WorkPuzzle

Looking for Something to Read this Summer? Take a Suggestion from One of Your Favorite Business Leaders

Summer is here and many of us are looking for a couple of new books to pack along on vacation or even a long weekend. 

You could surf over to Amazon a pick up one of the current bestsellers such as Sheryl Sandburg’s new biography.  If you wanted something a little lighter, you might want to try James Patterson’s most recent novel.

While these may be good choices, I’m guessing these books probably won’t have a long-term impact on your life. I’ve always found it difficult to find the books that fit in this category.   Reading is a serendipitous exercise that I sometimes find frustrating—I usually have to read 20 books to find one that creates a lasting impression.

That’s why a recent article in Entrepreneur magazine caught my attention.  The article was written by Alyson Shontell and documents the books that had the greatest impact on several of today’s most prominent business leaders.

Here are some the leaders and the books they found most impactful:

Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon.

 Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras

 The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. 

Bezos once told Newsweek magazine:  "If you read The Remains of the Day, which is one of my favorite books, you can't help but come away and think, I just spent 10 hours living an alternate life and I learned something about life and about regret."

Tony Hsieh, Founder and CEO of Zappos.

Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization by Dave Logan, John King and Halee Fischer-Wright.

Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow  by Chip Conley

Hsieh recently said, "Tribal Leadership codifies a lot of what we've been doing instinctually and provides a great framework for all companies to bring company culture to the next level,"

Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Microsoft.

The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined by Steven Pinker.

The Catcher in the Rye. by J.D. Salinger

Gates told the Academy of Achievement that The Catcher and the Rye is “…very clever. It acknowledges that young people are a little confused, but can be smart about things and see things that adults don't really see. So I've always loved it,"

Mark Zukerberg, CEO of Facebook.

He told the New Yorker in 2010 that his favorite book was The Aeneid by Virgil.

Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle.

Napoleon by Vincent Cronin.

Ellison recently told the Academy of Achievement, "[Napoleon] is interesting to read about him for a couple of reasons: to see what one man of modest birth can do with his life, and to see how history can distort the truth entirely."

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.

Competing Against Time by George Stalk

Cook has been known to hand out copies of this book to Apple employees.

Jack Dorsey, Co-Founder of Twitter, and Founder and CEO of Square.

The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right by Atul Gawande.

When Jack Dorsey hires a new employee at his company Square, he gives them a welcome kit that contains this book.

Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple

Innovator's Dilemma, by Clayton Christensen

King Lear, by William Shakespeare

Moby Dick, by Herman Melville

Steve Jobs’ reading influences were very extensive, eclectic and are well-documented in various sources in recent years.

You’ve probably not read every book on this list.  If you see one that seems interesting, it may be a shortcut to finding one that also has a significant impact on your life.  Regardless, it will make your decision on what to read this summer a little easier.

 Question:  What book (s) have you found to be the most impactful in the last 10 years?

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Givers and Takers: The Dilemma of Organizational Productivity

Finding and keeping productive people is important to the health of any organization.  Here’s a question you may not have considered: 

When does a person’s individual productivity actually deter from the overall office or organizational productivity?

If you haven't pondered this difficult dilemma, it might be worth some extra consideration because knowing the answer will guide you towards making better decisions about what is ultimately of greater value in the long term.  

One of the simple determiners of those you want to keep versus those you should consider parting ways with is assessing the "Giver -vs - Taker" variable. Here is what Steve Wood, President and CEO of the Leddy Group, recently had to say about this factor.  His comments were based on Adam Grant’s bestseller, Give and Take, A Revolutionary Approach to Success:

"Grant wrote about the findings of Harvard researchers who studied why some teams in the US intelligence system were more successful than others. They were surprised to find that the more successful teams were those that had “giving” rather than “taking” cultures.

Here are two important findings from the research:

Many organizations don’t support information sharing. Worse, in ‘taker cultures’ the norm is for employees to get as much as possible from others while contributing less in return.

The amount of help a groups’ members give one another is among the strongest predictors of group effectiveness. Building a ‘giver culture’ pays.

Giving and Taking Behaviors

Givers help others, share knowledge, offer to mentor, and, most importantly, make connections without expecting anything in return. Takers get things from others without thinking they should give something in return. Importantly, they only give when they expect to receive personal benefits that exceed the cost of giving.

