And Better Business Will Follow ‘START WITH WHY’
W ithout question, the worst part of being a manager is firing someone. The second worst part? Hiring someone to replace them. Finding the right talent in a limited pool of applicants can be tricky. That’s why Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, professor of business psychology at both the University College London and Columbia University, and Jonathan Kirschner, founder and CEO of AIIR Consulting, developed seven strategies for hiring top talent. 1. Think ahead — Don’t just hire someone who can fill your needs today. Look for someone with the skills and abilities you will need going forward. 2. Focus on the right traits — Past performance isn’t the best indicator of talent. Neither are hard skills. Yes, a computer engineer needs to know how to code, but they should also have soft skills, like determination or creative problem-solving abilities, that will allow them to grow in the future. 3. Don’t go outside when you can stay insid e — External hires will take longer to adapt to your company, and they have higher exit rates. Look for valuable talent that already exists internally before you search outside your company. 4. Think inclusively —Most managers tend to hire people who remind them of themselves. Resist this impulse. The right hire is often someone who is different than you or anyone on your team. They’ll bring in fresh ideas. Plus, as Chamorro-Premuzic and Kirschner point out, “... companies with a diverse talent pipeline tend to have better financial results.” 5. Be data-driven —When you decide to hire someone, you should have solid data and evidence to support that decision. Then, you should set clear performance goals so you can be certain new hires are meeting expectations. 6. Think plural rather than singular — Look at the needs of your team. Will a new hire work with the existing team? Will they be able to complement each other? A highly qualified candidate isn’t worth anything if they can’t work well with your team. 7. Make people better — Good managers don’t just tell people to get better; they actively help their employees become better. Managers should be like coaches. If an employee is struggling, then help them get back on track. And if an employee shows great potential, then give them opportunities to thrive. In addition to being strong leaders, managers also have to be talent agents and bring the “right” people onto their teams. These strategies can help you do just that. HOW GOOD MANAGERS FIND GREAT EMPLOYEES 7 Strategies to Hire Better Talent
“There are only two ways to influence human behavior: You can manipulate it, or you can inspire it.” –Simon Sinek
It can often be hard to clearly articulate what you do for a living. That means it can be difficult to explain your vision to potential clients and customers, which then makes it harder to convince them to purchase your product or services. In “Start With Why,” author Simon Sinek illustrates the importance of explaining to others why you do the business you do rather than explaining what you do or how you do it. Sinek argues that when people start figuring out the “why” in what they do, it inspires action from others in a way that discussing the “what” can’t. Talking about the “why” engages emotions; analyzing the “what” is purely logical. When you try to sell something to people based on “what,” you rely on specific manipulations like price and product details. But if you help people understand why you do what you do by revealing the real purpose and intention behind your reasons, you build a sense of trust. This trust leads to loyalty, and loyalty means that person comes back to do business with you and also refers your business to others. This is how businesses grow!
Figuring out your “why” is a process of discovery, not invention. In order to discover it, you can turn to three key strategies.
• Look backward at the original motivation for starting your business. What specific problem were you trying to solve, and why was it important to you to solve it? • Look outward by asking those around you why they spend time with you or why a customer buys from you. You can learn why people are drawn to you and your business this way.
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Look inward by identifying a bigger vision that you wish to contribute to. What do you believe in? What really matters to you?
“Start With Why” teaches readers how to go about discovering their “why,” then instructs them on how to effectively use that information to help their business. It also helps them unleash their business’s vast potential that has remained untapped until now.
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