HR Insights
I moved on to the next topic that sparked my interest.
“Lord, if you were going to hire someone, what would you look for as the ideal candidate? I’m reminded of a quote by David Ogilvy who said, ‘If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.’”
The Lord responded with a quote from one of my favorite management writers Kenneth Blanchard: “Everyone is a potential winner. Some people are disguised as losers, don’t let their appearance fool you.”
The Lord continued.
“The ultimate goal is to hire, train, and promote people so they are not just people who work for the organization, but belong to the organization. Sam, you are seeing that right now with the great resignation as many employees are not just looking for a paycheck, but rather something they can be passionate about. They internalize their passion for the organization and look forward to coming to work not just because they want a paycheck, but because they feel they are making a difference and are helping the organization achieve a greater good. I had previously mentioned this, but it is worth repeating. The key is not always the brain, but often more importantly the heart. Too much intellect and too little emotion can never provide full value. In contrast, a person with significant emotional investment in a job can always be trained to channel their true passion.”
I liked that analogy. How many people at work do not use their heart or brain? Loving work over mindless work. But that raised a question in my mind.
“How do you find people with a passion?”
“I found you, right?” The Lord said with a smile.
I did not know how to respond to that. I thought I had found him. Maybe we found each other and that is the way it should be.
“A manager needs to be able to spot signs that a potential candidate is not a true team player. For example, do they march to their own drum, or do they just ignore others, do they act like menial tasks are below them, do they try to emphasize the time they have been in the workplace over their real accomplishments, or do they grab all the credit for a success while deferring failures to others? Those are all questions that need to be considered. But the best barometer is who they are and what do they want to become. Unfortunately, we are so used to not asking questions to avoid legal challenges, that we often fail to really find what is in someone’s heart. However, all that can be found also on social media. What are the causes they endorse and support? Are they just posting numerous selfies or photos of them drinking at a club or do they post photos of volunteer work and helping others? It is not that difficult Sam…people just make it more difficult than it needs to be. I am not for snooping into candidates’ lifestyles, but candidates should expect it will be done so they should put their best foot forward and sell themselves effectively.”
“So, one way to examine corporate ‘fit’ is to evaluate a potential candidate’s actions and then see if they are doing what they love and putting their heart and brains into it? Thus, a good candidate Lord would be someone who volunteers at a local church’s soup kitchen or volunteers at a local school?”
“Possibly Sam. All else being equal, if you have two candidates with the same background and skill, but one is more focused on living a holy life, then based on past conduct, they value a certain type of environment. A holy environment and that should have significant weight. Remember, that is with all things being equal and if the candidates have the same skills and abilities.”
“It is not only about hiring the right people. They need to be properly guided. I talked about judging others and will continue to do so because so many managers have a negative focus. Most people recall the negative feedback and fail to recall the positive praise. That is where having the teacher’s touch as a manager is so important. If you can teach without preaching you can do wonders. That is what Moses was doing for 40 years in the desert- teaching the next generation. He was not preaching but giving guidance and passing along my laws.”
I harkened back to some of my teachers. Unfortunately, I never stayed in touch with them, but have fond memories.
“The best HR is teaching people. Managers need to spend time with those they hire to make sure they are properly trained. It is not about throwing a policy and procedure manual at a new employee and hoping they get it. HR should stand for ‘happy returns.’ That is what you get when you teach people.”
