A-Players, Gamechangers and the People Who Hire Them

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

Ready for Recovery: Hiring in 2010

Managing the Masses

Killer Interview Questions

I have been recruiting for 20 years in the area of accounting and finance. One thing I can tell you for sure is that the hiring process is never easy. It’s hard. Interviewing well is probably one of the most critical skills in my profession as well as one of the factors that most deeply affects my clients.

Think, for a minute, about how absurd an interview can be. You have to sit down with a virtual stranger and be able to assess how a person will work and behave after spending only a brief time with them. Afterward, you must listen to what their references say about them and perceive what their references are not saying. Maybe you bring them back for a second interview, or have team members interview them as well. . .whatever you do, if you hire them, you will be spending about 2000 hours or more with them a year. You will trust the person you hire to perform well and bring results.

Jack Welch says, “…hiring great people is brutally hard. New managers are lucky to get it right half the time. And even executives with decades of experience will tell you that they make the right calls 75% of the time at best.” With that in mind, I decided to call some of the top financial managers in the DFW area to ask them what interview questions they considered to be the most critical. Their answers were telling. Although some of the interview questions they ask deal with the requisite skills provided for the position they are filling, the questions most of them considered vital had to do with a person’s attitude, character and work ethic. That being said, these questions could work in a variety of professions, and their answers could just bring the additional clarity you have been looking for in an interview.

1. Are you a leader or a follower?
-Rob Graham, Corporate Controller, Permian Tank and Manufacturing, Inc.

Whether the person is a leader or a follower, they should be a good team member. The manner in which they answer this question could be an indicator of how they will fit in with your department, your team and in the specific role they are applying for.

2. In five words or less, describe yourself.
-Rob Graham, Permian Tank and Manufacturing, Inc.

You can glean a lot from the way people describe themselves. Most interviews contain a sort of “tell me about yourself” question, but this question forces the applicant to be precise. Management style, personality type, leadership ability, work ethic, and even personal priorities can be discovered through this kind of question.

3. What do you do when you are not working?
-Jason Kulas, CFO, Santander Consumer USA

This is one of my favorite questions. When a candidate begins to talk about their hobbies and their interests, I get a better idea of who they are and what their priorities are. If someone has a hard time coming up with outside activities, it can be an indicator that their life is out of balance, or that they are not able to be transparent.

4. How do you build capacity in those you lead?
-Joe Christian, Director of Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Atmos Energy

Managers are a dime a dozen, but true leaders are worth their weight in gold. Organizations are more commonly looking for those individuals who can not only lead others, but build skills in others. For management positions, asking this question can help you determine if the candidate values mentoring and building capacity, which will raise the level of expertise in your organization.

5. Tell me how you successfully bridged the gap between your traditional finance/accounting skill set and company operations? How have you contributed to the company strategy or mission statement?
-Rick Nunnally, CFO, Cheldan Homes

Larry Winget, in his book, It’s Called Work for a Reason!, says that employees are not paid to work hard. Employees are paid for results. It’s important to know that the candidate sitting across from you in an interview has the ability to actually make a difference in your organization. In today’s market, employees need to be contributors in whatever role they are in and be responsible for value-added results. No one has the patience or the money for cubicle-fillers anymore. Candidates must be able to articulate how the organizational performance will be positively impacted as well as sell their expertise.

6. Tell me about one of your most significant accomplishments.
-Rick Nunnally, CFO, Cheldan Homes

This is a great question. With this question, not only will the candidate reveal a major accomplishment, but the interviewer will able to assess what the candidate perceives as significant.

7. Our company has a successful [accounting] team in place. How do you see yourself leading/interacting with an established group?
-Mark Gaddis, President, Dallas Door and Supply, Inc.

New employees sometimes struggle with integrating into a well-functioning team. New managers or team leaders sometimes struggle with established teams the most. It is imperative that the person you are hiring be a good match for your existing team. Relationships and teamwork are crucial in any organization. Be sure to enable your team with a new employee that will be able to join in on existing success as well as bring innovative ideas to the table.

