Hiring: Beware the “ACE OF SPADES” – by Patrick Valtin

There are four aces in hiring. It is not about playing cards, it is about picking people who will help you win – and won’t make you feel like you lost your last dollars playing poker. Use the four aces of selection to systematically evaluate each applicant: Performance mindset, willingness, know-how and personality. Like playing cards, these Aces are your most important “hiring cards,” yet they are not equal in value. You must know exactly what you want to measure and in which sequence.

• Performance mindset: Your Ace of Diamonds. Detecting top players who are naturally high performers is your highest priority. Use “detectors” suggested by our No Fail Hiring™ System in the interview to estimate if an applicant has a strong performance mindset – or not. This factor is the most important one – you hire people for results, not for just “doing things.”
  
  
• Willingness: Your Ace of Hearts. To a large degree you can improve technical skills; but how do you improve attitude? Never compromise with this vital fact: people get hired for their hard skills and get fired for their lack of soft ones. A positive attitude is such a vital soft skill
  that you want to measure it as soon as you can in the hiring process. Willingness to learn, to do new things, to do more than what is expected, to handle problems, etc. are so important! Is estimated that over 77% of hiring failures are due to lack of willingness.
  
  
• Know-how: Your Ace of Clubs. You want to have competent employees who can at least master the basic technical skills as required on the job. The golden rule is: never trust what they say, always test what they should be able to do. Know-how is measured in the doing, not in the talking. you want to know if an applicant can do accounting? Put him or her to the test for 5 to 10 minutes, by challenging hi/her on a practical accounting issue.
  
  
• Personality: Your Ace of Spades. We measure personality last; not because it is the least important evaluation criterion but because if you let yourself be influenced by a “nice” personality, it could offer trouble, or even, potentially, destroy your business! The golden rule is:
  never trust what you see, because you don’t know if it is real! Too many employers fail to detect the difference between temporary personality and the lasting one. don’t fall in the trap of the visible – it might change the next day or week. 

COMING UP
Detecting if an applicant possesses the right hard and soft skills in less than one hour is hardly an exact science. But you can maximize the objectivity of your evaluation with the No-Fail Hiring System. Attend out upcoming workshop on September 8, 2011: visit www.nofailhiring.com/events.php  to find out how you can double or even triple the effectiveness of your hiring procedure.

To your success,
Patrick Valtin President/CEO
M2-TEC USA, INC. Author of “No Fail Hiring”

Hiring: Do it the “Steve Jobs’ way" – by Patrick Valtin

I just finished reading a great and wonderfully inspiring book, “The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs,” by Carmine Gallo. I can’t recommend that you read this book enough – and I can’t help but share with you some vital points on hiring that Steve Jobs has constantly applied on his way to build the most respected and admired business in the world.

Apple success over time and Steve Jobs’ reputation as the best entrepreneur of our time can be summarized in a few words: he and his top execs never compromised with the talents and qualifications required of their employees. But they always considered very different qualities in people than most business owners do. When you thoroughly analyze Apple’s philosophy of hiring, you find out that there has always been fundamental and un-compromising attributes needed to get a job at Apple:

• Vision-minded. Everyone joining the company must have a clear picture of its Management vision – and fully agree to fight for it, to defend it and to live with it every day. Applicants who do not seem to get it are systematically rejected.
• Innovation-minded. Steve Jobs has always emphasized the vital importance of hiring people who are innovative – willing to create something from nothing. Applicants are first chosen for their ability and willingness to constantly create, rather than for their technical competence. 
• Future-minded. Employees at Apple are driven by their leader’s vision of the future and they contribute everyday to CREATING the future, more than just beating the competition. Each of them owns the future of the market because they know they can contribute to creating it.
• Passion-minded. Steve Jobs’ first principle is: “Do what you love.” People are hired because they love the product, the company and its vision. Applicants who do not demonstrate a genuine passion and “love” for the company’s purposes and business philosophy will never make it.
• Contribution-minded. Sharon Aby worked 3 years as a recruiter for Apple. Her statement is clear enough: “We didn’t want someone who desired to retire with a gold watch. We wanted entrepreneurs, demonstrated winners, high-energy contributors who defined their previous role in terms of what they contributed and not what they titles were.” ⁽¹⁾
• Engagement-minded. Over two thirds of Americans are not engaged in their workplace.⁽²⁾ Apple Management is strict on employees’ level of commitment. Committed individuals who are inspired by a grand purpose make the whole difference in the most competitive conditions.
• Excellence-minded. Steve Jobs is known for his passion of perfection. The company always tries things out until they are perfectly done. The same attitude is expected of every collaborator. Applicants who do not share that passion for excellence do not have a chance.

