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The #1 Hiring Mistake You Better not Make..
Author: Nick Siegel  | Posted: 25-03-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 5 | Rating: (50)  (?) 
When I first started out in this business, my hiring practices were a little haphazard, to say the least. I met a person, and if they had been referred by someone I knew, that was good enough for me. I hired them.
After getting burned a few times, I am still learning how to (and how not to) hire people. Overall I have gotten a lot better at hiring the right people for the job the first time out.
A great many CEOs like to have a long, drawn-out employee interview and selection process, and that's fine. I've found it's best if all potential new employees are interviewed at least three times, by three different executives in our company. After each interview, each executive submits his or her own thoughts and perceptions on the candidate.
Some companies have much, much longer interview and selection processes that include live case studies (like Google), with days and days of interviews. There was a time when I thought they were crazy and just wasting time - but now I think they are brilliant.
But there's one aspect of hiring that is often overlooked. Hiring is not just about checking someone's competency level. It's about seeing if someone "fits" your company. Just because someone is good at what they do doesn't mean that they will be a great employee in your organization.
Here's the #1 mistake you can make when hiring someone: You hire them because they have a great talent, great skills, great everything...but you pay no attention to how well that person will fit within the existing corporate culture.
You see, every office has a particular atmosphere. Every company has a certain "mood" and "attitude." It's often hard to put your finger on what that mood or attitude is, and it's virtually impossible to quantify. But believe me, it's there - and it should be an important factor in any hiring decision.
So no matter how wonderful the candidate is, the question you MUST ask is "Will this new employee fit nicely into the status quo? Will they mesh with us and our corporate culture?"
If an office is populated with a very competitive, sales-driven group of people, then an easygoing, laid-back person won't be the right fit for that office - even if they are incredible at selling and have proven it time and again. The high-key atmosphere would almost certainly cause stress, and a laid-back person would soon be ready to climb the walls!
The opposite is true in my office. All of us are very laid back, sometimes even goofy. We like to have fun, and you almost have to have a good sense of humor to be in the room with us! Someone who was by nature a serious type would be a really bad fit. In fact, I recently had to let go of a lady who was smart and competent, but so grimly serious that she scared all of us to death!
True Story: Why I Didn't Even Interview the Best Salesman in the Industry!
Just a few weeks ago I found myself seated at a table with one of the best of the best salesmen in our entire industry. His sales feats are legendary. His Rolodex is eye-popping, everyone knows him, and everyone is already very accustomed to buying from him. On the surface, he is the PERFECT salesman.
I actually had a chance to interview him - possibly even snap him up for our company. But I didn't.
The minute we sat down and started talking, I realized that this super salesman was just not a good fit for our company. I could just tell that he would make all our team conference calls more tense, the whole office more tense, and just make everyone feel more reserved (including me). His style was simply counter to our corporate culture.
He would undoubtedly make lots of sales, but he would also make me and the rest of our team a lot less happy with what we do...and we ARE happy with what we do!
I had a nice chat with the super salesman without ever asking one typical interview question at all. One great salesman is not worth ruining the WORKING dynamics of the rest of the team.
So the next time you are thinking about hiring someone, remember that personality is a key element. You should ask yourself, "How would this person get along with my team? Does this person fit?" Sometimes your answers will be a surprise even to you!
