Safeguard the Front Door

Great title, right?  In response to my recent blog on Candidate References, an associate forwarded an article to me for my reading pleasure.  While I can't identify who wrote it or when, I felt I needed to share a portion of it.  He/she did a fabulous job in writing this.  So, here goes .. .

"Rule one in minimizing risky behavior is to prevent questionable job candidates from ever becoming employees.  It isn't enough to study resumes closely; studies have shown that over 50% of them contain inaccuracies.  Basic controls include employment and background checks.  As a recent example, a simple background check would have saved the Yahoo board the trouble of ousting Scott Thompson, the company's fourth CEO in five years, because he falsely claimed a computer science degree.  A growing number of companies conduct behavioral and honesty testing to screen employees."

Paperwork people.  It's all about paperwork. 

Emotional Intelligence (Attitude Counts)

Is an employee's attitude more important than his/her skills?  A study by Leadership IQ found that 46% of new hires are either fired or disciplined within their first 18 months.  And in a staggering 89% of those cases, the reason for the action isn't incompetence, but attitude; poor motivation, bad temperament, or emotional issues.  Sometimes it's not about ability - it's about attitude.  Depending on what you read, sometimes the employees with attitudes aren't aware that there is a problem - it's just their way.  Is there a communication issue?  Sometimes it's not what is said, but the manner in which it is said.  So, is it a style issue? 

Your new hire has excellent skills, training and education.  And yet, they are not successful.  Perhaps the missing part of this success equation (High IQ = significant academic performance, professional and personal success) is Emotional Intelligence.

In a 2011 survey, CareerBuilder found that 34% of hiring managers placed a greater emphasis on Emotional Intelligence (EI) when it came to hiring or promoting employees.  71% of hiring managers valued EI in an employee more than IQ.  59% would not hire someone with low Emotional Intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence is an individuals ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions.  It is the area of cognitive ability involving traits and social skills that facilitate interpersonal behavior.  It brings compassion and humanity to work.  It affects how we manage our behavior, navigate social complexities or make personal decisions.  It is our ability to use awareness of emotions to stay flexible and positively direct behavior.

To ensure that your new hire has what it takes to be successful, it's important to incorporate testing for Emotional Intelligence during the interview process.  What's the benefit of hiring an employee who can't recognize how their behavior impacts (or alienates) their supervisor, co-workers or customers?  As a manager, you need to identify those candidates that have well-developed emotional and social skills and who understand how their words and actions influence their colleagues. Where possible, incorporate behavior testing in your interview process.  Take the time to identify:

• The candidates' self-awareness and ability to self-regulate; 
• Their ability to learn from mistakes; and, 
• Their ability to read other peoples emotions and understand the impact of their behavior on their colleagues.

In closing, what's your Emotional Intelligence?

 

 

 

 



Pre-Employment "Testing"

There are personality tests and aptitude (cognitive) tests. There are personality tests that tell you "which side of the brain you use more." Reportedly they “minimize the high cost of employee turnover”.

Career Builder offers career and personality testing such as The Job Discovery Wizard - “discover what jobs are a match for you based on your skills with the Job Discovery Wizard.” The Career Planner Quiz - “Get a snapshot of jobs that are a fit for you. Use this insight for planning for a career or if you are considering switching jobs.” There is also the Career Planner Report and the Job Satisfaction Quiz.

My question to you - are these tests truly an effective measure of a person’s mental ability or potential?

Now there is another test for use in the pre-employment process, the Color Career Test. It uses color preference to determine which career path will be successful for an individual.

I poked around on one website. It was rather entertaining and provided a rather unique perspective. Before you read any further, take a look at the color options below and choose the one that best fits your personality!

1. Orange
2. Gold
3. Green
4. Blue
5. Red

Now that you have picked your "personality" color, read the below to see what the professionals say about you.

Orange:
The color is related to energy, strength and power. Your preferred choice of orange shows you are a fighter. You love to win (okay – who doesn’t?). You are a competitor. You are considered more suitable for careers in sports, architecture and engineering. Color personality tests term you as an energetic motivator.

Gold:
Represents loyalty and responsibility. If it’s your primary choice, you are an organizer. You love a peaceful environment. You value work and service-oriented tasks. You have a greater degree of performance, stability and orderliness.

Green:
Represents persistent, decisive and resistant state of mind. You are considered assertive. You care very little for feelings and focus on the available information before making a decision. They consider you to be suitable for careers in science, research, accounts and auditing.

Blue:
Calmness. With it as your primary color, you are considered creative, balanced and harmonious. You avoid too many conflicting opinions. You are peaceful and possess a developed aesthetic sense. You are considered suitable for careers in art, music and literature.

Red:
The color excites. It is associated with enthusiasm, strength and competitiveness. You love and hate with a certain degree of intensity. You are courageous. You are considered better for careers in surgery, emergency medical services, athletics, etc. You can communicate well and tend to be talkative. When you start listening to others, you can solve problems with others.

Aren't we better judges of our career choices than a psychological instrument?

What do you think?