Let's Finally Hire Someone

Finally, we've spent a lot of time on the interview, let's hire someone! This is the most important decision a manager can ever make. I have seen glass shop owners spending untold hours shopping for a glass washer or diamond edger, yet they don't want to invest more than an hour for an interview and hiring conversation. This is totally backwards. The hiring decision will have much more impact to your organization than the choice of machinery for the shop.

You are going to hire the best available person, aren't you. Of course NOT.

If the best person you interviewed wasn't as good as you need, then start over next week. Don't settle for someone who 'may' do well. Don't hope they will work out. Be sure that this person will add to your team. There is no middle ground in hiring, no compromise in selection. Either the person will succeed, or you should reject them. You might compromise in salary negotiations, but never in the basic yes or no decision.

I would love to tell my readers what the perfect person's charteristics are...there have been hundreds of books written, thousands of articles, and no one has it right yet. You have to use your judgment as a leader of your company to hire people that fit. That said, here is my list of the one hundred attributes that I look for:

• 1-95 Attitude .
• 96 Reliability.
• 97 Current job skills.
• 98 Previous job history.
• 99 Education history.
• 100 Legal qualifications (Has driver's license, etc.).

That's it...references don't mean a thing to me, they can be too easily manipulated.

Google has about 3,000 people apply for each job hired, and applicants go through roughly 20 interviews. I know of no one in our industry that has this kind of influx of applicants, but I do recommend the Google model for multiple interviews. Have a second opinion, always. Another person will see different things than you do; will give a different point-of-view on the applicant. You want the applicant to come back for a second interview with you and another person, at a different time of day than your first interview. I generally like early evening for a second interview, when hiring a first shift, or day shift person. See them after they have put in a day's work, see if they are grumpy or upbeat...how do they handle the stress of their current job?

When you make your decision, the applicant still has a decision to make. Are you the company they want to work for. My instincts warn me when, during the first interview, the applicant says that this job is perfect for them. Have they done homework? Do you know them from the trade, or maybe a previous job? The stranger who after thirty minutes of discussion says you are the one, is just a little too desperate. They should think about you, just as you should think about them.

After a strong second interview I let the applicant know they are being seriously considered, and to think about the job so they can have an answer ready if we call them. I want my applicant to want this job more than anything else. When I call back to announce a conditional offer of employment (remember this phrase--we'll discuss it next week), I want the applicant to jump for joy. Not to say, "Give me a couple of days to consider it." What have they been doing during the interview process?

I tell an applicant who wants to think about the job, to call me when they are through thinking, and if the job is still available, I'll start thinking about them! If I have a second choice who is enthusiastic, that's my new employee. If a person has to now contemplate their future, they weren't true during their interview when you asked them why they are looking for a job. If they were just window-shopping to get salary amounts to throw back to their current employer, you don't want this person on your staff. They will do the same thing to you.

If you are replacing a current person who is leaving for a good reason, building a family, or a spousal relocation, then it is OK to hire a new person with the old person in place. If you are hiring for a negative reason, replacing a current dud, then let the dud go before you do the final hire. You will get burned more often than not. Your new person wants to give two weeks notice, (which they should!), and you think you will let the dud go in two weeks, so the next day the new hero can take right over. Remember this, the new person will be telling their friends, who may mention it to their friends, and often times, the dud will hear they are being replaced. Trust me, this does happen. You don't want this kind of scene in your place of work, they are nasty.

I had another experience that taught me--we were going to replace an inside salesperson, had hired the replacement and were ready to go, but we hadn't told the current person. Well, three days before the transition point, the current person got very sick, stayed home for a couple of days, and then came to the office first thing on Monday, only to be fired with their replacement already there. Never a good scene. Always, when you make up your mind on a replacement, terminate the current employee. Yes, you will be short-handed for a week of two...do it anyway. Give the person a two-week severance and ask them to leave. Don't let them work out the severance period. They will be mean, vindictive and will sour the rest of the work force.

Next week we will discuss the "conditional offer of employment" and how to use it successfully in hiring great people.

Questions You Can't Ask In An Interview, and How To Ask Them Anyway!

Let's continue our series on hiring and interviewing, discussing questions you can't ask in an interview, and yet, still learn the information you need to create a good hiring decision.