8. Describe a conflict you were involved in at work and how it was resolved. How did the work continue after that?
-Mark Gaddis, President, Dallas Door and Supply, Inc.

Every employee experiences some level of conflict at some point in their career. As the candidate explains the conflict to you, you can assess their conflict-resolution skills, as well as how well they recover and move through sensitive situations.

In this economy it is more important than ever to make the right call when you are hiring. In the long run, retaining quality employees means finding the right individuals in the first place. Employee turnover takes resources away from your core business, costing up to 1.5% of the position’s annual salary. Take the time and make the effort to ask the right questions now, and you will be building a team that can affect your bottom line in this economy and the recovery to come.

Go Fish!

Recessions create leaders. These days, as part of the leadership team here at Delta Dallas, I find myself recounting my earlier recession experiences to my team. During the first recession I went through in this industry, I was clueless. During the second, I almost went down for the count. When this recession came along, however, I just looked up and said “Bring it on!” It has been important for my team to know that I can relate to the challenges they are experiencing in this recession.

In times of uncertainty, it is natural for people look to those in charge - their leaders - for guidance. My team is reassured by the fact that this is my third recession and I am still ready for the challenge ahead. In any difficult time, people start to look around to see if their leaders have the qualities they perceive to be most important in a person worthy of following.

We have an open atmosphere here at Delta Dallas. From my desk I can hear almost every conversation in the office. Lately, I have been intently listening to our recruiters’ conversations about leadership. Every day we discuss what qualities our candidates desire in a potential manager. We also converse with clients about what leadership qualities they are looking for in an employee. It turns out; there are a few qualities that consistently rise to the surface during these conversations. They are:

Vision: The ability to give direction.
Motivation: The passion to carry you through what you need to accomplish.
Confidence: The strength of belief in oneself.
Initiative: The fortitude to make decisions and do what needs to be done.
Knowledge: Not only possessing the information, but sharing it with others.
Productivity: Bottom line, quantifiable results.

Here’s the eye-opener, though. My staff has actually been discussing the characteristics that I look to develop in them. My goal is to build more than a team. My goal is to build a team of leaders.

I have been particularly interested in the relationship between leadership qualities and productivity lately. As I have been reading, I have found that some of the experts believe that it is a leader’s responsibility to maximize team productivity and to contribute by example - and I agree with a majority of their comments. However, the most important productivity factor in our office is developing the leader within each of our employees. It is much easier to set goals for your team and be done with it than it is to make efforts to develop leaders. But in my experience - individuals who can lead themselves have higher production levels. Ancient Taoist Lao Tzu said, “Give a man a fish; feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish; feed him for a lifetime”. It has been more important to teach my team the life skills of goal setting, accountability, and measurement. These personal leadership tools will help them to maximize their production as individuals and for our company.

Are you ready to develop individual leadership in your team? It is a process, but you can begin to guide and grow your internal leaders by teaching them what the essentials are. This week, take a few of your top producers (they will be the best team members to begin with) and ask them to answer the following questions:

• Do you have clearly-defined SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Bound) goals related to specific job responsibilities?
• Have you defined systems, procedures and processes in place for each job task?
• Do you have an understanding of the acceptable measurement tools for the job at hand?
• Are you evaluating your work regularly and the results you have obtained?
• Do you have the adequate tools/skills available to accomplish the defined goals?
• Do you have the authority and decision-making ability to complete the required tasks?
• What motivation is present to drive needed results?

As your employees work through these questions, they take on the responsibility for their own productivity and differentiate themselves as company leaders.

Creating leaders has many rewards. In the past few months I have been inspired by the leaders in my own staff. Their feats of leadership, risks toward personal accountability and personal productivity have amazed me. One of our consultants came up with a new hiring solution to meet the financial/guarantee concerns of a client creating a win/win situation. Another consultant worked with a client to explain the importance of weekly one-on-ones with her staff in order to review departmental goals and expectations. I have even seen our team of grown women celebrate each other’s weekly accomplishments with whistles, pom-poms and silly string . . . creating a sense of community and motivation for the week to come.