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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/the-1-hiring-mistake-you-better-not-make-368342.html
About the Author:The Mystery CEO is a young entrepreneur who started a company now doing close to $2 Million a year right in his DORM room! Now he lets you watch over his shoulders as he learns more about entrepreneurship. You can even listen-in when he interviews CEOs who manage $100 Million+ companies! Read his entrepreneurship blog right away for all the entrepreneurship training you'll ever need! http://www.MysteryCEO.com
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What companys in calif will hire felonys
By: tajaitajai | 04-07-2008
what companys in calif will hire felons
I need your feeback
By: voterperson | 09-06-2008
My friend Steve was unjustly fired from the bank he worked for due to the fact that the branch manager is a horror show. She harasses the staff, customers, etc. So when my friend Steve was unjustly fired he wrote a letter to the CEO. It was a detailed damaging letter concerning the branch manager. (FIRST STEVE SENT THE LETTER TO THE CORPORATE OFFICE AND FOLLOWED IT UP WITH A PHONE CALL. BUT MY FRIEND STEVE KNEW THE CEO WOULD NEVER SEE THE LETTER AT THE OFFICE SO HE OBTAINED THE CEO?s HOME ADDRESS AND MAILED IT TO THE CEO?S HOME) HERE ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE LETTER STEVE WROTE: (1) When I was helping the safe deposit attendant one customer (male) came into the branch to go into his box. I signed him in and he and I retrieved his box from the vault. When he went into the coupon room he realized that his sister was waiting on the banking floor. He asked me if I could watch his box while he would go and get his sister. I told him that I could not do this but I could go and get his sister, which I did. As his sister was walking to the coupon room the branch manager ran after him. And as the coupon door closed, the branch manager knocked on the door and asked the sister if she was on the signature card for the safe deposit box. The sister said no she wasn?t so the branch manager kicked her out of the room. Of course the sister and the customer was upset. I decided on my own to check with the higher ups and they told me that only the person who is on the signature card can retrieve the box but that person can bring in as many people as they want into the coupon room. (2) And one couple came in with their five year old son to go into their safe deposit box. The son held my hand the entire time he was at our branch and walked with me wherever I went. The branch manager said to me in a nasty tone of voice: "You are not allowed to walk with him" The couple was upset because every time they came into our branch and I gave their son my undivided attention he came out of his shell and made many friends at school.(3) The branch manager told one of my coworkers when the branch manager and the coworker had a disagreement that this coworker needs to go to see a psychologist. And the branch manager printed out and handed to my coworker two pages off the Internet on what psychologist to see.(4) About two weeks ago in the morning I asked the branch manager if she needed any copying done and she replied: I am a grown woman I don't need any one asking me if I need copying done. . Let me tell you on a professional level I am here just to work. (5) My coworkers are so afraid to have conversations with one another because they are so afraid that the branch manager is going to say something or write them up.(6) CUSTOMERS ARE CLOSING THEIR ACCOUNTS LEFT AND RIGHT AND OPENING THEM UP IN OTHER BANKS (7) A few months ago the branch manager yelled at one my coworkers in front of a customer. This coworker is a teller and she had a customer at her window. And then not to long ago the branch manager told this coworker of mine that this coworker is very unprofessional. Please keep in mind this coworker is the most professional person I know and she is quieter than a church mouse trying to avoid a cat. (9) The branch manager is supposed to put in 40 hours. However, she comes in late (around 9AM) and leaves 3PM or 4PM. 10) The branch manager has made trouble in the other branches she used to work at. One person that worked with her at another branch said ?Thank God she is no longer at our branch? . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- RIGHT AFTER THE CEO RECEIVED THE LETTER (AT HIS HOUSE) THE BRANCH MANAGER HAD A REVIEW AND WAS PUT ON WARNING. MY QUESTION: Since the branch manager was put on warning is she monitored and if so how? (Keep in mind she is a manager in a bank branch and her boss and the higher ups are not there every day). STEVE?s ex-COworkers told STEVE that ever since HIS letter THE BRANCH MANAGER comes in early and stays late and she even moved very close to the job AND SHE IS NOT BOTHERING THEM THE WAY SHE USED TO.. The ex-coworkers told me that she twisted and turned the truth to get Steve fired, BUT in addition she has twisted and turned to get other people fired. And she has been transferred from one branch to another because no one wants her in their branch. My two friends told me that their branch was interviewing for a teller position but when the candidates came in and saw this branch manager the exact words of the people who applied for the job said "Oh no not her, goodbye I am not staying for the interview" I know for a fact she was put on warning. I spoke to Steve's ex-coworkers (becaues I am friends with two of them) and they told me she was put on warning and she is totally different, but she still has her moments. This manager had a way of twisting and turning the truth to her benefits. To sum her type the backstabber.
Work at home?
By: Coast-to-Coast | 24-05-2008
Does anyone know how to get a work at home job that you can really get paid for? How would you go about finding that kind of work? Is there really any such thing? How much should you pay to get a job like that and where can you look for one? Does anyone do work at home that is on this forum?
Tracking corporate new hires
By: msanders | 25-04-2008
I'm looking for an RSS feed or email updates from a service that tracks executives promotions and new hires. Primarily in the corporate space, fortune 5000. For example who's the new CEO of IBM, who got promoted to CMO for Sun, who joined the board of directors of Cisco. It would be great if this source could be filtered by region.
