Even in lean economic times there are always places that are looking for quality employees and if there is anyone feeling unappreciated or abused at your workplace, there is a chance that they are looking for greener pastures.

But why would they be looking and how can you prevent that from happening? Here are three things that you need to consider.

1. Hiring Practices. Yes, this is where it all starts. Most people that are submitting applications aren’t looking for a great fit as much as a paycheck, but what, as an employer, are YOU looking for? Are your hiring practices limited to a short interview and possibly checking a reference, or are you doing an in-depth interview with more than one interviewer? Are you asking the right questions and are you really listening to the responses? I was hired once to do a particular job and stated in no uncertain terms what role(s) I was willing to fill. A year later they decided to give me a job that I emphatically stated that I was totally unwilling to perform at my interview. Immediately after that assignment, I was cruising the want ads and shooting e-mails to my networks.

2. Workplace Respect. This is a two way street. Are the employees recognized and respected for the skills they bring to the table, and do they recognize management as people who listen and are capable of getting the job done? If the boss brings his son in as a supervisor and the son is incapable, what signal does that send? On the other hand, if a competent professional is brought in, the employees will recognize the expertise.

3. Workplace Culture. Does everyone recognize the role that they fulfill in the company? Do they approach their jobs in earnest, realizing that what they do impacts the future of the company or do they go through the motions and pine for the weekend? A sense of company pride is not unusual, but it is not automatic. Often upper management and owners think that their ethics are reflected, but that only comes with effort.

If you read these and don’t have documented methodology to address these, you need to rethink your plan. The People Academy, Inc has tools that specifically address these and other communications and human relations issues. If you have specific questions about a particular situation or would like to learn more about the services and products we offer, please write and we’d be happy to address them either live or through supportive blog posts.

Thanks

If you cast a wide net, you’ll cast all kinds of fish, but if you bait a hook correctly, you can target your catch.

CNN better be careful with it’s headlines. I heard that PETA is planning a campaign to protest the disparaging language of the above headline. They are representing the much-maligned slug population. Hey, they ditched their shells and left snails in their dust. Can’t say they don’t have ambition.

Seriously though, the above mentioned article is aimed at the general population, but what does it also tell people in business? We may not be hiring a lot of people, but the hiring decisions have to be made in a calculated informed fashion. I talked about this briefly in an article the other day, but this was just a small part of it.

What do you need to think about when you are ready to hire? Do you have a planned interview and evaluation procedure for that practice? If the answer is no, you should take a step backward and consider the following points.

1. The interview is a meeting with a purpose. Always bear in mind that the person has to have the right skills and the right temperament to fit into a particular position.

a) Do they have the right attitude toward their potential duties?

b) Both parties need to keep the interview concise and professional

2. Prepare questions in advance

a) Questions should be open ended and delve into previous experiences, qualifications, how they will fit into your team, and how they handle change

b) Questions should be designed so that the interviewee does most of the talking and the interviewer practices active listening to discover any portion of the answer that invites discussion

3. Active Listening encourages open dialogue

a)active listening means keeping eye contact, nodding affirmation, taking occasional notes

b) Give positive verbal queues such as: yes, that’s interesting, tell me more about that, etc

More detailed information on the hiring process can be found inside The People Academy, Inc. This information includes documents, tutorial videos and, of course the ‘ask the expert’ e-mail support.