As a leader, let it be known that you expect leadership qualities in your staff and provide support . . . but press your team to come up with their own creative solutions. You will be doing your employees a favor by preparing them for the times ahead. The economy to come will require that employees think creatively and offer far more value than just filling a cubicle. Talent will be a critical factor for workers and corporations in the new economy. By mentoring your employees, you are preparing them for maximum production and developing your company culture for the future ahead.

Kim Follis is Vice President for Delta Dallas. Reach her at kfollis@deltadallas.com or 972-788-2300.

Engaging and Retaining Top Tier Talent

Stop what you are doing right now. Take a look around you. Look at the people who are sitting next to you. How do they look? I don’t mean what they are wearing . . . take a look at their expressions. Are they happy? Sad? Focused? Stressed? Delirious?

There is no doubt about it. Companies need motivated, engaged employees who show up ready to contribute every day. This is especially true during these economic times. When you think about it, the success of any facet of your business can almost always be traced back to motivated, engaged, dedicated employees. Unfortunately, motivating people is far from an exact science, and sadly, there is no secret formula.

Right now, companies are struggling to survive. In the shuffle of economic difficulty, it is understandable that emphasis on employee retention and satisfaction may become a secondary concern. It may seem, in this job-starved economy that just having a job would be motivation enough to keep someone engaged in their work. Not so. Quality suffers when employees lack motivation. One more thing . . . Take a look at those faces again. You could be looking at a preview of things to come when the economic recovery begins. Employee retention could be a problem when the economy improves if employees have a bad taste in their mouths right now. Are you prepared to spend turnover and training dollars just as the recovery begins? Wouldn’t that money be better spent in other areas of your company?

From productivity and profitability to recruiting and retention, hardworking and happy employees lead to triumph.

As Vice President for Delta Dallas, I make an effort to motivate our employees each day. It is important to me that our employees stay engaged and feel motivated to reach their goals. Here are a few things you can do to ensure that your employees stay focused:

Start with YOU
Attitude is king. It’s amazing how, if you start the day with a negative attitude, it seems like everyone else does, too. If you are very stressed out, it seems like everyone else is, too. On the other hand, enthusiasm is contagious. If you’re enthusiastic about your job, it’s much easier for others to be, too. If you’re doing a good job of taking care of yourself and your own job, you’ll have much clearer perspective on how others are doing in theirs.

A great place to start learning about motivation is to start understanding your own motivations. Think about how your job is configured to support your own motivations, and what can you do to better motivate yourself? The key to helping to motivate your employees is to understand what motivates them, so what motivates you?

ASK
Each person is motivated by different things. You can find out what motivates your employees by asking them, listening to them and observing them.

Create a check list of possible motivators. Fill out the list yourself and then pass it on to each of your employees. Let them know that their answers are important to you and that you really want to know what they find valuable in a work situation. When you are done, compare your answers to theirs. Recognize the differences between your motivators and theirs. After the check list has been completed by everyone, meet with each of your employees to better understand their points of view. Lastly, take some time alone to write down how you will modify your approaches with each employee to ensure their motivational factors are being met.

• Time Off
• Rewards, recognition
• Flextime
• Working from home
• Consider, for example, time with family, recognition, a job well done, service, learning, etc.
• Moving physical location of office/cube
• New job title

Goals
Establish goals that are SMART: Specific Measurable Acceptable Realistic Timely

Clearly convey how employee results contribute to organizational results. Employees want to know that what they are doing does make a difference. This realization often requires clear communication about organizational goals, employee progress toward those goals and celebration when the goals are met.

Recognition
When employees have done a good job, particularly when they’ve succeeded in a challenging assignment, nearly all want to be recognized for doing so. When this doesn’t occur, the result often is discouragement and disengagement. But, when honestly and genuinely offered by supervisors and other management, praise and recognition can be one of the greatest motivators.