First, this column is not written to evade or endorse a prohibited practice. I think some of the questions you can't ask, like national origin or religious beliefs are correctly banned in our multi-faceted country. I won't offer any alternatives to these, as they should never be a condition of employment.

In general, the questions you can't ask about are:

• Age
• Religious Beliefs
• Family or Marital Status
• Gender requirments of A Job
• Health, Including Physical and Mental Disabilities

You'll notice that some things, by not being on this list, are acceptable. You can ask if someone is a Cubs or a White Sox fan, A Mets or a Yankee Fan. Unfortunately, this is not a great predictor of job success.

During an interview you want to ask questions that give you an insight into the person's work habits, their motivation and their job skills that are relevant to the job you are offering. Asking prohibited questions may open a can of worms--an applicant can go to a Federal or State agency, which can make your life miserable. There are people who go on interviews, hoping a prohibited question is asked, and then, when they don't get the job, file a charge. They will make the charge go away for a $5,000 settlement. You'll soon learn this is cheaper than fighting...lawyer fees and your lost time will humble you.

Let's get specific. You cannot ask a person's birth date, age, date they graduated from High School or College, or anything that directly infers their age. You can say this: "Our insurance carrier will only insure drivers over 18 (or 21), are you insurable?"

You can't ask "How long until you retire?", but you can ask, what do you see yourself doing in your career for the long-term?"

The biggest concern that employers have is the health and physical capabilities of the applicant. You can't ask "Do you Smoke?", "Do you take drugs?", or "Do you drink?" Here are some alternatives. Tell the applicant that you are a non-smoking company, and you don't offer extra breaks for smokers to go outside. "Do you think this is a good policy?" You can ask, have you ever been disciplined by another company for not adhering to their guidelines on cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol?"

You can't ask, "How tall are you, and how much do you weigh?" for any job, including those that do heavy lifting or climbing. You can state, "The job you are applying for requires you to stand all day, and be able to lift 60 lbs on a regular basis. Can you do this? Describe all of the physical needs of the job, and ask, "Can you perform the tasks I have just described?"

You can't ask if they have been ill, and can't ask how many sick days they took last year. You can't ask if they have had a specific illness or operation, but, you can ask, in total how many days of work did you miss last year. This may include vacation, holiday or whatever. You can then decide if this person works enough for your needs. You can't ask if they took time off for a child, or take care of an ill parent.

The best catch-all questions is to ask, "Can you perform the essential job duties with or without reasonable accommodations?" Many companies send applicants for physicals before employment. This only occcurs after a conditional offer of employment, and is itself a seperate can of worms for another blog.

A few more---Don't ask their religious affiliation or organizations they belong to. You can ask what do they enjoy doing in their spare time. (Here's a Paul tip--if they play golf, ask their handicap. If it is below eight, they are a superb golfer--which takes a lot of practice time, or they are a cousin of Tiger Woods. That much practice time can lead to attendance problems.)

Don't ask if they are a citizen--just ask if they are legaly eligible to work in the United States; don't ask if they have young children at home or how many children, just ask can they be at work, consistently at 8:00 am, or whatever your start time is.

You can ask have you ever been convicted of a crime? But not, "Have you ever been arrested?" You can ask, if they show a military tour on their resume, "What did you learn, what did you do in the Service?", but don't ask what kind of discharge they received.

Are your hands tied? Is this another intrusion into the rights of a business owner? NO and NO. These prohibitions came about because there are unscrupulous employers who do take advantage of people and are not fair due to prejudices.

Your role is to ask questions that are open-ended--you don't want to ask yes-or-no questions. Ask, "What was your favorite job, and why?" "What talents or skills do you have that make you the best candidate for this job?"

For the last couple of years, you had to work to get more than one applicant to apply for a job. That is changing now, and you have the opportunity to select the best qualified person.

For the flip side, if you are an applicant for a job, don't hide behind regulations. Volunteer information that will make the interviewer comfortable with you. You may not want to talk about your religious beliefs, but you should talk about your job skills, your motivations, and why you would be an asset to the company.

Let's Interview Somebody!

We have talked about inviting the right candidates for your job openings. Let's talk about the first interveiw. The purpose of the first interview is to see if the candidate meets your minimum standards; at the second interview you'll decide who the best candidate is from those who meet your standards.

