How To Talk To References
There is one primary rule about talking to references. It's very simple. Don't be scary.
Maybe you're the kind of person who likes to have your intimidation voice on when you're talking to candidates, but calling a reference is not the same as conducting an interview. This person has information that you need, and you want them to like you.
1) Explain the situation. "I've got an open position here at [my company], and I recently had an interview with [name]. They listed you as a reference. Can I ask how you know them?"
2) Make yourself look weak. This might be counterintuitive, but it's the best way to get someone to open up. "The last person we hired was just awful and I'm really trying not to have another bad experience. I really want to find someone good."
3) Put the reference in a position of power. "Can you help me out? If you can just answer a couple questions for me, you'd be doing me a huge favor."
4) Proceed with questions. "Now, honestly, and no one will know what you say except the two of us..." Be sure to ask about strengths, weaknesses, work ethic, intelligence, attitude, and personality.
Be suspicious of answers that sound rehearsed, but be aware that you are very unlikely to run into rehearsed answers. Some references, especially past employers fearing legal ramifications, will not give you any information beyond the length of time that your candidate worked for their company. Try to persuade them by appealing to their human side and saying that you really need their help (which is true), but don't waste your time trying to change their minds if they are set on keeping their mouths shut.
Sunday
Hiring: Do You Check References? Part 2
An Analogy
When was the last time you tried a new restaurant?
Bear with me here, I swear this is relevant.
So think about the last new place you tried. When was the last time you went someplace new without a friend recommending it to you? Without reading a review of it? Maybe you've never gone to a new restaurant without someone specifically taking you there.
Now think about the last time you hired a new employee. Did your other employees know them, as friends or relatives? Did you look them up online to see if they have a reputation, good or bad? Did the new employee bring letters of recommendation, or a list of references?
If you don't even risk a single meal without doing some research, how can you allow yourself to hire an employee without being as thorough as possible?
And if there are any job hunters reading: Are you asking potential employers to eat at your restaurant without a recommendation? How many people will stop at a sketchy little sushi bar at the side of the road just because they drove past?
When was the last time you tried a new restaurant?
Bear with me here, I swear this is relevant.
So think about the last new place you tried. When was the last time you went someplace new without a friend recommending it to you? Without reading a review of it? Maybe you've never gone to a new restaurant without someone specifically taking you there.
Now think about the last time you hired a new employee. Did your other employees know them, as friends or relatives? Did you look them up online to see if they have a reputation, good or bad? Did the new employee bring letters of recommendation, or a list of references?
If you don't even risk a single meal without doing some research, how can you allow yourself to hire an employee without being as thorough as possible?
And if there are any job hunters reading: Are you asking potential employers to eat at your restaurant without a recommendation? How many people will stop at a sketchy little sushi bar at the side of the road just because they drove past?
Hiring: Do You Check References? Part 1
Some employers are so cynical that they assume all candidates bring "references" that are actually just friends or relatives pretending to be former employers or coworkers.
And it's a sad truth that this does happen. Candidates may be so desperate to find a job, or so afraid that an employer might not give them a 100% positive review, that they will try to give themselves some leverage with references that are sure to be strong.
But let's face the fact - most people will not do this. And let's face another fact - that even if a reference is just a candidates's friend or relative, they know the candidate much better than you do. A candidate's best friend or sweet auntie has valuable information that you do not have.
And for those of you who don't make reference calls very often, you'd be surprised how easy it is to tell the difference between a friend/relative and an employer on instinct alone.
Bottom line?
It can't hurt to call.
And calling can be the difference between a minor inconvenience now and a world of hurt later.
Coming next: An analogy...
And it's a sad truth that this does happen. Candidates may be so desperate to find a job, or so afraid that an employer might not give them a 100% positive review, that they will try to give themselves some leverage with references that are sure to be strong.
But let's face the fact - most people will not do this. And let's face another fact - that even if a reference is just a candidates's friend or relative, they know the candidate much better than you do. A candidate's best friend or sweet auntie has valuable information that you do not have.
And for those of you who don't make reference calls very often, you'd be surprised how easy it is to tell the difference between a friend/relative and an employer on instinct alone.
Bottom line?
It can't hurt to call.
And calling can be the difference between a minor inconvenience now and a world of hurt later.
Coming next: An analogy...
Wednesday
How To Get The Most From Your Wage Workers: Part 4
What You Should Already Be Doing
It's not even an option! The biggest time drain on otherwise good workers is uncertainty; or in other words, lack of clear goals.
Some managers address this problem with a technique that I call "hovering." It really just means micromanagement. All of us can probably recall working with managers who simply wouldn't leave us alone: they had to come see what we were doing, double check all our work, question every decision we made.
This kind of behavior, hovering nearby, comes from a very healthy instinct to ensure that workers are working. But it can so easily go too far. How do you help your workers know what to do without hovering over them?
