Top Story:  How to hire winners, part I - click here
                    How to improve your hiring practices, part II - click here

Expert Insight:  12 tips for successful e-mail newsletters - click here

Expert Insight:  Manage your time more efficiently - click here

Events -  TEC Events and My TEC Groups - click here

TOP STORY - Part I

How to Improve Your Hiring Process Part I: Defining Success

At the 2005 TEC International Leadership conference in Washington, D.C., TEC speaker Barry Deutsch gave an outstanding workshop on hiring skills. The following is the first of a two-part article based on his presentation.

For most companies, hiring is a hit-or-miss process.

The problem, says TEC speaker and staffing expert Barry Deutsch, is that for most companies, hiring is not actually a process. Instead, it’s series of random and arbitrary events left up to the personal whims of each hiring manager.

Worse, the few procedures that do exist in most companies are geared toward hiring mediocre rather than top performers.

Making great hires -- which Deutsch defines as hiring someone in the top quartile of performers -- requires turning hiring from a series of random events into a systematic and rigorous business process.

Five Steps to Great Hires

To improve your hiring accuracy, Deutsch recommends a five-step process:

1.       Define success. Most companies use job descriptions to define a specific position. These typically include criteria such as minimum years of experience, duties, tasks and responsibilities, minimum education level, skills and knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, and what Deutsch refers to as "GIPS and GAWE" (good interpersonal skills and "gets along with everyone").

2.       The problem with this approach is that it defines minimum, average or mediocre performance. As a result, it tends to attract mediocre performers.

3.       "If you start with a definition of mediocrity, then everything that follows in your hiring process -- from how you write the job ad to the questions you ask during the interview to how you assess candidates after the fact -- is geared toward hiring mediocre people," explains Deutsch. "To bring better candidates to the table, you have to raise the standard of what you define as top-level work."

4.       Find the top quartile of performers. Because the vast majority of top performers already have jobs, getting them to apply for your position requires some creative sourcing techniques.

5.       "The top 25 percent don’t need a job because they already have one," explains Deutsch. "However, some are open to a better opportunity and will consider a move if the position is presented in a compelling manner. The strategies to capture this group of top quartile performers range from developing compelling statements of work to leveraging the natural networks of similar people. Attracting top performers requires focusing on the challenges and growth opportunities in a position rather than the tasks and activities of the job."

6.       Validate and vet the top candidate(s). Once you have a great candidate at the table, the next step involves finding out whether they achieve the results you desire. According to Deutsch, asking five core questions of each candidate will tell you with 90 percent certainty whether the person can deliver the results you want. (These questions will be covered in part II of this article.)

7.       Score each candidate. Great hiring decisions require an objective and valid system for evaluating candidates. Deutsch recommends using an interview scorecard, which he calls an "Eight Dimension Success Matrix," that takes about five minutes to complete and zeroes in on whether the person can deliver the results you want and whether you are missing any data to make that decision. (To access this tool on MyTEC, click on "This Week’s Podcast Shownotes" on the home page, then scroll down to find the shownotes from Deutsch’s presentation.)

8.       Maintain rationality and objectivity. The hiring process is fraught with pitfalls -- such as emotions, personal biases and lack of training -- that cause people to lose their objectivity and make poor hiring decisions. According to Deutsch, staying rational and objective throughout the process requires deep and intrusive reference checking, background checking, homework assignments, personality and skill testing, panel interviews and more.

Following these basic steps, suggests Deutsch, will turn your hiring from a series of random events into a systematic process that can be replicated throughout your organization.

Defining Success

To complete the first step -- defining success on the job -- Deutsch recommends using the SOAR technique:

S – Identify the substantial goal you are trying to achieve in the position. What aren’t you getting that you need the person to deliver? What is the one major problem/situation you’re trying to resolve?

O – Identify the obstacles standing in the way of accomplishing the substantial goal.

A – Identify the quantifiable, measurable action items that the person needs to take to accomplish the substantial goal.

R – Identify the metrics you will use to measure success in the position. In other words, what results are you looking for?

"SOAR requires a lot of work and major change for most organizations," acknowledges Deutsch. "However, it represents more than just a hiring tool. When you define what people need to achieve at the individual level, it has a huge impact on productivity and organizational performance. In essence, it’s the first step toward real performance management."

