Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/374170
STARRINKS.COM SEPTEMBER.OCTOBER.2014 / 21 1 Correct Hiring We must start this evolution with hiring the right people. Without them, efforts to engage and retain staff become moot. The Industrial Age paradigm emphasized hiring for skills and experience. But skills can be taught, and in today's rapidly changing world, experience is far less important than agility and the ability to learn and adapt. To not only survive, but also thrive in the Social Age, companies need to hire for both culture fit and competencies — those innate abilities that can't be taught but will make them successful in the job. Proper interviewing technique is essential to guaranteeing you get the right hire. Unlike the stock market, when it comes to potential job candidates, past performance is indicative of future results. The majority of interview questions have to be answered with past examples of how the candidate actually dealt with real-world scenarios. Do not fall into the old trap of believing what a candidate would do is what they did do, or more importantly, will do. 2 Classify and Manage Appropriately Even when you do everything right during the hiring process, you may still be surprised once the employee comes on board. Team dynamics or changing personal circumstances can affect individual behavior and performance. You must continually keep your finger on the pulse of your staff — a daunting task to many managers who either try to devote equal time and energy across the board or who spend time with the wrong people. Employees typically come in three flavors: Critical People, Squeaky Wheels and the Fat Middle. Most managers end up spending most of their time trying to grease their Squeaky Wheels, which perpetuates poor performance or behavior. Counterintuitively, by devoting the majority of your attention to your Critical People, you will bolster the productivity of the whole team. Squeaky Wheels? Train, motivate or move them on. Quickly. 3 Compensate Fairly Many companies diligently strive to create attractive incentive programs in an effort to engage and retain staff. Unfortunately, these efforts actually may be counter- productive to accomplishing these goals. Studies have suggested that rewards can narrow our focus, innovation, creativity, strategic thinking and problem solving — the very things needed from a Social Age Workforce. Higher pay does not necessarily equal higher productivity. Managers should set their salary benchmark at or a little above market rate for individual functions. Even more importantly, managers should ensure that employees feel they are being adequately compensated for the work they do, and this can only be accomplished by speaking to them directly. 4 Currencies of Choice Once your staff feels well paid, real productivity and engagement can be unlocked by tapping into their internal motivators or Currencies of Choice. What your staff really needs to be fulfilled and to go the extra mile is to: • Work for someone they trust and respect in a company they support • Be appreciated and have their voice and opinions respected • Have a firm career path that allows them to grow and develop • Realize their underlying motivators • Be able to do what they do best every day By understanding and acknowledging your team's individual Currencies of Choice, you can help keep them engaged and decrease turnover. How do you recognize which Currencies of Choice will motivate your , Continued on page 22 EMPLOYEES TYPICALLY COME IN THREE FLAVORS: CRITICAL PEOPLE, SQUEAKY WHEELS AND THE FAT MIDDLE.