How do you get to the first interview? For a factory job, usually you want to have people apply in person. Set up the interviewing hours before or at the same time as the shift. Don't expect an applicant for a night shift to come in during the day. For a customer service position, have a phone number to call. You want to hear their voice and their enthusiasm through the phone. For a professional position, ask for resumes.

For the office and professional areas, try to spend five minutes on the phone with potential applicants seeing if they fit your rough idea of the job. Ask them why they are looking for work. If they go negative about their current job, drop them like a hot potato. Without being pushy, ask what their current earnings are--you'll get a lot of push back here, as people who have special arrangments, like bonuses or commissions want to take time to explain. Ask them to just give you a general ballpark figure. If someone makes 30% more than your job, tell them that you just can't get anywhere near that figure, and saving yours and their time, don't offer an interview. People may say that this doesn't matter, but anyone who is willing to take that kind of pay cut will continue to look for a job that pays them what they were used to making, while they are working for you.

It is wise to have all applicants fill out an application. Take a minute to read this application while you hand the applicant a brochure about your company. Look for neatness and to be fully complete. When looking at job history, look for gaps in time, and question this during the interview.

The first interview should be about 20-25 minutes. You shoud try to speak for less than 10 minutes, letting the candidate speak as much as possible. Your first impression is extremely important, in fact, research has shown that most job interviews are decided in the first two minutes, and the rest of the time is spent being polite. What do you look for to make that first impression? Are they on-time? Are they dressed appropriately? The attire should be one level above their regular job duty clothing. A factory worker should be in clean clothes, a customer service person should look professional. Their first comments should be clear and concise, not rambling. They should hand you a new, clean resume for any supervisory or office position, and if you have applicants fill out a job aplication, it should be completely filled out. If someone writes "see resume" and doesn't fill out your form, they will always look for shortcuts in the job. Not a good sign. If your application says fill out completely, and they take a short cut, they don't follow directions well, either. This sounds petty, but believe me, this is true. The applicant should have some prepared questions...it shows they did a little homework and are interested in the position. All this in the first sixty seconds, and then you start the interview.

I've always looked to see if a job candidate fit the job and our company first, and then went on to discuss their qualifications for the position. How do you do this? I ask each applicant "What do you want to hear about first, a description of the potential job, or our company benefits program?". A choice for the benefits tells me this is not our person. When you do discuss benefits, which should be near the end of the first interview, use a checklist to mention all of your benefits.

At the beginning of the interview I try to make people feel at ease. A question about their favorite football or baseball team perhaps. Never politics, religion of their health. I then go into either a short job description or a short review of benefits, based on the previous question. As an interviewer, you should practice this a couple of times, so you cover the key points, and get it finished promptly. Then ask, "Do you have any questions so far?" I intentionally leave one important thing out of the presentation to see if they do ask a question.

Remember, this interview is not the final one, and you can add that information next time.

After your presentation and you ask them if they have any questions, ask this simple open ended question--"So, tell me about yourself", and let them ramble on. If they ask "What do you want to know?", say "Just anything you want to tell me about yourself". Whether they talk about their work history, or themself, take notes. There are many things you can't ask, (we'll cover that in an upcoming blog), but for now, just let them talk. If they tell you something, then you know it. I guarantee you will learn more about your candidate with this question than any other.

Next week we'll go deeper into the first interview, discussing specific questions you can't ask, and some you absolutely should!

Hiring From Outside Your Company

Whether you are growing or you need to change some personnel, your biggest hiring decision is whether to promote from within or recruit from outside your company. Let's look at the points that make hiring from the outside a good plan for you.

Hire outside when you don't have the talent inside. Sounds simple. But when you are looking for leadership skills in your company don't get your P's mixed up...personality and performance. Just because employee Alex is always smiling, treats all customers politely and always shows up on time, does not make Alex a candidate for a leadership position. The most common mistakes made in personnel are promoting the most senior person in the department, or the friendliest person. If you need a position filled, and your in-house people leave you feeling unsure, then you should go outside.

