abilities. Listen and ask follow up questions.
Pay attention to the candidate’s body language: Body language can often give you clues about the candidate’s true personality and fit for the job.

By taking these steps, managers can reduce the risk of hiring a bad hire and save themselves a significant amount of time and the company money.

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Hiring – 7 Deadly Sins

In many companies, HR professionals are the unsung heroes of the post-pandemic period.

Recruiting is just one of their responsibilities, but it may be the most important. Why? Because it has an immediate effect on the company culture, employee engagement, safety, turnover, etc. The cost of a bad hire (management time and money) can be significant.

Hiring – 7 Deadly Sins

Hiring someone based on your first impressions.

Hiring someone like the manager – the “cookie cutter” method.

Because of job security, a manager doesn’t hire an “A” candidate.

Bypassing the company hiring process to hire a friend.

The manager talks too much in the interview.

The manager hires too quickly to fill the open position.

Hiring someone based on the “I’m a good judge of character” method.

A primary responsibility for HR is helping managers hire people who fit the job, the manager and the company’s culture. They guard the company’s front door. A little help from a few managers will make hiring your competitive advantage.