Tuesday, June 13, 2017

The right person at the right place


It is about the right person in the right job at the right time for the right place. You've heard me or read about my belief in hiring for values. Values are those like-minded items we share. They bind us together in an organization. They are our gut, and can't be taught.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

It is all about the culture

  • It is about the culture. Operational efficiency must be the value at United. 

Uber failed at understanding culture and workplace environment. Wells Fargo got what was rewarded. 

Values are not a slogan. They aren't created for marketing. Values are about understanding how a diverse group of people with like minded values can progress a service or product. This doesn't mean everyone thinks the same way. It means that they believe in a set of core values. It means there is a North Star that guides decisions. 


Solid values mean fewer policies. It means knowing what is important. United chose to handle this situation this way. They felt that getting the four employees to Louisville for the operations of the business was more important than the paying customers. 


They didn't feel that options for transport from other airlines or other crews for the Louisville plane were a better option. or maybe there weren't other options. They didn't offer the maximum for cash out to customers. That was still a choice. 


The removal of four people was probably cheaper than the grounding of a flight in Louisville. That means operational efficiency trumps the customer relations. Nothing wrong with that if those are your values. If you don't define them; your practices define them for you. 


This doesn't mean to be all "touchy feeling" kind of values. Guiding principles-simply communicated- mean something. There were ten on tablets that communicated pretty well. #valuebasedleadership #culture #workplace #hr







Friday, March 17, 2017

It is about fit. Hiring the right person at the right time for the right job in the right place. 


It is all about fit- for everyone!
This news report is a perfect example of an organization's culture lead by its values. I tell job seekers to wait until an offer is being made and the recruiter raises the issue. Here's why.  First of all, you may impress the recruiter to the point that the job eventually offered is higher than the firm even had open when they first contacted you. The fit is key, especially in startups and if they are looking for people interested in equity and building a firm-that is different than a person interested in paid holidays and more vacation. The mindset is different. Neither is wrong it is the fit of the person, their qualifications and the wants of this value-based culture, and the wants and needs of the person. Again, neither is wrong. 
Recruitment is about finding the right person for the right job at the right time at the right place. If any of those are wrong, the fit is not good for the firm or the person.  Now the recruiter could have handled the response in a better way, and I am sure has been trained to do this better. 
To ask the question of the recruiter prematurely is to lessen your chances to impress and show a "what are you doing for me" attitude. The recruiting process is a courtship and needs to evolve.  You don't get the ring after one good dinner. Sell your education and experience, show what you will contribute to helping the business succeed and you will succeed in getting that position or even one above it. I've seen it happen time and again.