SOARing Into Action

Suppose you need to hire a Director of New Product Development. Here’s how the SOAR process would unfold:

To identify the substantial goals for the position, ask: "What is the #1 game-breaker result we need this critical role to achieve? What aren’t we getting that we need to get in the future?" Possible answers might include:

• We need more new products
• We need to speed up cycle time (get new products to market more quickly)
• We need to develop a formal product development process and infrastructure

Next ask, "What obstacles would get in the way of achieving these goals?" Possible answers might include:

• Not enough staff
• No clear expectations for new products
• Lack of process instructions and guidance
• Lack of resources

Next, ask, "What action steps are indicated to overcome these potential obstacles?" Possible answers might include:

·          Hire new staff. Before this could be done, it would also involve assessing the current staff and identifying talents and skills that need to be brought on board.

·          Develop a formal process. This would involve bringing together people, systems and resources to create an infrastructure that would support an ongoing process of new product development.

Finally, ask, "What is the #1 metric we will use to measure this person’s performance?" In this case, the answer might be something like, "Bring X number of products to market within a year and shorten the cycle time by Y months."

"This represents one success factor for the position of Director of New Product Development," explains Deutsch. "Most jobs have six or eight. To develop a complete ‘success profile, called a Success Factor Snapshot, repeat the SOAR technique until you have identified all the success factors required to deliver the results you need from the position."

Getting Specific

Once you’ve defined success in clear and compelling terms, the primary goal becomes identifying the candidate who best matches up with your success profile.

Start by presenting job candidates with your success factors and asking them to give very specific examples of comparable past experience.

For example, during the interview you might say, "Bob, one of our key success factors for the Director of New Product Development is figuring out if we have the right people in place. Thirty to 60 days after you come aboard, we need to see from you a detailed assessment of our current team, including strengths, weaknesses, missing skills, who we need to bring on board and what training is needed. Can you give me a couple of examples where you have had to make a similar or comparable staff assessment?"

Or, "Bob, another success factor we have identified for this position is the need to put some infrastructure around our ability to develop new products. Can you give me some examples of where you have improved product development infrastructure in the past?"

According to Deutsch, defining success and interviewing candidates in this manner offers several important benefits.

"First, defining success gives you a clear picture of what to look for in candidates," he explains. "If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you can’t tell the top candidates from the mediocre ones. Second, painting a compelling picture of success attracts top talent because it spells out the challenges and opportunities in the position. Top performers thrive on challenges, but they also want to know what is expected of them on the job.

"Finally, and perhaps most important, the SOAR technique brings the job interview down from the ’40,000-foot level’ and defines what people have to execute in order to succeed on the job. By having candidates give you specific examples of how they previously achieved the results you want, it takes all the guesswork out of the hiring process."

Created for MyTEC. Copyright 2006, TEC Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved.

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TOP STORY - Part II

How to Improve Your Hiring Process Part II: Interviewing for Success

At the recent 2005 International Leaders conference in Washington, D.C., TEC speaker Barry Deutsch gave an outstanding workshop on hiring skills. The following is the second of a two-part article based on his presentation. Part I is presented above.

Few CEOs and senior executives enjoy conducting job interviews. Fewer still excel at them.

Yet, solid interviewing skills are essential for making great hires.

Why? Because, says TEC speaker Barry Deutsch, the job interview is where you separate fact from fiction and find out whether a candidate can actually produce the results you want and succeed on the job as you have defined it.

To accomplish this goal, every successful job interview must contain three key elements.

• The use of five pre-structured, core questions to ascertain the candidate’s ability to do the job
• A focus on self-motivation and initiative as the governors of success
• Getting to the truth by asking for specific examples of past behavior

"The sole purpose of the job interview is to determine whether the candidate can deliver on the success factors you have defined for the position and do it with a set of behaviors that are consistent with your culture," explains Deutsch. "Without these three elements, your chances of making an accurate assessment are significantly reduced."

Laying the Foundation

Before launching into the interview, Deutsch recommends setting the stage in the following manner:

1.       Get the candidate excited about the job. Put the job up on a pedestal. Make it exciting and compelling. Show candidates the value they will bring to your business.

2.       Describe one or two of your critical success factors. Tell candidates up front what you want them to deliver to the organization.

3.       Share the candidate’s role in your future vision. Explain where you see the company going in three years and how the person/position will help you get there.

4.       Explain the type of interview you are about to conduct. Most job candidates do not expect to be asked about accomplishments, achievements, results, outcomes and deliverables, so it helps to frame the conversation that’s about to take place.