Why should companies have employees involved in ...
By: Debbrina | 21-04-2008
Why should companies have employees involved in the hiring process of other potential employees?
Steve and his exboss
By: voterperson | 09-04-2008
Steve asked if I could email you a copy of the letter he wrote to the CEO back in December 2007. Only for the letter he is sending you he omitted the names of the people involved and the companies names. He replaced them with New Company, Old Company and Female Boss, as you will see when you read the letter. When you read the letter let me know what you think - GIVE details. Background: This female boss ever since she came aboard has done nothing but harass the staff and customers. If the staff would talk to one another throughout the day she would bother them about talking to one another and make them get back to work - it was like being in jail. The female boss has a way of twisting and turning the truth. This female boss has gotten people fired by lying (she even got Steve fired for unjust reasons). Then when Steve was unjustly fired he wrote this letter to the CEO at the Corporate headquarters. And followed it up with emails and phone calls. He spoke to the second and third in command. But he did not think this was enough so he sent this letter in February 2008 to the home address of the CEO. Then a couple of weeks after he sent the letter to the home address of the CEO, the female boss had her yearly review. Steve?s ex-coworkers said the female boss is much better, but has her moments, but they still don?t like her and want her out. Do you think she was put on warning? What do you think of the letter.December 22, 2007 RE: Female Boss - Branch Manager Dear Mr. CEO (New Company):First I want to say I was looking forward to being part of the New Company. But due to the fact that Female Boss was trying (and succeeded in getting me) fired I will not be able to be a part of the New Company family. AND NO I AM NOT A DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE. Female Boss has a way of twisting and turning the truth and deceiving the higher ups (Old company higher ups*). Also Female Boss is supposed to come in early and stay until closing. Female Boss comes into work at 9AM and leaves every day at 3PM or 4PM to go home - Eastern Standard Time.. Female Boss never does any work, Female Boss passes the buck to everyone else in the branch but takes all the credit. Here are some things she has done to customers and my coworkers (including me) :(1) I was safe deposit attendant. Even though my background is managerial. One customer (male) came into the branch to go into his box. I signed him in and he and I retrieved his box from the vault. When he went into the coupon room he realized that his cousin (male) was waiting on the banking floor. He asked me if I could watch his box while he would go and get his cousin. I told him that I could not do this but I could go and get his cousin, which I did. As his cousin was walking to the coupon room Female Boss ran after him. And as the coupon door closed, Female Boss knocked on the door and asked the cousin if he was on the signature card for the safe deposit box. The cousin said no he wasn?t so Female Boss kicked him out of the room. Of course the cousin and my customer was upset. I decided on my own to check with Retail Operations and they told me that only the person who is on the signature card can retrieve the box but that person can bring in as many people as they want into the coupon room. (2) And one couple came in with their five year old daughter to go into their safe deposit box. The daughter held my hand the entire time she was at our branch and walked with me wherever I went. Female Boss said to me in a nasty tone of voice: "You are not allowed to walk with her" The couple was upset because every time they came into our branch and I gave their daughter my undivided attention she came out of her shell and made many friends at school.(3) Female Boss told one of my coworkers when Female Boss and the coworker had a disagreement that this coworker needs to go to Cigna Behavioral health. And Female Boss printed out and handed to my coworker two pages off the Internet from the Cigna Behavioral Health website on who to contact at Cigna Behavioral Health.(4) About three weeks ago Sujanna (one of our Assistant Branch Managers) was at the branch managing alone, Female Boss left early to go home. And our coffee machine was broken so I told one of my coworkers I was going next door on my break to get coffee. Sujanna was looking for me . I came back about 10 to 15 minutes later and Sujanna comes running over and tells me I need permission to go out. We snapped at one another. Sujanna told Female Boss what happened and instead of Female Boss ignoring it or saying why don?t you and Steve work it out or the three of us could sit down and talk she called me in to her office with Sujuanna and wrote me up and threatened me. When I said to her how come you are not writing up Sujanna and telling her the same thing.. Female Boss said oh I am dealing with her. I said to her well if you wrote her up and are dealing with her the same way you are dealing with me then let me see the document that Sujanna has to sign concerning this incident and she said ?Don?t worry I am dealing with her? I don?t think there was a document. How come I was singled out and Sujanna got off scott free.