Jacob Ahmadzai – Page 27 – STL

What are you looking for? How will you know when you have found it?

So often we receive a shopping list with little detail. We are subsequently expected to find someone with everything. No wonder costly and time-consuming mistakes are made.

In part one of this blog, we will look at the first part of this question. Which is all about understanding needs, and what you are looking for.

Let’s start with Skills and Knowledge.

The important thing is that you can teach both skills and knowledge. This means you can concentrate on what is most valuable when recruiting. You need to focus on the skills and knowledge you will need for the future not for yesterday. Therefore, you need to think strategically. Do you have any important projects in the pipeline to involve this person in? Are you planning to implement some new systems or technology in the next year? Skills and knowledge in these areas are therefore extremely valuable. Skills and knowledge are also quantifiable, making them easier to understand exactly what you need.

Experience

‘We are looking for 3-5 years’ experience’. If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard that, I would finally have that cottage by the sea! My response is always, ‘What experience exactly and why?’ Just as with skills and knowledge, you want experience that is relevant and that is going to add value. For example, 6 months experience in implementing that new system is far more valuable than 5 years in the same industry. You need to focus on what people have experienced rather than on the number of years.

Last but most important – Attitude

Someone with the wrong attitude has an enormous impact on the team and its productivity. Assessing attitude is the most important part of the interview. You cannot teach attitude, and mistakes are common but costly. Unlike skills, knowledge and experience, attitude isn’t quantifiable. Therefore, understanding what a good attitude looks like is key to success. What does a ‘good team player’ behave like and what exactly does ‘positive attitude’ mean?

This is where the majority of the interview needs to focus as the most effective way to assess attitude is through in-depth questioning.

Final thoughts

As you can see, a lot of work needs to be done in advance of the interview to fully understand what Knowledge, Skills, Experience and Attitude is required and exactly what acceptable looks and sounds like. You can gain this information by questioning your own assumptions, talking to colleagues and your team, and understanding the strategy and objectives of your organisation.

In Part two of this blog, we will look at how we will know when we have found what we are looking for.

Feedback is essential for everyone. Without meaningful, constructive, and actionable feedback, staff will have no real idea about their performance. They will not feel valued, and their development will be hindered.

Why it matters

Feedback is one of the best things you can provide for your staff. It improves performance and enables staff retention. Put simply, staff appreciate working in an environment where feedback is seen as a healthy and normal part of the workplace and will want to stay. Supporting staff through effective feedback also increases loyalty. No one wants their efforts to go unnoticed and knowing that what they do matters and is valued is essential. Providing frequent feedback as a manager is a vital and important part of the role, to ensure that your team is motivated and achieving what they are employed to do.

Benefits to employees

Knowing how you are performing gives you the opportunity to keep doing the things you do well and to work on areas of development. It assists with ongoing learning and an employee’s growth. It also ensures that goals are kept on track as people understand what they need to do to reach their targets or to keep meeting them. Praise and recognition is a great motivator for all and improves workplace relationships.

How to deliver effective feedback

To make your feedback productive, you need to ensure you follow it with an action. Avoid the hackneyed “Feedback sandwich” approach where you simply sandwich a negative between two positives. This method has rightly been criticised because it trains the employee to always expect a negative when they hear a positive, and it takes the focus away from the actual issues. It is also completely unnecessary for adults in today’s workplace! Instead use the Positive – Negative – Action approach.

Always give timely, specific, detailed examples. There is nothing worse than vague, subjective, second hand or delayed feedback. Be objective, clear and detailed with observed behavioural or even attitudinal examples. Be direct, but also polite and honest, even if you feel uncomfortable saying it.

Another simple but effective model to use is the EEC/K technique. EEC/K stands for Example, Effect, Change/Keep. You first provide an example of the observed behaviour. The more specific about what, where and when, the better. Then you describe the effect on yourself, the organisation, or others. Finally, you outline what needs to be either changed or kept.

Final thoughts

Feedback is not a one-way process, and good managers ask for it about their own performance from their staff. As American author Jack Canfield said: “Leaders cannot work in a vacuum. They may take on larger, seemingly more important roles in an organisation, but this does not exclude them from asking for and using feedback. In fact, a leader arguably needs feedback more so than anyone else. It’s what helps a leader respond appropriately to events in pursuit of successful outcomes.”

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