If the new supervisor needs to reduce head count, or make major changes, go with an outsider. Even the best inside person will have major problems laying off or reprimanding people they have just worked with. If you are opening a new business line, bring in skilled leadership for management. It is nearly impossible to ask a current worker to start a new business segment and learn to manage people at the same time. For instance, if you are going from a manual to computerized shop management system, go with outside computer experience.

If you are in a family business, and you have two nephews working, it is better to bring in an outsider as the family grief you will encounter by promoting one over the other will be divisive. If you have two positions to fill, use the qualified nephews. Sometimes you have to 'create' a special position if one nephew is great and the other is average.

If you need immediate help with leadership, go outside. An inside person will take time to ramp up as a leader...allow three to six months. An outside pro should learn your systems in be in place within two to three weeks.

You will generally pay an outsider more than you would have to pay an insider. If Bill is making $600 a week, and you offer a promotion and a 10% raise, you'll have a deal. An outsider will have to be induced to leave a job; you'll have to cover benefits differentials and make the job attractive.

Possibly the person will be out-of-work, and you can make a deal, but don't forget, you get what you pay for, in buying horseshoes, or hiring leadership people.
The outsider will cost you more in the short run--running ads, interviewing time and a crash course in your company and systems, but after a month, you should be ahead of the game. If you're not, consider that you didn't select the right candidate.

Most companies have a tradition of promoting from within or hiring outside. This should never be completely set in stone. My experience is that no more than two-thirds of initial supervisor positions should be from one source. And, your senior supervisory positions should be split evenly between outside and in-house hires.

I know a lot of glass companies that don't hire experienced people because they don't want to poach an employee from a competitor or vendor. If someone good approaches you for a job and you would like to hire, put a small ad in the Sunday help-wanted. Tell the applicant to call you on Monday for the position. Yes..this is a like a "stupid pet trick", but if you are uncomfortable, this works. You might even get a few walk-ins that can help you too!

There is no absolutely correct answer whether to promote from within or hire outside. If you have the people and the time to have them ramp up, I feel promoting from inside is the way to go. This approach, with a few outside hires will give make a great company.

Do You Promote From Within or Hire Outside

We've talked about hiring, with an emphasis on everyday personnel. Let's get into hiring managers and highly-skilled staff as every shop needs a mix of good workers and great leaders. There is an old, but very true, statement, that an Army moves on the backs of the Sergeants. A glass shop is the same. This week we will discuss hiring from within, next week hiring on the outside.

Hiring from within or going outside is a chicken-and-egg dilemma. As a general rule, hiring from within trumps bringing in an outsider. A current employee will know your business; you have worked with them and know their personality, and it shows a growth path for all employees. In house people know your paper flow, know which vendors service what product lines, and will know the people they will lead.

At UPS, just about every senior manager, at one-time or another, drove a brown truck. They grew into management posts. But when you have tens of thousands of drivers, a few will stand out and grow. In a glass shop with ten employees, you have to nurture one who can become a supervisor.

When you want to designate someone from your current employees as a leader look at their skills set. Are they a great glazier? Can they run a silicone bead smooth as silk? Can they cut a perfect angle in aluminum--the first time? Three 'yes' answers here gives you...a good worker. The questions to ask for a leader are:

• Are they trustworthy?


• Do they get the job done? Correctly and on-time?


• Do they care about the company and work like it is theirs?


• Do they ask questions and learn from the answers?

Any 'NO' answer should eliminate someone from consideration at this time. Maybe you want to further work with him/her to sharpen their skills, and then consider them at the next hiring opportunity.

My number one question was taught to me by Chuck Kaplanek, the owner of Floral Glass...it was simple...can we give the person the key to front door? While there may be many trustworthy people in your organization, you are looking for leadership qualities along with trust.

Look for the person that takes new hires under their wing and helps them learn the ropes. Do they act as a teacher as well as getting their job done? Do they use supplies carefully? Coming back with ten half-used silicone tubes is not what you want to see.

Does the employee talk with customers respectfully? Do they come back to you, asking a question that a customer asked of them, and go back with the answer? Do they represent your firm positively?

Look at all of these things before you decide if you should hire outside or promote from within.

The downside here is, it is harder for an employee to suddenly be the supervisor of their friends. This is absolutely true and has to be well discussed with the supervisor-to-be, and the work force. If you have multiple crews or job areas in a plant, move the new supervisor to another crew.