Have Fun
The reality is that too few people are having fun at work. And there is plenty of evidence that suggests employees who have fun at work make more money for their employers, miss less work, are more creative, and ultimately have increased job satisfaction. Find a way to help your employees enjoy the time they spend at work each day. Yes, we are all at work to contribute to our company’s goals, but we can do it with a sense of enjoyment. Take the time, every once in a while, to bring fun into the atmosphere. Be creative and let your employees know that it is alright to have a good time at work. When they see you having fun, they will join in! Fun brings a sense of camaraderie and cohesiveness through shared (fun) experiences.

Okay, so one more time, take a look around. The people around you, the ones that have survived at your company during this down economy, are probably some of your most valued employees. A lot of the people around you right now are probably worth keeping . . . and will be leaders when the economy recovers and new hires are brought in. Let these top-tier players know that they are valued. Let them know that the extra efforts that they are making while staff is low will be remembered. They will return the favor in production, retention and loyalty.

MICHELLE COOK, CPC, CTS, is vice president with Delta Dallas. Reach her at mcook@deltadallas.com or 972-788-2300.

 

Designed for Destiny

Throughout history, women have made a significant difference with our hands, our minds and our courage. Once women joined the workforce at large, the impact was inevitable. Women have changed the face of business, and made significant contributions in a variety of industries.

A considerable number of women entered the work force during World War II. Women by the millions took factory jobs to make up for the domestic manpower shortage. After the war, the number of working women dropped, but by 1950 it was climbing again, at the rate of a million a year. By 1990, the work force was 47 percent female and 53 percent male, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many view this as one of the most important and desirable social and economic transformations of our lifetimes. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and until this recession, women remained less than 49 percent of the work force. However, that percentage has now passed 49 percent and may cross the 50 percent threshold for the first time. As we cross this threshold it only makes sense to assess where we stand and set goals for the future.

Women have carved out a place for themselves in the workforce, and often have detached themselves from native qualities that have the most leadership potential. In her book, Designed for Success, Dondi Scumaci reviews the qualities that are widely understood to be leadership qualities, and juxtaposes them against the descriptions women most often face at work. Feminine descriptions such as catty, nurturing, empathetic, and aggressive are not associated as qualities suited for a role at the leadership table. Today, women are ready to re-assess the qualities that have brought them this far and look forward to the qualities that will take them further.

Silence is Golden, but Negotiation is Priceless

Women are still reluctant to ask for what they want in a work situation. In her book, Ms. Scumaci asserts that women tend to take the first salary offer from an employer rather than negotiating. Women have a tendency to view this as confrontational, and Ms. Scumaci predicates that men negotiate salaries more readily because they view it as a challenge rather than a confrontation. Lack of negotiation can lead to resentment later on when responsibilities in the workplace become greater and the real work begins. Many women are left feeling taken advantage of because they didn’t assert their true salary expectations during the interview process. Women who make no apologies for their expectations and have the courage to ask for the salaries they want and need are the top earners today. You will never get what you want if you don’t ask for it!

Listen and Grow

Women will continue to progress in the workplace, and in our developing roles we must be able to effectively take constructive feedback from peers, leadership, and people that we trust to be honest with us. We also have to be willing to accept the information given to us and use it to become more effective leaders in the workplace. Growth is always contingent on our willingness to be confident enough to admit when change is needed.

Woman, Market Thyself

Marketing. Women all over the world have entered the marketing field and are marketing their companies’ products. Why, then is it so hard market oneself? It is essential that women in the workplace develop a plan to strategically market themselves in order to develop, grow and position their careers for an ever-changing marketplace. Women need to establish strong personal branding both in and out of the office environment, and share their successes with peers. Your mother may have told you not to “toot your own horn,” but if you want people to notice your successes in a fast-paced environment, you had better pull out your tuba and get busy.