This is not an exhaustive list of hiring attributes presented by Apple, but a limited set of vital soft skills required by its management of any applicant – not just senior management or high technical positions.

See how you can think with it for your business. And if you wonder how you can detect such attributes in the frame of one hour interview, well… think about NO-FAIL HIRING. It is indeed our specialty to help you detect those invisible soft skills that make the difference between a happy hire… and the start of a non-ending nightmare.

The upcoming one-day “No-Fail Hiring” workshop will be held in Clearwater, Florida, on September 8, 2011. See the details of the program here. And if you are planning to hire at least 5 new employees in the coming 3 to 6 months, you might rather consider an in-office, customized No-Fail Hiring training. Send me a note and I will contact you to find out how I can best help.

You are as successful as the people surrounding you desire to make you and your company successful. So don’t take the chance: Surround yourself with dedicated, productive, loyal and honest people who will share your passion for performance, purpose and profits.

NOTE: not sure if you need this? Do the test!

Patrick Valtin,

Author of “No-Fail Hiring.”

(1)     Carmine Gallo, “The Innovations Secrets of Steve Jobs,” page 31. 2011, McGraw-Hill Companies.

(2)     Nancy Mann Jackson, “Wanted: Fully Engaged Employees,” Entrepreneur, April 26, 2010.

Gloomy Report on Hiring Predictions

Recently, the US Chamber of Commerce published their latest quarterly small business outlook survey. Besides showing what we already know, the report offers a clear picture of the current national uncertainty about the future. 

Confidence is leaving Americans’ heart, in view of irresponsible actions from an Administration unfriendly to small businesses. A commanding 64% of respondents said they have no plans to hire in the next year, underscoring the stalled unemployment numbers and bleak economic forecast. 84% think our country is on the wrong track.


The report prepared for the US Chamber of Commerce by Harris Interactive on 1409 small business owners clearly indicates that a vast majority of them do not intend to hire more employees.

Economic uncertainty is the most important challenge facing small businesses, with 49% ranking it within the top three choices. Small business owners also feel challenged by the national debt (47%), the new health care law (39%), and the impact of regulations (36%).

Dealing with uncertainty

In times of uncertainty, the last thing you want as a business owner is to be surrounded by people who do NOT share your passion for profits, purposes and results. 

If the current economic challenges are making it hard for you to expand or even survive, do not make it more complicated by having to spend so much of your time to motivate, supervise, control, order or enforce compliance. Good people need guidance, not orders. Bad people do nothing with guidance and fake complying from fear of punishment. Good people need relationship, more than leadership. Bad people don't care about your leadership nor about your attention.

As Jim Collins, author of "Good to Great" states,
"The Good -to-Great leaders began the transformation by first getting the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it."  *   

* "Good to Great," New York, NY. HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

If you need to replace some employee or plan to hire more, ensure you attract the right caliber. Do not fall in the personality trap: put your attention on measuring/evaluating some "invisible" but vital soft skills such as loyalty, honesty, persistence and a true taste for performance. Surround yourself with fighters who  will engage battles with your competitors - not with you!



Check on this link to see the program of our upcoming No-Fail Hiring workshop, on September 8 2011.

Also, you should do the Hiring Success Potential Analysis before you start your next hiring mission. It is FREE and it might avoid you a lot of trouble. This powerful assessment will provide valuable information on what you need to do to attract the right people, the top players who do not fear challenges but love them!

Patrick Valtin, author of "No Fail Hiring"
President/CEO of M2-TEC USA, Inc.

Hard Skills Vs Soft Skills - Don't Fall in the Trap!

We all know that most employees get hired for their hard skills and get fired for the lack of soft ones. Personality is what I call in my book the "the Ace of Spades in the Hiring Game" for a good reason: soft skills most often make the difference between good applicants and the others, but you can't detect some critical soft skill by just asking an applicant to exhibit it. I have never met a candidate who was openly confessing a serious lack of soft skill but I have met thousands of them who pretended to possess many.

