A number of our clients believe that the worst of the economic slowdown may be over. After sharp cutbacks and almost non-existent hiring, they are cautiously planning for some growth in 2010.
Now would the time, then, to think about the overall structure of your organization. Is everyone in the right job? Are the teams working at maximum effectiveness?
With that in mind, we thought it would be helpful to provide some insights and tips on how to look at your positions before you contemplate any additions when your business recovers. Before the recruitment actively begins, you want to make sure everyone is in the right position.
So before you write any new position descriptions, you might want to ask your managers to evaluate people on their teams to see if the “fit” is right. By that we mean, can the person in that position maximize it, or would he or she be more effective elsewhere in the organization.
In the planning process, before your organization even writes a position description for a new hire, you must:
- Understand the position’s technical or knowledge requirements.
- Understand the soft skills, competencies, behavior needs and other “fit” issues.
- Know the compensation market.
- Know the market conditions that will effect compensation, supply of talent.
- Be realistic in viewing the attractiveness of the position and your organization.
- Determine if this is a “succession planning” spot.
Of these six issues, the one most often overlooked is the “fit,” understanding the soft skills that will help someone succeed.
Here are some questions that can guide managers in evaluating not only current staff, but help them develop candidate profiles they might look for in the near future:
1. What is the personality style of the direct supervisor? Is she patient? How does she provide feedback and reinforcement? A supervisor who doesn’t offer praise often might not mesh with someone who is thin skinned or needs confirmation that he’s doing things right.
2. What is the management style of the supervisor? How much supervision does he provide? If the supervisor is not a delegator, an employee may feel his contributions is not trusted. If a manager doesn’t give clear direction, you may want to look for a self-starter who is confident in her decisions.
3. What will it take to succeed in your organization’s culture? What demands, stress, pace, work commitment and change orientation does your organization place on people? A methodical person from a large bureaucracy may not thrive in an entrepreneurial culture.
4. Is the position one of maintenance, or does it require a great deal of creativity? Creative people need to know their new ideas are contributing to the mission. Less creative people feel threatened by constant demands to think outside the box.
5. What type and level of judgment is required for this position? Does the person need to analyze or make judgments on a regular basis? Someone often out of the office working directly with customers must be comfortable making decisions.
6. Is there a team dynamic to the position, and what relationships must be managed by the employee? People of differing personalities can work together, but managers must be aware of those differences and sensitive to them, so that someone doesn’t feel a fish out of water.
7. What degree of intelligence and mental acuity is required for this position? Someone with a great deal of intelligence may not be happy just making the trains run on time. A position with lots of detail and repetition would not be ideal for someone with a short attention span and high energy.
8. What communication skills are required to meet the demands of position? If someone must present or speak often to large groups but hates it, he may not overcome it, despite extensive training. If you need an influencer – someone whose job depends on persuading people, better find someone who likes the challenge.
Don’t limit your thinking. There are surely more considerations based on your organization, the manager and the job requirements, all which will impact and determine the success of your people.
So you now have a good start to identifying both your needs and what traits you should be looking for. Planning is key. Follow the carpenter’s rule: measure twice, cut once.
In our next issue, we will discuss sourcing new hires: When do you use internal resources to hire? What sources do you tap? How do you generate leads? When should you consider a search firm?
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