Communicate, Lead, Mentor

Most of us these days think of ourselves as self-actualized communicators. Have you, however, ever worked for someone that you felt was aggressive? In one scenario in this book, there is a female leader that led her team by intimidation. Her employees were afraid to speak to her or even ask questions.  Due to this, the morale and productivity in the department was extremely low. This is how she wanted to be viewed, and she did not realize that this behavior would have such a negative impact on her organization. She honestly thought she was leading…because she thought that fear was a motivator and that if her employees viewed her as invulnerable, she would earn their respect. The opposite was true. Women don’t need to be aggressors in order to get people to listen or cooperate.

Conversely, I can remember a point in my career back in 1996 when I worked for a female SVP. Initially, though she was knowledgeable in her field, she seemed intimidating.  This woman saw leadership qualities in me and gave me an opportunity that I never thought was possible at my level. She saw abilities in me that had not been activated and gave me a chance. We started a new division within the organization. With her continued mentorship and my willingness to push myself, we put together the number one direct hire administrative division of the company in Dallas. Though I don’t work with her any more, she remains a strong professional influence in my life to this day.

Can you see the difference?  Both women were getting things done, but the woman who encouraged me was creating a future for her company, for me, and for herself. Mentorship is a win-win proposition. Women need to capitalize on our best qualities to become the leaders who will open doors for the next generation. We should encourage our employees to be a part of the decision-making process, and mentor them as we lead. The returns are worth it.

Dondi Scumaci has written a useful book that asks women to take an honest look at the way we do business. If you are a woman or a man who works with women, I highly recommend that you read this book. Everyone can benefit from the advice and wisdom within. I did. I sincerely look forward to what the future has to hold for women in the workplace. As we press into this new economy, we will need the tools that Dondi Scumaci presents to thrive.

The Legacy of Leadership

In 1983, entrepreneur Linda Crawford opened Delta Dallas while Texas was experiencing a recession.  Twenty-five years later, Delta Dallas has survived several economic downturns.  This is a direct result of strong leadership and a business of passionate people.

Delta Dallas is the only nationally accredited staffing firm in the DFW area and has a full staff of certified, award-winning recruiters.  Recently, I met with Linda to discuss her current thoughts on leadership:

Tabitha: Linda, thank you for meeting with me.  I‘m truly excited to talk to you about leadership.  In today’s world, what characteristics do you like to see in a leader?

Linda: Leaders have integrity, which builds trust within an organization.  Leaders are accountable for results and will admit when they are wrong.  Leaders keep one foot planted firmly on the ground, and their eyes on the horizon, which is a reflection of a visionary.  Leaders embrace the ideas of others and continue to seek new knowledge; leaders beget leaders. In my mind’s eye, leaders in today’s world walk a fine line between managing resources and taking risks.

Tabitha: Who inspired and influenced you?

Linda: So many people… Through the years I have benefited and been gifted through associations with my mentors, business associates, and most of all our Delta Dallas team.  The leadership of Delta Dallas, Don, our CEO and President, and Vice Presidents Kim Follis and Michelle Cook, make decisions on behalf of the company every day.  They are proven and trusted.

Tabitha: Linda, I met with two of Delta Dallas’ long-term employees to get their perspective on your leadership style, and here is what they said:

When I started working for Linda over 20 years ago, I had no idea what an amazing leader she was.  I have learned through her to never give up, believe in your people, use integrity and heart in making decisions, and to be true to yourself.  She not only leads others, but leads herself.

~Kim Follis, CPC, CTS, Vice President, Delta Dallas, 20 years

Linda has been an inspiration to me in many ways.  I knew people in the industry before I came to Delta Dallas, and the reputation that she built with those people was amazing.  I have come to know that the reality far outweighs the reputation.  She has built one of the most recognizable staffing companies in the state.  Knowing that Linda can take an idea and transform it into such an awesome reality, simply by making that first phone call in November 1983, inspires me to pick up the phone every day.  Her leadership and constant encouragement are the reasons that I feel blessed to come to work for Delta Dallas every day!

~Dana Lee, CPC, CTS, Executive Recruiter, Delta Dallas, 7 years

IF…..
by Rudyard Kipling

-

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
‘ Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And - which is more - you’ll be a Man, my son!

