New Business

Copyright (c) 2009 Shona Garner

You've heard the expression, "square peg, round hole". We have all, I'm sure experienced a situation where someone in a team simply does not seem to "fit in".

From your perspective as a manager, at best, this can cause tensions and lack of focus within the team and is almost certainly going to negatively impact overall performance - at worst, it can swallow up some of your already precious time, trying to sort out or find ways round the issue.

Actually, from the employee's perspective it's not great either - because they may be finding the role a struggle, feeling out of place or even quite unhappy, but unsure how to change things.

So, how can you avoid this situation in the first place? Whilst there are always going to be some occasions when, despite your best efforts, a "mismatch" between individual and role occurs, there are things the best managers know and implement which ensure wiser selection and fewer errors.

1) Include a "talent" interview in your recruitment process.

Recruiting can be a complicated process, often involving a number of steps over a period of time, and a number of processes such as psychometric questionnaires, exercises and group work, as well as interviews.

All this assessment can be very helpful; but Marcus Buckingham, of Gallup, suggests an integral part of the process should be about interviewing for what he calls, talent. In his book; "First Break all the Rules, What the World's Greatest Managers do Differently", he suggests managers incorporate a talent interview into the whole process, but keeping it as a separate, discrete entity on its own.

In this part of the interview you're aiming to understand the candidate's strengths - that is the things they do which seem to come naturally and easily to them, which they enjoy, and which they are quite clearly enthusiastic about. The more their natural strengths match with what is expected of them in the role, the happier, more motivated and more productive they will be.

2) Prepare for the talent interview Before you conduct the talent/strengths interview, think carefully about, write down, and discuss with your HR department:

o What are the intellectual demands of the role?
o What are the skills you'd expect this person to demonstrate with people?
o What personal attributes do you really need in the role? For example, do they need patience? Empathy? Persistence? Sociability? Thoroughness?
o What are the motivations and drivers someone needs within your team?
o What are the tricky or demanding situations they are likely to face in the role?

Get as clear as you can about what will make a good "fit" within the team.

3) Questions you could ask Include questions such as: o How closely do you think people should be supervised?
o What do you enjoy most about "x"?
o What appeals to you most about this role?
o Can you tell me about a situation where you worked closely with a team when there was conflict? What effect did this have on you and other members of the group?
o How did you cope? Can you tell me about a situation when communication was difficult with an individual or group of people?
o What do you think made the communication difficult? What did you do?
o How would you persuade someone to do something they didn't want to do?
o How would you handle a complaint?
o Tell me about a time when you faced massive change. How did you cope with this?
o What things have you found you've learned quickly and easily? (This will give you clues about the kinds of activities or behaviours this individual has a natural ability or leaning towards.)

The questions you choose should mirror verbally, what they would face in the job and elicit how they would behave/react in certain given situations they are likely to come across regularly.

4) Ask your questions - then shut up, and really listen!

What you are looking for, is their first answer, and how they consistently respond. These responses are an indicator of their subconscious, natural, response in a certain situation, and give an indication of how they'd perform in real life, if they were in your team.

Listen hard for specifics, not vague theory. For example, if they say "I like working with people", ask them to talk about a situation where they really enjoyed working with others, and ask them what exactly they did, and what it was that they found so satisfying.

Also notice the first thing the individual says. Research shows, top of mind responses are more likely to be the person's natural, instinctive response.

5) Look for right attitude before right skills Great managers know when it comes to attitude and skill, attitude comes first. You can have the most able, experienced specialists possible, but if they don't fit the ethos of your team, it will never be quite right, and performance will suffer. Better the attitude you need with a bit less experience.

Follow these five tips, and you're more likely to have the right people in the right job - and they'll be happier and more productive too!

Want to know more about how to motivate your team and get better results with less hassle? Go to http://10toptips.increasingmanagerialsuccess.com. Shona Garner is an experienced Executive and Business Coach, specialises in helping managers hone their people skills, build performing teams, and increase their standing in the organisation. This is an exerpt from her book:4 Key Skills New Managers need to Master

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How To Select The Right Person For The Role 5 Top Tips For New Managers