"Explain to the candidate that the two of you are going to have a success-based discussion," advises Deutsch. "Say, ‘I’m going to share with you the critical success factors we need achieved in this role, and I would like you to discuss in as much detail as possible what you have done that is most comparable and similar in scope, size and complexity to what we need. Then we will focus on how you would approach achieving these goals if you were to get the job.’"

Five Predictors of Success

Deutsch and his associates have identified five traits of top performers that lead to on-the-job success. According to Deutsch, top performers:

1.       Have high initiative/self motivation. This is -- by far -- the #1 trait of top performers. People who excel on the job are proactive. They go the extra mile. They apply themselves and get the job done. "Initiative is not a switch that you can turn on or off," notes Deutsch. "People are either wired this way or not. The ones who have initiative will give you example after example. People who don’t have it won’t be able to give you even one."

2.       Execute flawlessly. This doesn’t mean that people do their jobs perfectly, but they get the job done on time and within budget. More important, they anticipate problems and make plans to overcome them. They don’t give explanations or excuses for why they failed to produce results.

3.       Exhibit leadership. Top performers (at the managerial level) achieve results through others. They get the job done by getting their staffs to execute flawlessly. They subordinate their own egos and go out of their way to help others succeed.

4.       Have a track record of success. Top performers have accomplished comparable results to the Success Factors you’ve defined and can give concrete examples of that performance.

5.       Are able to adapt to your environment. People can succeed in other companies and fail in yours because the culture and working environment are different. Top performers can adapt their skills and abilities to work within your culture and style of doing business. This is one of the critical areas that gets missed in most executive and senior management interviews.

The Five Core Questions

According to Deutsch, the following questions will allow you to determine, with 90 percent certainty, whether a candidate can achieve the results you need:

1.       Can you give me an example or illustration where you have demonstrated high initiative?

2.       Can you give me an example where you have executed flawlessly? Good candidates will ask what you mean by flawless execution, so be prepared to give an example. Such as, "In our company, flawless execution in this role means rolling out six new products within a period of 18 months. Now, can you tell me about something you have done that is comparable or close to that?"

3.       Can you share with me your most significant success in leading a cross-functional team? "Be sure to use the term ‘cross-functional,’" advises Deutsch, "because most candidates will tell you about managing their own teams. That doesn’t involve real leadership because candidates have positional power over the people on their teams. You need to know how they can influence and persuade people outside their teams to get things done."

4.       One of our critical success factors is X. Can you describe your most comparable success?

5.       Let’s assume you get the job. How would you achieve these results in our environment? What would be some of the key elements affecting this Success Factor that might differ in our organization to those in your previous companies?

"With the right candidate, the fifth question turns the interview into more of a consulting dialog," says Deutsch. "At this point, the candidate will probably ask you some questions. For example, what kind of product development process do you have in place? What resources are available? What successes are you having? Where are the bottlenecks?

"The candidate starts interviewing you about the position, and soon you’re having a mutual discussion about what needs to happen on the job. This gives you a real sense of how the person operates. Plus, if the candidate is a top performer, he or she will probably give you several good ideas for improving the process under discussion."

Trust, But Verify

Getting at the truth, suggests Deutsch, requires putting the candidate under a magnifying glass by asking a minimum of two or three questions for every response you receive.

For example, when a candidate responds to one of the five core questions, ask questions like:

• What steps did you go through?
• How long did it take?
• What was the scope of the project?
• What team issues did you run into?
• Why did you make that decision?

During the Nuclear Disarmament SALT II Treaty talks, former President Ronald Reagan uttered one of his most famous sayings -- "trust, but verify." According to Deutsch, the concept applies equally well to the interviewing process.

"The key to a successful interview is ‘trust, but verify,’" he concludes. "Accept the candidate’s answers, but keep digging until you can truly validate what they did and how they did it. The ultimate goal is to establish a pattern of behavior over time -- with multiple jobs at multiple levels -- that allows you to predict the candidate’s future success on the job.

"When you keep asking questions, candidates can’t make up answers fast enough. They have either done the work and can articulate it or they will implode in front of you. This process may not feel comfortable at first, but you can’t make consistently good hiring decisions without it. If you want to hire top performers who have the highest probability of succeeding on the job, you must keep digging to get at the truth."

