| Course | | | | correctly define the personality of the job and then |
| What makes a company great? Jim Collins, author of | | | | assess people with respect to the total job |
| the book Good to Great, says that great | | | | personality. Only then can a good fit be achieved. |
| companies first get the right people on the bus, | | | | When developing job descriptions, first think about |
| the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in | | | | what skills and experience a candidate will need today |
| the right seats. People are not your most important | | | | and in the future. Then identify those critical |
| asset. The right people are. So who are the | | | | components that are unteachable. Keep in mind that |
| right people, and how do you get them on | | | | you should have diversity on your team(s). Have a |
| your bus? | | | | balance of detail-oriented people and big |
| What makes a company great? Jim Collins, author of | | | | picture people, Ph.D.s and MBAs, fact-checkers |
| the book Good to Great, says that great | | | | and cheerleaders. |
| companies first get the right people on the bus, | | | | The interview |
| the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in | | | | The second thing you need is a solid interview |
| the right seats. People are not your most important | | | | process. Companies are often formed because |
| asset. The right people are. | | | | founders have a passion for a technology or idea, |
| The right people are those who fit into your | | | | but those people are not necessarily expert |
| organization and help you to accomplish your future | | | | interviewers. It would be comparable to expecting |
| goals. | | | | your salespeople to code your software. Invest in |
| You might think this is a topic you don’t have | | | | some training for your staff or hire someone to help |
| to worry about at the moment, especially if you are | | | | with the hiring. |
| a startup. But many companies fall into this classic | | | | A good interview process employs behavioral |
| case. One person has a great idea and draws in a | | | | interviewing. This is a method of asking probing |
| friend with whom he has worked in the past. They | | | | questions about competencies based on a |
| then hire a friend of a friend who is an expert in a | | | | candidate’s past and present performance in |
| desired technology. Six months down the road, things | | | | order to predict future ones. In today’s |
| haven’t progressed as planned, everyone has | | | | market, most candidates have become expert |
| a different idea about the direction of the company, | | | | interviewers and will tell you exactly what you want |
| the original passion is missing and the dream dies a | | | | to hear. Going with your gut won’t work. |
| slow death. | | | | Designing the team |
| So who are the right people, and how do you | | | | The last element to consider when getting the right |
| get them on your bus? There are three things you | | | | people on your bus is team design picking the |
| must consider: job descriptions, the interview process | | | | right people and placing them in the right seats on |
| and team design. | | | | the bus. |
| Job descriptions | | | | All of us can adapt to situations that aren’t a |
| Where do you get your job descriptions? | | | | perfect fit, but 99 percent of the time we will resort |
| Competitors’ websites? Do you even have | | | | back to our normal way of doing something (i.e., |
| them? | | | | once a disorganized person, always a disorganized |
| Most companies put little thought into them. | | | | person). |
| Traditionally, jobs are defined as a certain set of skills | | | | Don’t set your people up to fail by putting |
| and experiences, and prospective candidates are | | | | them in roles that don’t match their |
| screened for those skills and experiences. But even if | | | | personalities. Examine the total employee and |
| a candidate meets these requirements, you might still | | | | determine which role would best fit each person. |
| encounter turnover and poor performance. | | | | Don’t simply promote employees into |
| The reality is that although a job requires a person to | | | | manager roles because they have tenure and you |
| have a certain background and set of skills, it also | | | | want to prevent them from leaving. Place them in |
| requires the person to have predictable behaviors, | | | | manager roles only if they possess the great |
| talents, motivators and communication style. These | | | | manager qualities. |
| are all unteachable qualities. | | | | This will absolutely help you to retain employees, |
| The job, in other words, has a personality. To get | | | | keep them motivated and increase their |
| the right people on the bus, companies must first | | | | performance. |