(5) Then this past Monday because I did not stand across the street to watch my coworker open the branch because it was bitterly cold outside that is when Female Boss wrote me up and terminated me. She twisted and turned the incident to the Old Company higher ups and my side was never asked. AND THE ONLY REASON I WAS THERE THAT EARLY IS BECAUSE OUR BRANCH HAS A WEEKLY MONDAY MORNING MEETING OTHERWISE I WOULD BE THERE AT 8:30AM. AND NO ONE IN MY BRANCH WANTS THIS MEETING EXCEPT Female Boss.(6) About two weeks ago in the morning I asked Female Boss if her scotch tape dispenser needs scotch tape and she replied: I am a grown woman I don't need any one asking me if I need scotch tape. Let me tell you on a professional level I am here just to work. (7) My coworkers are so afraid to have conversations with one another because they are so afraid that Female Boss is going to say something or write them up.(8) CUSTOMERS ARE CLOSING THEIR ACCOUNTS LEFT AND RIGHT AND OPENING THEM UP IN OTHER BANKS (I.E. HSBC, CITIBANK, ETC) IN OUR AREA. And the reason is because they do not like the way Female Boss treats them.(9) Last year the our Branch was closing at 3PM due to the fact the computers were being upgraded. Due to the fact that I did not know we had to stay a little later I told my mom that I would pick her up at 3:30PM. Female Boss told me around 2 to 3PM I could not leave early I had to wait until everyone left. I told her I made arrangements to pick my mom up at a bus stop and there wasn?t any way I could get in touch with my mom. Yet that day Female Boss left at 3:15PM. My mother at the time was 80 years old. Priscilla (our other Assistant Manager) was kind enough to let me leave to go get my mom. Priscilla said to me and (and told Female Boss the next day) ?Steves mother is 80 How can Steve leave his 80 year old mother on the street corner.?(10) A few months ago Female Boss yelled at one my coworkers in front of a customer. This coworker is a teller and she had a customer at her window. And then not to long ago Female Boss told this coworker of mine that this coworker is very unprofessional. Please keep in mind this coworker is the most professional person I know and she is quieter than a church mouse trying to avoid a cat.You have to understand something I have tried (in the past) to talk to the higher ups at Old Company, even Old Company Human Resources but they always take her side. Telling me to mind my own business. And the kicker is after this happened I was told by the Old Company higher ups I should have come to the Old Company higher ups and my coworkers should have gone to them as well. In the past my coworkers were going to talk to the Old Company higher ups but didn?t because nothing would have been done. The Old Company higher ups think Female Boss is right and we are wrong. Female Boss has made trouble in the other branches she used to work at. One person that worked with her at another branch said ?Thank God she is no longer at our branch?.I really think I was fired unjustly when my side was not even asked. Female Boss plays judge and jury and hands down a verdict and deceives the Old Company higher ups into thinking she is right and the staff is wrong and are dim-witted. The reason Old Company (not New Company) said that I was terminated was because this past Monday when the branch was to be opened I said that I would not be the lookout because it was cold outside. I think this is unfair to fire me because of this. I was told that I put my life and the person opening the branch at risk.. And this was reviewed by Old Company HR Counsel, and Old Company HR Counsel decided to terminate me without even speaking to me. Instead of being fired the individuals who know how to open a branch should have said ?Steve lets sit down and go over the procedure for the future. First of all I really do not know branch opening and closing procedures. KEEP IN MIND HR WOULD NOT HAVE KNOW ABOUT THIS IF Female Boss WOULD HAVE JUST SAT DOWN WITH ME AND GONE OVER THE PROCEDURES WITH ME. ALSO I SINGLE HANDLEY ORGANIZED THE ENTIRE BRANCH. I ALPHABETIZED ALL THE SIGNATURE CARDS (SAFE DEPOSIT SIGNATURE CARDS AS WELL AS THE SIGNATURE CARDS BEHIND THE TELLER AREA) ; I ORGANIZED THE BUSINESS FILES IN THE FILE CABINETS, I ORGANIZED THE STORAGE ROOM.Thanks for reading and please HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM NEW COMPANY MEET WITH EVERY EMPLOYEE IN THE BRANCH. DO NOT GO BY THE OLD COMPANY HIGHER UPS AND Female Boss THEY WILL ONLY TWIST AND TURN HOW SHE TREATS THE STAFF.Sincerely,Steve
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