Created for MyTEC. Copyright 2006, TEC Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved.

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EXPERT  INSIGHT

12 Tips for Successful E-Mail Newsletters
by TEC member Raja Khera

Do you stay in touch with your current and previous clients? Are you building an e-mail list of your potential customers? What about those prospects you've been meaning to contact? Having your own opt-in permission-based electronic newsletter could be the answer.

An opt-in e-newsletter is a highly effective marketing tool because it is fast, personal and inexpensive. Many small businesses use e-mail newsletters to introduce themselves to new customers and communicate with existing ones. By sending useful information on a regular basis, you maintain consistent contact without being annoying. In addition, an e-mail newsletter can enhance your credibility and increase sales.

Creating an E-mail Newsletter

Producing your newsletter doesn't have to be a monumental task. First, decide on the frequency of publication. This is based on how much time you have to do the work. Publishing it monthly or quarterly is probably a comfortable pace for both you and your readers.

Next, produce a graphic design for your layout. Many e-mail list management companies provide online templates for their customers. You simply type or paste in your information online and an HTML or text-based newsletter is automatically created for you.

Now it's time for the content of your newsletter. Concentrate on topics that your readers will be interested in, not only the ones that only you find fascinating. Try to use real-life applications. For example, you can describe past successes and maybe even interview a customer or two. This way, you tell your audience how you solved a problem that relates to them and conveys that you are a results-oriented professional.

12 Tips for Customer Opt-in

1.       Do not purchase, trade, or borrow an e-mail list. Sending e-mail to people who have not specifically requested to receive your mailings (opted-in) is almost always regarded as spam. This can cause blacklisting issues – your future mailings could be blocked.

2.       Make signing up and unsubscribing easy and visible. Add a sign-up form to your Web site’s home page or link to it and ask your customers if they would like to sign up when you speak with them in person. You may only want to ask subscribers for their e-mail address, first and last name, and one or two other questions such as their interests. This will allow you to target future mailings.

3.       Use double opt-in registration. There are two common methods for online registration. Single opt-in allows a customer to be added just by entering their e-mail address in a form. Since there is no address confirmation, anyone can enter any address into a form, resulting in fake or unwanted sign-ups that could lead to spam or blacklisting issues. Double opt-in (a.k.a., confirmed opt-in), the preferred method, sends a verification request to the e-mail address entered, thereby validating the address and the recipient’s permission to get your newsletter.

4.       Link to your privacy policy. Place a link to your privacy policy near your list sign-up form. Your policy should describe how you handle the information you collect and how people can contact you in case they have any concerns or questions.

5.       Send a welcome message to each new subscriber. Once someone subscribes, send a welcome message immediately. Include a description of what they will receive, how frequently, and how to unsubscribe. The longer you wait to send a welcome note, the greater your chances of recipients forgetting they signed up.

6.       Keep accurate sign-up records. Sometimes, you or your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will get a spam complaint from someone who forgot they subscribed to your list. Keep accurate records that include the date and web address from which they signed up. Many e-mail list management services do this automatically.

7.       Ask your members to opt-in again if you are using an older list. If you have not sent a mailing for a while, ask subscribers to indicate they want to stay on your list by sending you an e-mail, clicking a link, or visiting a web page. Older lists often result in spam complaints from members who are unsure why they suddenly started getting your mailings.

8.       Remind people that they subscribed. Include a standard heading each time you send a message. A short note such as, "Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter, Mary," will remind recipients that they requested your mailings. Keeping consistency in your subject line will also improve brand recognition and increase your open rates.

9.       Avoid certain terms in your subject line and message text. If your message contains words frequently used by spammers, such as "Free" or "Urgent," people will delete it and possibly file a spam complaint. ISPs often filter e-mails with suspicious subject lines and it is also illegal to use deceptive or misleading ones.

10.   Include your physical address and phone number. Put your phone number and postal mailing address in your message. This allows readers to contact you to place an order or inquire about your services. In addition, federal legislation requires physical addresses on commercial e-mail messages.

11.   Send your mailings regularly. Keep in touch with your subscribers frequently so they don’t forget they signed up to receive your mailings. They will begin to anticipate your messages if you adhere to a schedule.

12.   Reply promptly to each inquiry or spam complaint. When and if you receive an inquiry, respond to it as soon as possible. If someone filed a complaint about getting your newsletter, always include the subscriber’s sign up information with your response.