Most organizational cultures fall in between and are called “matcher cultures.” In these cultures people help others who help them. Because this forms isolated groups of people who practice collaboration, they are less efficient than true giver cultures.

Organizational Structure Facilitates Giving Behaviors

In flourishing giver cultures employees are very comfortable asking for help. One interesting finding by Stella Anderson and Larry Williams is that 75 to 90 percent of all help exchanged between team members comes from direct requests for help.

However, in many of our organizational cultures today people are hesitant to ask for help for fear of feeling weak or incompetent, which they may feel hurts their future advancement.

One Structural Idea – Reciprocity Rings

A professor from the University of Michigan, Wayne Baker, experimented successfully with reciprocity rings. These are 60-90 minute exercises with groups of employees. During the exercise each person makes a request for help with their job. Then others with experience or knowledge offer help and people get matched-up. Everyone has to ask for help with something.

This exercise has a number of benefits – 1) It communicates a norm that it is okay to ask for help; 2) It allows leadership to learn who are natural givers and takers; and 3) It teaches those who are “takers” the benefits and skills needed to be a giver.

Recruiting and Hiring Givers, Not Takers

Many organizations including Berkshire Hathaway have policies against hiring takers and they use customized team activities during the hiring process to screen-out takers. Here are some other ideas for screening-out takers:

Listen for candidates taking personal credit for successes. They might frequently use pronouns like I and me instead of us and we.

Takers often practice “kissing up, kicking down” and when dealing with powerful people, they become effective fakers, are charming, and sometimes charismatic. In these cases look for references from people who are supervisors; okay to ask for different references.

Takers often badmouth others. Listen for blaming responses during interviews.

Making Sure Giving Behavior Doesn’t Go Too Far

One drawback of unmanaged giving cultures is that people can spend too much time giving, and too little time doing their own work. Successful cultures build-in time limits for giving activity. Others set aside certain hours for giving or certain hours where no one can be interrupted."

Reading this material has helped me become aware of the degree to which this trait characterizes the people with which I am privileged to work.

How about you? How about your organization? Will knowing this information aid you in making tough decisions about productive but toxic people?

Perhaps more research should be done on assessing the collateral damage that takers have on their organizations.  This would help leaders discern the true pros and cons of keeping (to realize the benefit of their production) or eliminating (to rid the organization of the toxicity) takers from their organizations.

I'd love to hear from you about your experience with both givers and takers and their impact on your organization.

 

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Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Gallup Update: Languishing Still a Powerful Motivator for Career Change

If you’re a Tidemark client, you’ve heard Dave Mashburn frequently talk about workers “languishing” in the their jobs.   His observations have produced one of the maxims we use to source candidates for our clients:

The individuals most likely to consider career change are those who are languishing in their current jobs.

This observation is based upon research conducted by the Gallup Organization.  The initial study (conducted in 2000) painted a depressing picture of life in the American workforce.  Unfortunately, things are not getting much better.  The Silicon Valley Mercury News recently reported,  

“Seven out of 10 workers have ‘checked out’ at work or are ‘actively disengaged,’ according to a recent Gallup survey.

In its ongoing survey of the American workplace, Gallup found that only 30 percent of workers ‘were engaged, or involved in, enthusiastic about, and committed to their workplace.’ Although that equals the high in engagement since Gallup began studying the issue in 2000, it is overshadowed by the number of workers who aren't committed to  performing at a high level….

The poll, released last week, examined worker engagement beginning in 2010 and ending in 2012. The previous poll period covered 2008 through 2010.

The survey classifies three types of employees among the 100 million people in America who hold full-time jobs. The first is actively engaged, which represents about 30 million workers.  The second type of worker is "not engaged," which accounts for 50 million. These employees are going through the motions at work.

The third type, labeled "actively disengaged," hates going to work. These workers -- about 20 million -- undermine their companies with their attitude, according to the report.

The general consciousness about the importance of employee engagement seems to have increased in the past decade, but there is a gap between knowing about engagement and doing something about it in most American workplaces… 

The level of employee engagement over the past decade has been largely stagnant, according to researchers.”

How can a hiring manager use this information to be more successful at recruiting? 