The biggest mistake that senior managers make is to assume that just because you have promoted someone to a leadership role, they have all the skills necessary to be a leader. A new supervisor needs education in their new job, just as anyone else would. Look into management training at local colleges or through trade associations. There are many fee-paid, one and two day management courses offered. Goggle "management training" and you will be inundated with offerings.

When you plan the promotion, create a budget for training; and don't skimp on it. You see raw talent in a person, you must invest in that no differently than investing in a machine that needs to be upgraded. Meet with your new manager on a regularly scheduled plan, going over decisions and goal setting.

An important point in hiring from within is replacing the person's previous job. Don't expect a new leader to be just that, and still continue their previous job. It only leads to problems which will disappoint you and the employee. Plan carefully to have the job filled and then announce the promotion. Teach the new supervisor to let the old job go...it will be accomplished by the new employee.

Set a timetable for financial reviews with the new leader. Don't wait a year to reward...have mini-reviews at three and six months, and give small raises to show you're pleased with the job...or don't and explain why your are not pleased. Teach what you want done...don't expect a new supervisor to know until they are taught. You are generally spending a lot less on an in-house promotion than an outside hire. Spend the extra cost-savings as invested time into the career of the new hire.

How Proud Can A Dad Be?

How proud can a dad be? So proud, I want to shout it from the roof tops.

If you want to read a glass blog, come back next week when we will talk more about hiring, but this week I am going to share a story about my son, Philip.

Philip is the kind of kid who respects his parents, but not too outwardly. He doesn't call home, just to kibitz, like his sister. In fact, we may not hear from him for a week or two at a time. If he sees us calling on his cell phone, he usually lets the message do the talking. I did ask his permission to write this, and surprisingly, he said yes.

Philip is a senior at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. He sings in the chorus, but forgets to tell us the dates of the performances, as in " mom, do you really have to come?" He is good at what he wants to do, learning history and literature, participating in theatrical productions, and being involved in extra-curricular activities at school.

I come from a business background, with budgets and goal setting. Phil's life is learning to teach and to work with kids.

In November, Phil told us he was coming home for the winter break, but that he accepted a volunteer job with a climate-change organization, gearing up to work during the New Hampshire primary election. He tells us no more than that, and wont, even under heavy questioning. He knows this is an important cause and he will do whatever the leader asks him to do.

The night before he was leaving he tells us a little bit of what is going to happen. The group has volunteers dress up in costume and attend every rally or speech by a Presidential candidate. In the week before the New Hampshire primary, these events are non-stop. He tells us that a costumed character garners media questions, and that getting media exposure for this global warming/climate group was the goal.

He calls us the next day with this story: He dresses up as Santa Claus for a Hillary Clinton campaign stop, and sure enough, Hillary points to Santa in the crowd, invites him to come to her, and poses for a photo-op with Santa. Santa then gets interviewed, (as promised) and makes a case for his cause. We were excited, but were a little unsure of the facts. The next morning we Googled the event, and holy cow, there was a picture of Hillary Clinton and Santa. Reuters had this picture on their web site. So, I contacted Reuters, and soon five 8x10 glossy color photos were on their way to us...five you see, one for each member of our family, and one to send to Hillary for her to autograph and return to us.

A friend of Phil's told him this: Only in America can a Jewish kid from Long Island grow up to be Santa Clause for the former First Lady, maybe even President of the United States.

It gets better. Two days later, the Wall Street Journal did a front page feature story about getting media attention during the campaign and interviewed Philip. He was quoted in the article. On the front page of the Wall Street Journal.

Wow.

Now think back...I have been in business all my life, ran a medium sized company, and my contact with the Journal was reading it. My son, who doesn't know a P&L statement from a chicken leg is quoted on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.

It proves that being creative and dedicated to a cause does work in America. Way to go, Phil.

Non-Traditional Ways to Attract Employee Aplicants

So, you hang a sign out the front door, put an ad in the local paper, and the same job applicants keep on showing up. Read on, and you'll learn some unique ways to bring job applicants to your glass shop.