Following these simple suggestions will help you retain your subscriber base, which is fundamental for a thriving permission-based electronic newsletter or outreach campaign.

TEC member Raj Khera  is CEO of Mailer-Mailer LLC, a Web-based e-mail list management and hosting service based in Rockville, Md.

Created for MyTEC. Copyright 2006, TEC Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved.

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EXPERT INSIGHT

Becoming a Better Daily Time Manager

Most executives at some time during their careers feel overwhelmed with the realization that they have too much to do and too little time to complete it all. The good news is there are a few simple steps people can take for better time organization and management.

• Daily Time Management
• Top 10 Time Wasters
• Time Management Quiz
• Characteristics of an Organized Executive
• Additional Resources

Daily Time Management

"For daily time management, step one is to plan your day ahead of time. Don't wait until you get to work to determine what your day will entail because by then it's too late," explained Atlanta TEC Chair and time-management expert Larry Hart. "Next, figure out what time commitments you have made and block out the beginning and ending times in your day planner, figuring in drive time and any other variables. Then, determine how long your workday will be. It doesn't matter when you begin or end, only that you have a set period of time you plan to be at the office."

The next step is to identify activities or a to-do list of items that need to be accomplished for the day. (Of course, this also should be determined the night before.) Next, prioritize the items on your to-do list and estimate the time required for each of your items -- then increase that time by at least 50 percent.

"Since most people don't have enough time to complete their entire list, it's important for people to recognize exactly when items must be completed," said Hart. "Rather than having a rolling workload of items that never quite get completed, move items that are not urgent to another day when it's more important they be completed. Spread out your work; don't have a rolling to-do list."

Finally, schedule time for yourself. Literally plan time for your family, reading or whatever else you enjoy. If you don't schedule it in, chances are you won't have time to do it.

Top 10 Time Wasters

The top 10 time wasters, according to Hart:

1.       Shifting priorities/crisis management

2.       The telephone

3.       Lack of priorities/objectives

4.       Attempting too much

5.       Drop-in visitors

6.       Ineffective (or no) delegation

7.       The cluttered desk

8.       Procrastination

9.       Inability to say no

10.   Meetings

Time Management Quiz

TEC speaker Bruce Breier offers the following quiz to determine if you are an effective time manager. To assess your time management status, answer "yes" or "no" to the following questions.

1.       Do you and your management team have too much to do and not enough time to do it?

2.       Is there too much paper and not enough places to put it?

3.       Are there too many projects and not enough uninterrupted time to work on them?

4.       Are there too many meetings that are disorganized, unfocused and run too long?

5.       Is the day filled with too many interruptions?

How many questions did you answer "yes" to? See below for your score.

0: Excellent. You are a time management expert.

1: Very good. Your time management system only needs a minor tune-up.

2: Good. You are probably more productive than most, but could still use improvement.

3: Average. You could use some tuning up in all five management areas.

4: Poor. You probably need major tuning up in all five areas.

5: Unsatisfactory. A complete overhaul of organizational habits and behavior is in order.

Characteristics of an Organized Executive

According to Breier, an organized executive:

• Is uncluttered and stack-free;
• Has an excellent filing system;
• Begins each day and week with a plan;
• Is an excellent delegator;
• Has an excellent scheduling system;
• Allocates time to work on projects;
• Manages interruptions effectively;
• Leads meetings effectively;
• Meets regularly with direct reports;
• Lives a balanced life.

"There is no such thing as not enough time for a priority," Breier explained. "If you find yourself buried in paper, projects, interruptions or meetings, it could be that your priorities have become loosely defined. Take the time to improve. The time benefit can be tremendous."

Additional Resources

These links will transport you temporarily to non-TEC Web sites. To return to MyTEC, simply close the browser window that will open when you click on a link.

• Too Much to Do, Too Little Time -- This article from Fast Company magazine provides solutions to the challenge of using time wisely.
• 4 Tricks That Save Time -- This brief article from Fast Company magazine details four time-saving tips you can apply today.
• When 'to do' lists do more harm than good -- This Atlanta Business Chronicle article, written by TEC Chair Larry Hart, highlights what people can do when to-do lists become more harmful than helpful.
• Taming the time bandits -- This Atlanta Business Chronicle article covers how people can increase productivity by controlling e-mail, phones and other electronic intruders.

Created for MyTEC, copyright 1998 TEC Worldwide. All rights reserved.

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