-

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Putting a Price Tag on People: Evaluating Value

I have been in the staffing industry for 20 years. During that time, perhaps the most frequent question my clients have when hiring is, “How do I know this person will bring value?” It’s a valid question, and in this economy, it is a vital one. Now, more than ever, employers are being forced to evaluate the value of each employee in their organization.

Employers are now moving beyond “cutting the fat” from their organizations and questioning what each of their employees brings to the table. It’s a new economy, and everyone has to have a value proposition. The individuals that prove and increase their value during this downturn will be the employees that stay gainfully employed and create a better future for themselves when things start to improve.

So, what characteristics truly bring value to an employer? What truly separates an “A” player from a “B or C” player? How does a corporation evaluate their employee base, and what are the deciding factors when choosing to keep, lay off, or replace existing employees? The bottom line is that it comes down to value.

Value is essentially related to worth, material or immaterial.  So, what brings value to your company or department? Right now, stop and think of your top performer. What makes you feel that this person has relative worth and that you are getting a fair exchange for your investment in that employee?

Generally, each company will have their own criteria and priorities when it comes to determining the value of their employee base, but in my daily interactions with clients, I have noticed several target impact areas that define the value of an employee for most organizations.

Performance/ Productivity - Impact the bottom line
When companies are looking at their team, performance and productivity are most likely at the top of the list.  Niel Ducoff in his book No-Compromise Leadership discusses the importance of looking at critical numbers and how “critical numbers eliminate the abstract interpretation of what work needs to be done.” In addition, he believes that every employee possesses the ability to influence profitablility in some manner. This ability to influence profitability increases an employee’s value.

Motivation/Influence/Attitude - Impact others
Malcom Gladwell in his book The Tipping Point discusses the differences between those who influence and those who connect/network. They add value to the company in a unique way. They possess leadership abilities and are able to rally the troops when needed to make things happen. They can keep teams together.

New Ideas/Thinking about Solutions -Impact through creativity
Creativity is about the development of new ideas and new solutions that can impact the way things are done in a business on multiple levels.

Since change is a daily occurrence in growing and evolving companies, creative people bring more to the table and provide new solutions to their customers. Increasingly, companies are looking for problem solvers that provide creative solutions.

Systems - Impacting structure and efficiency
In his book, Operations Management: Critical Perspectives on Business and Management, Michael Lewis examines the work of Fredrick Taylor. Frederick Taylor, at the turn of the century, changed how companies looked at work organization, task definition, and job measurement. Taylor’s goal was to increase organizational productivity with a systematic process.

Today, companies continue to evaluate how they can efficiently utilize processes to streamline their ability to meet company goals. Employees that can aid in the identification and implementation of better systems will add to the bottom line value of the company.

Habits - Impact through consistency

“A” players have and continue to develop effective habits. In Brian Tracy’s book, Focal Point, these habits are defined as: punctuality, time management, self-discipline, concentration, and goal completion. Habits can be developed through practice, and employers look to those who continue to focus on and develop their good habits. Employees who have a proven success record with established processes, systems, and work ethic increase the return on their employer’s investment.

Emotional Equity - Impact through commitment

Rules for Renegades by Christine Comaford-Lynch breaks down emotional equity like this:

Companies like to know that employees have an emotional stake in their employment commitment. Employers want to know that their employees are in it for the long haul. Emotional equity provides the fortitude to “stick with it” in good, bad, and challenging times.

One of the hardest things that I have to do in my role as manager here at Delta Dallas is let people go. It is never an easy task, but when decisions are made based on the criteria above, I know I am making a decision that will support our short and long-term goals. I know that a lot of my clients have faced this dilemma in recent months, and honestly, there is no easy way to tell someone you are taking away their source of income.

In this economy, however, it is more important than ever to make sure that the money invested in your employees is money well-spent. In order to flourish during these times, you need team members with emotional commitment that bring true value to your organization. Only then will you have the foundation you will need to build upon as the economic recovery ensues. See you on the other side!

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