No, thank you. I'm going to have a tea.
Ok, can I buy you a tea?
Sure can. How's business going?
It's going well. But it would be better if I could find good employees. People today don't want to work anymore.
Are you sure about that?
Yes. Every time we post a job ad, we get 15 resumes. Out of those, only 7 accept an interview. We try to interview all 7, but only 4 show up. Then out of those interviewed, we choose the best one.
And how does the chosen employee work out?
We're looking for his replacement within six months.
Sounds like you hired the wrong person.
Agreed, but we're scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Can I help you?
I'm going to have an Americano and a tea...
Green Tea please...
Uh ok, an Americano and a Green tea please.
What size?
Medium?
Yes medium is fine...
Ok, make that two mediums please
So you're having problems finding good workers?
Yes, but I believe it's because no one wants to work anymore?
Be careful of your thoughts?
It's just the truth. We haven't had any luck at all.
Let's flip it around at you.
What?
Are you a good worker?
That's not fair.
But it is. You consider yourself a good worker. If you were looking for work, wouldn't your boss be lucky to have you?
Yes, but...
There's no buts in this. You haven't found the right worker for your business, so you blame the market. You blame the people you hired. When in fact, you should blame your poor selection techniques, your poor marketing skills in acquiring new talent, or your gut instinct in detecting the right candidate.
So you're saying I'm the problem with hiring.
Bingo.
Medium Americano and Medium Green Tea
Thanks, can we continue this conversation.
Sure, I have a few minutes.
I disagree that I'm the problem, but for purposes of the conversation, let's say I agree.
Let's try to make this clearer for you.
Why is Westjet airlines successful?
The employees are owners.
Wow that was quick. Are you sure about that?
Yes, the employees act differently because they own stock in the company. They work together to make more money. It's actually pretty simple.
So if it's that simple, why don't all companies make employees shareholders?
Well it doesn't work easily for most companies. Westjet is a public company. They issue shares on the Stock Exchange. My company is privately held. I don't want...
Let me stop you. It has little to do with ownership. The employees are awesome because they were already awesome in some other job. Westjet found them through their recruitment process. They have a smart selection criteria in which they refuse to negotiate on organizational culture.
I still think it has to do with ownership.
Let me give you a simple example to squash that. Westjet's competitors also issue shares to employees, but it has little to no effect. Attitude can not be trained. I can teach a lot of things, but I have never been able to teach someone to care. Westjet looks for people who ALREADY care.
Ok, ok. So it works for Westjet, but it can't work for me. My business cannot afford to pay more than $20 per hour.
Again, you think that compensation is based on the quality of the person you can find. It's not true. The best employee I ever hired was paid minimum wage. They stayed for 4 years.
Four years. Wow. I wish I could get them to stay for one year.
See, money has little effect on finding good people.
So let's say you're right. How do you find good people?
Start with yourself.
What?
You said you were a good worker.
Yes, but I can't do any more work. I'm already busy with day to day management of my business.
I get it, but if you were looking for work, anyone would be lucky to hire someone like you. Right?
Of course.
Then hire yourself.
I'm not following.
Unconsciously, you're doing it already. You're looking for yourself, but you're advertising in the wrong places and most likely the wrong way. Tell me about your best hire.
That's funny you say that. The best guy I ever hired was a hard worker. He'd leave his phone in the truck to get the work done. He was tech savvy, and would ask for more work when his initial tasks were done. He got along with everyone. Never once did I have to talk to him about his attitude. He was a nice guy.
Sounds a bit like you...
Oh my...He was exactly like me. Just 20 years younger. I even told my wife that I saw him as the son I never had.
See? You saw yourself in him. Why did he leave?
I think he decided to go back to school.
So you already hired yourself once. Just go do it again.
Just? Easier said then done. It was complete luck that I found him the first time. Besides, when I need to hire people, I need them immediately. I can't sit around and wait for 6 months to get the next ideal employee. Time is money.
Then don't sit around and wait. Use a belief based marketing technique to find "mini you's" in your employee search.
What? I don't understand.
You're looking for love in all the wrong places.
Love, huh?
Do you think you could find the love of your life in a dirty, grungy bar.
Of course, but it's rare.
Exactly, because everyone has a different agenda. And the two of you will likely be back in the bar in six months looking for love again, with someone else. Listen closely to the lyrics of the song. It's the story of your hiring experience.
So what's this belief based thing-a-majig?
Detail out your beliefs as it relates to work. Don't describe the job as much as describe the type of person you're looking to hire.
You mean like strong, good attitude, works well with others.
No. That's all bullshit. Everyone wants that. And every candidate will say they are those things to get a job. If they need money, they'll do almost anything to get the job.
So what do you mean?
Go deeper by starting with yourself or better yet, by describing that great employee you just told me about.
Huh. I'm not following.
Ok, let me give you a couple of lines in your next job ad.
Awesome.
We believe:
Work is sometimes hard, but it never has to go unappreciated.
Our phones should stay in the truck while work is being done.
All people, including the biggest jerks, should be treated with respect.
Karma is a bitch, so we work hard not to upset her.
What? I'll never get any resumes with that ad.
Not true. You'll get some, but not as many as you used to. This ad will eliminate many of the deadbeats that you're trying to avoid anyways.
Ok, let's say you're right and I only get 2 resumes. I know I need 15 resumes to find one employee.
Not true. You need one resume to find one employee. The chances will be extremely high that the two resumes received will be from qualified candidates.
So I don't have to do interviews anymore? I hate doing them anyways.
No not at all. This isn't a perfect science. There's still the "knucklehead" factor. Some undesirable employees can still slip through the cracks, so doing an interview removes those knuckleheads.
Knuckleheads?
Yeah, people who need a job and will say they are whatever you want them to be.
So once I get the resumes, what do I do next?
Email them to tell them you received their resume. Then ask them to CALL you for an interview.
Are you nuts? People have a hard time to show up half the time. Now you want them to call me for an interview?
Yes. Do you agree actions speak louder than words?
Of course.
One of your beliefs is "All people should be treated with respect". Isn't the definition of respect returning messages, either email or phone?
Uh, yes.
There you go. If they don't call you, they weren't that interested or they lack the respect factor you're looking for. You could even include it as a belief if you wanted. Something like, "Respect for others includes, returning calls and emails within 24 hours"...
I won't have any applications if I do this.
Henry Ford said, "If you think you can or you think you can't, you're right". If you don't think this will work then you should keep doing what you've been doing.
I'm ready for change. But have you done this before?
Yes, I don't share any secrets I haven't done myself. I used belief based marketing in a job ad ten years ago. I needed five employees. Three of them were still there when I sold the business four years later.
Wow. Is it that easy?
Ask yourself a simple question, "Are there any 20 year olds, who think like you, looking for the things you believe in".
I think so.
Then go find them. You've been looking in the wrong place for the right person.
You've given me a lot to think about. Have a great day.
Thanks for the tea.
No comments:
Post a Comment