Sure hang out the sign, and even spend a few bucks on the newspaper. Unless you are spending big bucks for the larger ads in the newspaper, you will not stand out. So, place a display ad in the home improvement section of the paper, where you normally sell mirrors or store fronts. Your ad will say...normally in this space we advertise to sell products...but we are so busy because of the good work that we do, we are hiring special people to help us...if you are special...come on down... Or something to this effect. You are spending the money for the ad, all you are doing is changing the copy, and yet this will still say to your customers you are a busy shop because you do good work!

If you hang a sign outside your shop, invest $50 bucks, rent a chicken suit, and hire a kid to stand at a local intersection and hand out flyers describing your help wanted needs. You will get noticed, and people will laugh with you. If you hand out flyers in regular clothing, you won't get attention. Instead of handing out flyers, hand out one-page employment applications with this headline: If you need a job, read on. If not, give this flyer to your best friend who is looking for a job.

When the kid is out there with the chicken suit, call the newspaper and the local TV station, tell them there is a guy with a chicken suit, and a photographer will appear, and you get publicity about hiring, which will bring in applicants!

Call your past customers, checking in if they need further work done, if they do...that's a home run. If not, and they were happy with your work, ask them if they would recommend a friend to work with you...since you did such a good job, they will be proud to recommend your firm to someone who is looking for a good job!

Hiring has to be spontaneous to some degree. We are all consumers, going into many types of stores. Any time you say, "I wish my employees were as good as the person who took care of me", go back to that person and tell them what you thought of them, and since they have the right attitude, ask them about their friends, who will usually have the same attitude. Are their friends looking for work? The hardest thing to teach is attitude...we can teach the glass business, teach how to price a piece of mirror...but if you come across someone with a positive smile, offer them a job, and definitely ask about their friends. Be sure to hand out a lot of business cards!

Never be too busy to quickly interview a potential employee. Prepare your own three minute interview. If the person is good, ask them to come back tomorrow when you have more time. What is a three minute interview? Ask them why they like working...if they don't know, or say, they have to pay the bills, say goodbye. You want the person who says they like to build something, or they like working with customers, or the like whatever it is your are hiring for.

The only other question I ask in a short interview is: What job benefit is most important to you? Vacation...show them the door. Smoking break? Again, show them the door. Just about anything else passes this short test.

Call the leaders at each local church, temple or mosque in your neighborhood. A leader there will often know of someone who is down on their luck and looking for a career change.

Unfortunately, I had few good results from state sponsored employment job banks. Nonetheless, list your job and make sure that anyone referred to you is well prescreened by the job bank to meet your job needs.

If you are looking for second shift work, go to every hospital in your area. Hospitals draw a lot of workers who need shift work to match a spouse's work pattern. Day shift workers will be glad to find a reliable place to recommend for spouses second shift work.

One of the best things you can do is ask current employees to recommend someone, and give a bonus of $500 if the recommended person stays for six months. $500 is cheap to hire a good person.

People who presently are working have a hard time coming in, if your ad says apply in person. So, have a walk-in time at the end of the day, or on a Sunday afternoon, when people don't have to lie to leave a current job. Yes, give up a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon, and you will hire better people--many people won't lie to take time of for an interview, and those are the ones you want. If your ad says to call, make sure you take the calls...don't take numbers and call back. You have just a few minutes to get a feel for them on the phone, and then invite them in for an interview.

Sometimes the applicant wants to know everything up front, on the phone, before talking about themselves...if the job pays enough...or some such...if the conversation is not 50/50, don't offer the interview. If they have to know the salary, present a realistic range, telling them the final figure is based on a discussion at the interview.

If you have an automated attendant type of phone answering, put a number in to hear about current job opportunities. People are curious and will press to hear this. If you don't have any opportunities at this time, be sure to leave a message saying to check back in the future.

One thing that usually burns you is to ask a salesperson in the trade who calls on you, if they know of anybody looking for work. If they do recommend someone, that person is beholden to them, and may influence future work. If they recommend a person who is not presently working, that's OK. But, never use a trade contact to take a person who is presently working for a competitor. Also, it will empower the salesperson to take someone from you, just to even the deck. If an insurance salesperson walks in, it is fine to ask them for a referred employee...just keep away from the glass trade.

Do you have any other tips...go the the US Glass News Forum and write a post...we'll be glad you did!