While there are basic job skills that are necessary for each position, there are a number of other job skills that are vital if the hire is going to be the right candidate for the position. No matter how impressive a resume may be, if a candidate doesn’t possess these extra skills, they may not be the right person for the job.

Your interview process should be tailored to finding these particular skills as well as the standard skills required for the job.

1. Flexibility of the Mind. Your ideal candidate should be able to think quickly on her feet and come up with alternate solutions very quickly. You can determine if a candidate has these skills by rapid firing questions that come from different angles and asking hypothetical questions to determine how she might handle different real life situations.

2. A high level of empathy. This is particularly vital for anyone who will assume a managerial or customer service position. Empathy is not something that can be learned, it is either ingrained in someone or it’s not. Empathetic people are able to look at complex situations, and take into account other’s feelings. Once again, scenario questions are the best way to determine a candidate’s level of empathy.

3. Initiative and passion. Zombie hires are the bane of any manager. If a candidate is not passionate about his job or the work that he does for a company, he simply isn’t going to perform at the same level as someone who does have passion. While we can’t all love our jobs, we can love doing a good job. Seek out candidates that have demonstrated initiative in their past accomplishments. It’s a good predictor of how much they’ll be willing to do for you.

4. Risk tolerance. High-level positions require a great deal of risk tolerance. The ideal candidate should not be put off or scared by risk, but should view this as an opportunity for challenge and growth. Hypothetical lines of questioning and asking about similar situations at an old position will help you find this type of candidate.

These skills are largely ingrained in a personality, and most cannot be taught or inspired. If you need help finding candidates who demonstrate these qualities, or if you want tips on finding the right fit candidate for your position, give Planetpro a call today.  [Please note the proper spelling of our company name]

Planetpro believes these are some of the main skills anyone should have when recruiting new hires. What are some of the different skills you use to recruit new hires into your company? (Please comment below)

Contact Planetpro with any of your staffing needs.

Negativity breeds more negativity and there are few things that are more insidious in a workplace. It creates a lack of productivity, generates feelings of discontent among your employees, and can lead to high employee turnover rates.

Creating a positive culture in the workplace requires dedication, but with the right steps, it can be achieved. This dedication must not only stem from the highest levels of your organization and management, but employees must also reflect this positivity. One negative employee can impact the growth of an entire organization. Employees also lead by example. If you put your best effort into creating a positive workplace culture, the majority will follow your lead.

1. Creating a standard. The first step is letting everyone in your organization know that positivity is now the prevailing force in your company. This step creates awareness at all levels of your organization and gives everyone time to begin to review their mindset and make changes. Positive mindset isn’t about denying the presence of roadblocks or challenges, but about adopting a ‘can do’ attitude in face of them and encouraging people to seek help from peers and management when required.

2. Creating positive affirmations. This should take place at every level of your organization. Create positive affirmations for every department by having teams participate in and contribute to their making.  Be sure that management buys into and respects these affirmations and encourages them in whatever ways they can.

3. Adapt your communication style. Communication is the key to any relationship in the workplace. As a leader you must be able to communicate positively with employees on a personal level to gain their trust; but never overstep their boundaries. Remember to have a positive attitude when communicating your ideas. Remember: lead by example. If you maintain a positive atmosphere, it will trickle down to everyone else you deal with.

4. Hold a seminar on the power of positive thinking. In the early stages of embracing positivity, it is helpful to have an expert come in to discuss the power of being positive, and to help employees learn more about their own mindset and how to modify it. These seminars can be incredibly helpful in rooting out negative behavior and helping employees create their own affirmations and commitments to maintaining a positive attitude and atmosphere.

Planetpro finds company culture to be a very intriguing topic and would like to continue this discussion.  What are some of the techniques you use to implement a positive company culture? (please comment below)

Please contact Planetpro for any of your staffing needs.

If you have an open position in your organization, instead of immediately hiring a permanent employee, you may want to consider the ‘try-before-you-buy’ approach. This method provides a way for companies to test drive their talent without making a full-time commitment prior to observing the quality of their work.  In fact, contract staffing has many benefits for employers and is an underutilized tool that can help improve your retention rates and ensure you are getting the best possible candidate for the job.

Contract staffing ensures you can fill an open position quickly, with talent who is well-trained, has specialized skills, and just needs a quick overview of how your company operates. If you have mission critical positions that are open, this strategy can help ensure your business won’t suffer while you are looking for the right person.

Let’s take a look at a few of the other benefits of implementing the try-before-you-buy approach:

1. On-the-job interview.
Instead of having to spend inordinate hours interviewing prospects, you can focus on observing the contractor in action. This means you can evaluate actual on-the-job performance over a longer period of time.   Also, the data you gather in evaluating prospects this way is likely to be a better predictor of their ability to succeed in that job, compared to the few hours spent talking in the hypothetical during an interview.

2. Finding the right culture fit.
Not only is job performance vital, it is also important to measure how well a contract employee fits within your organization’s culture and how they interact with others. If you end up with someone who isn’t the right fit, you can employ another contractor until you find the one candidate that works best for you.

3. Minimize your risk if change is required.

With permanent hiring, if and when it becomes obvious that the employee cannot handle the demands of the position, making changes can cost valuable time and money.  Minimize the cost and hassle of legal entanglements related with such changes by testing  your talent before you commit to them.

Working with the right staffing agency will also help ensure that you’re not just getting contract workers to fill resource gaps, but highly qualified talent that can help you keep things running smoothly and work towards your business goals while you make your decision.

Typically, employee turnover is considered a bad thing for a company. If you’re only looking at the figures and not at the actual business impact created by a departing employee, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of worrying about your retention rates.

While you don’t want to lose your star performers, in some cases, having an underperforming employee leave can benefit your organization.

How can you spot an under performer?

1. Consistently has a mediocre or poor performance rate.
While most employees work hard, there will always be the few that try to skate through performing at bare minimum levels. While we all have bad days, employees who constantly fall short of expectations are the ones to watch.

2. Employees with bad attitudes.
Negativity breeds more negativity, and having an employee who consistently displays a bad or negative attitude is not good for the rest of your employees. This is something that is very difficult to spot during an interview, but it will reveal itself over the course of their employment in your organization.

3. Employees who consistently miss work or come in late.
There will always be the employee who strolls in a few minutes late, no matter how many times you discuss the issue with them. Employees who miss work on a consistent basis, particularly calling in on Fridays or Mondays, are another red flag.

The cost of underperforming employees goes beyond the work they don’t do, it affects the environment and culture of your company.  Their behavior typically affects other employees as well, either by encouraging copycat behaviors in some cases, or even decreasing morale among higher performing talent.  Having an underperforming employee leave your organization is actually a blessing in disguise, particularly if they end up working for one of your competitors. By spotting and replacing under performers, you might adversely impact your short-term retention rate, but in the longer term, you’ll be better equipped with the right talent that will help you achieve your business goals.