Short takes on hiring, managing and training from the Humetrics blog:
Cultural fit
Want to know what that job applicant’s life philosophy and values are? Try this interview question: “You have just agreed to give the commencement address to your local high school graduating class. What would your message be?”
Job posting advice
Does your recruiting message appeal to the people you want to hire? If you want to hire older employees, your ad needs to include something like “maturity and responsibility rewarded and appreciated.” If you want young people, try “energy and enthusiasm are better than experience.”
Praising the right way
Praising employees with an unspecific “job well done” or “way to go” does little to ensure the desired behavior will be repeated.
Praising employees instead for the strategies and processes they use to get ‘er done or to solve problems — even when they don’t fully succeed — makes them more likely to to repeat their performance or try even harder to achieve the desired results.
Why you should train
When you help your people get what they want, they’ll help you get what you want. That’s why you should train them so well that they can get a better job elsewhere.
Really!
I’ve heard too many managers and supervisors say: “Why train them when they’ll just leave?” I always reply: “What happens if you DON’T train them and they stay?”