The answer is so simple that I think it's just beautiful. Checklists.
Checklists are coming back into vogue (case in point, Atul Gawande's recent book, Checklist Manifesto), and for good reason. Instead of trying to personally instruct every employee every day, make them a list of their tasks. Depending on how complex the employee's tasks are, you may need to go with a flowchart (do task A, unless task B needs to be done, then skip to task D).
And the real key...
Give your employees a list of tasks that is just slightly longer than what they can actually complete in a given amount of time. Most people will naturally want to cross everything off their to-do list.
But avoid the temptation to give them an unrealistically long list in the hopes that they'll miraculously finish it. Bad for morale? Oh yes. And be encouraging. Instead of criticizing employees for not completing their entire checklist, thank them for accomplishing so much. Remember: save discipline for people who deserve it.
It's not even an option! The biggest time drain on otherwise good workers is uncertainty; or in other words, lack of clear goals.
Some managers address this problem with a technique that I call "hovering." It really just means micromanagement. All of us can probably recall working with managers who simply wouldn't leave us alone: they had to come see what we were doing, double check all our work, question every decision we made.
This kind of behavior, hovering nearby, comes from a very healthy instinct to ensure that workers are working. But it can so easily go too far. How do you help your workers know what to do without hovering over them?
The answer is so simple that I think it's just beautiful. Checklists.
Checklists are coming back into vogue (case in point, Atul Gawande's recent book, Checklist Manifesto), and for good reason. Instead of trying to personally instruct every employee every day, make them a list of their tasks. Depending on how complex the employee's tasks are, you may need to go with a flowchart (do task A, unless task B needs to be done, then skip to task D).
And the real key...
Give your employees a list of tasks that is just slightly longer than what they can actually complete in a given amount of time. Most people will naturally want to cross everything off their to-do list.
But avoid the temptation to give them an unrealistically long list in the hopes that they'll miraculously finish it. Bad for morale? Oh yes. And be encouraging. Instead of criticizing employees for not completing their entire checklist, thank them for accomplishing so much. Remember: save discipline for people who deserve it.
Tuesday
Five Reasons to Care About Employee Morale
Or, Why Keep Employees Happy? I'm Paying Them, Aren't I?
Reason 1: A happy worker works harder.
Maybe a worker terrified of losing their job works pretty hard too, but the stress makes them more likely to make mistakes, and they may be bitter enough to intentionally sabotage the company.
Reason 2: A happy worker is better with customers and clients.
Even if your company is B2B, you're working with other people, and customers and clients prefer working with friendly, happy people.
Reason 3: A happy worker won't quit.
Good help is hard to find, and if you've found any, you don't want to risk chasing it off. Keep your employees happy enough that they aren't out there looking for other jobs.
Reason 4: A happy worker has a domino effect.
A good attitude can rub off. Happier employees cooperate better, not to mention the effects their good attitude can have on the quality of their work and the friendliness of their interactions with customers and clients.
Reason 5: Why not?
The world could use more happy people, right? You'll feel good about treating people well.
Reason 1: A happy worker works harder.
Maybe a worker terrified of losing their job works pretty hard too, but the stress makes them more likely to make mistakes, and they may be bitter enough to intentionally sabotage the company.
Reason 2: A happy worker is better with customers and clients.
Even if your company is B2B, you're working with other people, and customers and clients prefer working with friendly, happy people.
Reason 3: A happy worker won't quit.
Good help is hard to find, and if you've found any, you don't want to risk chasing it off. Keep your employees happy enough that they aren't out there looking for other jobs.
Reason 4: A happy worker has a domino effect.
A good attitude can rub off. Happier employees cooperate better, not to mention the effects their good attitude can have on the quality of their work and the friendliness of their interactions with customers and clients.
Reason 5: Why not?
The world could use more happy people, right? You'll feel good about treating people well.
How To Get The Most From Your Wage Workers: Part 3
The Best Option
Option 3: Rigorous Performance Tracking
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
What exactly needs to be tracked varies with the type of business you are involved in. You might track the amount fof work each employee completes in a given period of time. You may periodically quality-check their work and give it a grade, which can be as simple as ABCDF or as complex as a numerical value from 1 to 10000.
Provide employees with progress reports and statistics. Reward those who break their own performance records; but even without rewards, most people are naturally inclined to want to improve.
This way, employees are competing with themselves and not each other. Keep the records private, but know that word is likely to get around as employees chat. However, it will be the employees who decide whether or not to share their numbers with others. Don't be too surprised if they start competitions or bets with one another of their own accord.
This method does not rely on terror (criticism/threats) or intimidation (direct competition with other employees). It is so much better for morale.
Bonus: If you've never tracked performance so closely, you'll be glad you did. Even if you have an all-star staff, you now have reports on each of them. Suddenly it's a snap to identify employees' weak points, areas where many employees may need more training, or even company procedures that merit overhaul.