Why new employees fail

Contrary to popular belief, technical skills are not the first reason why new hires fail. Instead, interpersonal skills dominate the list, per a survey conducted on 5,247 hiring managers*:

• 26% of new hires fail because they can't accept feedback.
• 23% of new hires fail because they are unable to understand and
  manage emotions.
• 17% of new hires fail because they lack the necessary motivation
  to excel.
• 15% of new hires fail because they have the wrong temperament
  on the job.
• Only 11% fail because they lack the necessary technical skills.

During that study, 812 managers experienced significant more hiring success than their peers. What differentiated their interview approach was their emphasis on interpersonal and motivational issues. So make sure you focus your interviewing energy on applicants' coachability, emotional intelligence, motivation and temperament.

* Mark Murphy, "Why New Hires Fail," LeadershipIQ.com, n.d. Web August 15, 2010.

The most important soft skills

No matter what the job is, you should always check for the following
crucial soft skills:

- Honesty, 
- Willingness (eagerness to work hard and to do new things),
- creativity (ability to create or contribute to new ideas and to
  innovate, find solutions to problems),
- Manageability (ability to accept and implement orders or feedback
  from seniors and colleagues),
- Temperament (general attitude towards others, including team
  work and positive attitude),
- Being challenge-driven,
- Drive/self-motivation,
- Communication skills,
- Tolerance to pressure,
- Analytical capacities.

The No-Fail Hiring System precisely focuses on these invisible, hard-to-detect soft skills. Our confidential interview technique allows you to evaluate each of these personality-related skills with optimal objectivity - sometimes within the first 15 minutes.

Hiring soon? 

Make sure you can detect those "invisible" soft skills early in your selection. Buy the book "No-Fail Hiring" on Amazon on on my website. Also, if you plan to hire at least 3 new employees in the coming months, contact me to receive a FREE phone assessment of your current hiring process. I can help you minimize subjectivity in your evaluation of these vital soft skills as stated above. you can also call 877-831 2299.


Good luck in your hiring missions,

Patrick Valtin, Author of "No-Fail Hiring"
President CEO M2-TEC USA, Inc.

SEVEN TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION MANAGERS MUST AVOID, BY L D SLEDGE, J.D.

The following article was taken fully from HR Daily Advisor, June 23, 2011

Today's HR Daily Advisor Tip:

The 7 Types of Discrimination Your Managers and Supervisors Must Avoid

Topic: HR Policies and Procedures

In yesterday's Advisor, we found out what fairness means to a jury; today, discrimination, the dark side of fairness, plus an introduction to the famous "50/50": the compendium of 50 employment laws in 50 states.

Nondiscrimination is the legal side of fairness. Illegal discrimination comes in many forms, some obvious and overt, some subtle and hard to spot. Here's what to avoid:

1: Overt discrimination (I don't like Xs)

This is the out-in-the-open type of discrimination that most people think of when they hear the word. For example:

• I don't like to work with [women, men, old people, white people, black people, Asian people, disabled people].
• My customers don't like to deal with [women, men, old people, white people, black people, Asian people, disabled people].
• I don't like to hire [young women because they get pregnant and go on leave].
• I'm not promoting [anyone over 40—they don't have enough energy].

2: Stereotyping (Xs can't X)

Stereotyping usually takes the form of "Xs can't X."

• Women aren't strong enough.
• Men aren't compassionate enough.
• Xs aren't smart enough.

3: Patronizing (Xs shouldn't X)

This is a special form of stereotyping that seems well-intentioned, but is, in general, discriminatory. For example:

• Terry is active in the community; he/she won't want to relocate.
• Parents with young children shouldn't travel.
• Women shouldn't travel alone.
• Pregnant women can't [travel, lift, move, be stressed].

4: 'Avoidance' Discrimination

Some managers try to play a game of avoidance discrimination. They say, "If I can get in trouble talking to X, no problem. I'll never talk to X." Don't use this thinking; it is discriminatory and it won't fly.

5: Playing favorites (I always turn to my friends)

All managers have groups with whom they feel most comfortable. But if you always turn to that group when you need to hire, you are discriminating. And you've got friends at work with whom you're comfortable. If they always get the plum projects, bonuses, and promotions, you are discriminating.

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Operate in multiple states? That's a real compliance challenge, but with "The 50-50" (50 Employment Laws in 50 States); answers are at your fingertips. Wage/hour? Leave? Child labor? Discrimination? All there in easy-to-read chart form. Get more details.

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6: De facto (I just never seem to hire Xs)

One of the more subtle forms of discrimination is called "de facto." In these situations, there are never any direct statements against hiring or promoting certain types of people—it just never seems to happen. For example, you're not against hiring women in a certain job, but although many qualified women have applied, of the last 50 hires, all 50 were men.

7: Reverse discrimination

Reverse discrimination means discrimination against someone as a result of your attempts not to discriminate against someone else. You probably don't have significant exposure unless you have a very strong, quota-type program favoring one protected group

WALMART WINS---WHAT NOW? BY L. D. SLEDGE, J.D.

 

  The last blog was written prior to the decision by the US Supreme Court refusing to allow the huge class action involving 1.5 million claimants to proceed.  The lawsuit claimed that Wal-Mart systematically paid women less and did not provide equal opportunity for advancement. It contended that all women employed by Wal-Mart since 1998 should be part of the class.

    The court’s decision was not about the discrimination itself, but around a procedural issue, and whether the technical rules for forming a class were followed. The court decided that the group could not be certified as a class.

   To form a class, you have to have so many members that it is impracticable to have separate trials for all of them. The Wal-Mart women unequivocally met that standard. But the members of the class have to share a well-defined common interest, and it must be clear that resolving the cases of the few actual representatives would effectively resolve all the cases of all the class members.
 

  The Supreme Court just didn’t see that literally millions of separate employment decisions relating to women in many different jobs, could be viewed as meeting the class requirements.
 

   Having been involved in several class actions myself, I am aware of the difficulty in getting a group with similar claims certified as a class. In this case, I am sure there were political and social-economic considerations. The ramifications of a lawsuit of this magnitude being permitted to continue to jury trial are beyond comprehension, for a possible judgment could be in the billions, and like locusts these suits would proliferate through every large corporation in the US, creating more economic disruption than the losses to individuals by not being treated properly.  But it did teach Walmart a lesson and now they have largely corrected these errors, and other big companies have taken that lesson seriously as well. So all is well that ends well--I guess it ended well for Corporate America—what’s good for the duck isn’t necessarily good for the hunter.  Here the duck won. The hunter will have to reload.

   My question is now what can employees do when seeking redress as a group against a large company. For the time being, the companies are safe if they watch their step. For more, read the following link

http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/articles/HR_Policies_Procedures_WalMart_Decision_Supreme_Court.aspx?Source=HAC&Effort=15

What really motivates us?

PURPOSE: The key to high morale and performance - by Patrick V. Valtin, author of "No-Fail Hiring."


I hear too much the following complaint from business owners interviewing young job applicants: " New employees are mainly motivated by money." My first reaction is always: well, if the employer is money-motivated, he/she should expect to attract mostly people who are motivated by money... but most business owners/employers neglect a vital principle of motivation: it is NOT just about money!


Money is an important factor of motivation, for sure. But it will be found that successful companies use other factors of motivation - way superior to money! The most powerful of them is completely ignored by a vast majority of small businesses: purpose and values! Purpose (WHY or the reason why people do what they do) naturally drives people to work harder, to be more dedicated to their tasks - and to their employers. 


Many examples are testimony to this simple fact: people will be more eager to put their best at work when they KNOW they are doing something that contributes not just to the company's profits, but mostly to their customers, to their environment and to everyone around them.


Successful companies like Apple, Ikea, Southwest Airlines, Whole Food market, Stonyfield Farm, etc. all prove on a daily basis that driving employees with valuable, socially responsible core purposes, proves to be the single most powerful leadership tool and natural motivator.


Check this highly inspiring animation by RSAnimate: it will show you that people are naturally purpose-driven and will perform at their best when invited to contribute to worthy purposes. this kills the myth of money motivation for good!


"DRIVE - The Surprising Truth about what Motivates Us" shows with entertaining evidence that purpose brings power, energy and natural drive to everyone. This fantastic animation is worth the 10 minutes you will spend watching!


I hope it serves as a source of inspiration, next time a potential employee pretends he or she is worth more than what you are willing to pay him/her. But make sure you adjust your company's core purpose: is it inspiring to you? How about your customers - would they feel inspired? And ask your current employees - would they feel motivated to come to work for THAT purpose?


Food for thought...
Patrick Valtin