P.S.: Make it a game. Everybody loves fun. Fun is nonthreatening and improves morale.
For example, if you host a company competition to see who can close sales the fastest, you need a visual, public display of how things are going. This could be charts or graphs taped to the wall, but you might as well be a little creative. It could be a Candyland board where each employee has a piece and each square represents a sale. There may even be candy rewards involved... :)
Option 3: Rigorous Performance Tracking
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
What exactly needs to be tracked varies with the type of business you are involved in. You might track the amount fof work each employee completes in a given period of time. You may periodically quality-check their work and give it a grade, which can be as simple as ABCDF or as complex as a numerical value from 1 to 10000.
Provide employees with progress reports and statistics. Reward those who break their own performance records; but even without rewards, most people are naturally inclined to want to improve.
This way, employees are competing with themselves and not each other. Keep the records private, but know that word is likely to get around as employees chat. However, it will be the employees who decide whether or not to share their numbers with others. Don't be too surprised if they start competitions or bets with one another of their own accord.
This method does not rely on terror (criticism/threats) or intimidation (direct competition with other employees). It is so much better for morale.
Bonus: If you've never tracked performance so closely, you'll be glad you did. Even if you have an all-star staff, you now have reports on each of them. Suddenly it's a snap to identify employees' weak points, areas where many employees may need more training, or even company procedures that merit overhaul.
P.S.: Make it a game. Everybody loves fun. Fun is nonthreatening and improves morale.
For example, if you host a company competition to see who can close sales the fastest, you need a visual, public display of how things are going. This could be charts or graphs taped to the wall, but you might as well be a little creative. It could be a Candyland board where each employee has a piece and each square represents a sale. There may even be candy rewards involved... :)
How To Get The Most From Your Wage Workers: Part 2
Something to Consider
Option 2: Friendly Competition
CAUTIOUSLY RECOMMENDED
No one wants to be outshon by a colleague, and so a little friendly competition can really keep things moving. But you need to gauge for yourself in your own company - is it realistic to hope for a friendly competition? Just as likely, employees will feel like you're setting them up for a round of layoffs. And if you set up a "race to the top" style of competition, people are likely to care more about winning than about the quality of their work.
Consider carefully whether a competition is right for your workplace. If you truly have a tight-knit group of capable employees, especially in a small business, it may be just what you need.
If your employees have trouble getting along, if you do not have good relationships with your employees, or if you have a wide range of employee performance, there is a gentler option.
Coming next: The Best Option...
Option 2: Friendly Competition
CAUTIOUSLY RECOMMENDED
No one wants to be outshon by a colleague, and so a little friendly competition can really keep things moving. But you need to gauge for yourself in your own company - is it realistic to hope for a friendly competition? Just as likely, employees will feel like you're setting them up for a round of layoffs. And if you set up a "race to the top" style of competition, people are likely to care more about winning than about the quality of their work.
Consider carefully whether a competition is right for your workplace. If you truly have a tight-knit group of capable employees, especially in a small business, it may be just what you need.
If your employees have trouble getting along, if you do not have good relationships with your employees, or if you have a wide range of employee performance, there is a gentler option.
Coming next: The Best Option...
How To Get The Most From Your Wage Workers: Part 1
What Not To Do
Option 1: Direct Criticism or Threats
NOT RECOMMENDED
Telling your employees that they need to shape up - or else - can indeed have drastic effects. However, these effects are usually short-term. Moreover, why would you want to make a good employee feel as though they are not doing a good job? Save disciplinary actions for poor employees who really deserve it. Not only will threats cause employee morale to plummet, but you may wind up undermining your own authority when people notice that you haven't followed through on a threat - and they will notice. They definitely will.
Coming next: Something to Consider...
Option 1: Direct Criticism or Threats
NOT RECOMMENDED
Telling your employees that they need to shape up - or else - can indeed have drastic effects. However, these effects are usually short-term. Moreover, why would you want to make a good employee feel as though they are not doing a good job? Save disciplinary actions for poor employees who really deserve it. Not only will threats cause employee morale to plummet, but you may wind up undermining your own authority when people notice that you haven't followed through on a threat - and they will notice. They definitely will.
Coming next: Something to Consider...
How To Get The Most From Your Wage Workers: Part 0
Employees who are paid hourly usually have no real incentive to complete tasks efficiently. Though some people abuse this by deliberately moving slowly to pad their paycheck, the great majority of people try to work responsibly.
Yet it can be tough to get them to hurry along. Even the most well-meaning folks need some motivation now and again. There are a few ways to make this happen.
Coming next: What Not To Do...
Yet it can be tough to get them to hurry along. Even the most well-meaning folks need some motivation now and again. There are a few ways to make this happen.
Coming next: What Not To Do...
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