First, recognize that almost all of the candidates you interview or otherwise engage in the hiring process are languishing in their current careers.

Secondly, use this information wisely.  We have written frequently in previous WorkPuzzles about every person’s need to be “heard” before he/she will be able to “hear” (i.e.. accept and internalize information) about any solutions you may offer.

Of course, you can talk about a number of topics during an interview (work history, career goals, strengths/weaknesses, etc.), but the one you’ll get the most mileage from is languishing. 

If you’re able to quickly steer a recruiting conversation to what’s going wrong in their current career (this typically take 20 to 30 minutes during an interview), you’ll earn the right to thoughtfully craft a solution that is tailored to their unique needs.

A final thing to consider as you contemplate the role of languishing in the hiring process: 

Some of the most talented and desirable people you could ever hope to hire are currently languishing in their careers.

The Gallup researchers went on to report:

“… different age groups and those with higher education levels reported more discontent with their workplace. Millennials…, for instance, are more likely to be 'actively disengaged' than other age groups. Employees with college degrees are also more likely to be running on auto pilot at work.”

This research is a goldmine for the real estate industry.  Most real estate companies know they must hire young, educated new agents to replace their aging workforces who will retire over the next decade.  

The top end of the Millennial generation will turn 31 years old this year.   Don’t miss the opportunity to engage and hire these individuals.  An understanding of languishing is a key building block to making that happen.

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Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

 

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Understanding Why Recruiting is So Difficult—The Assembly Line Mentality

I recently read an article about procrastination that helped shed some light on what I’ve frequently observed concerning recruiting in the real estate industry.

Although real estate owners put a great deal of emphasis on recruiting, first level managers (ie. hiring managers) often struggle to consistently perform the high number of the well-known tasks that lead to acquiring the best hires. The hesitation to perform the correct tasks soon turns into full-blown procrastination.  

This procrastination eventually morphs itself into the development of bad recruiting habits—a focus on a low number of more enjoyable tasks that equip poor candidates to progress through the recruiting process, but keeps high-quality candidates at bay. 

As our company has studied the recruiting process over the past seven years, I’ve noticed it often takes a multitude of two-minute tasks to get one high-quality hire. In contrast, low-quality hires rarely take this level of individual task volume.  Instead, it tends to be a low number of tasks (sometimes involving longer, more emotionally draining interactions) to get to the final signing.

You’d think that a bunch of two-minute tasks would be an easier “basket to empty,” and a hiring manager might even welcome the brevity of the tasks.  But, this is not the case. For some reason, if hiring managers are given sixty two-minute tasks to knock out, they get overwhelmed and throw in the towel (even though it is only two hours of work). Why is this?

Although diagnosing such a problem may seem simple (common causes are assumed to be traits such as laziness, lack of focus, poor attention to detail, etc.), it is actually quite complex.  This pattern of behavior can be most likely attributed to a set of erroneous internal expectations.  In essence, it’s an aversion to, what I call, “assembly line” work.

Think of it this way: Managers are hired with the expectation they will be called on to coach, train, inspire, manage office personalities, and see to it that everyone is productive. These tasks take thought, strategy, and emotional intelligence.   This is the type of work most managers get excited about doing, and it is not “assembly line” work.

Assembly line work requires a completely different mindset than creative work. There is a different rhythm involved in knocking out a set of tasks quickly and then moving on to the next task.  But this is the work of recruiting.  I estimate that 90% of recruiting is assembly line work.    

Is it even possible for real estate hiring manager (who spends a majority of their time in the creative realm) to be successful at recruiting? Yes, it is. 

But, he/she must become aware or the creative / assembly line reality.  Successful hiring managers understand they must consciously switch into a different mode of mental output when they put on their recruiting hat.

Part of the reason I figured this out was that I have a similar problem with my clinical work. Even though conducting psychotherapy for eight hours straight might sound like difficult work, it’s work I am very comfortable with doing.  After more than 20 years in this role, I am an expert. I know how to respond and the work is right there in front of me.  Because I have a stable client base, I don’t have to pick up the phone and prospect.  I get to enjoy the creativity of the work itself.

But, part of my practice (and some of the other consulting work I do) involves dictating reports and completing insurance paperwork. This is “assembly line” work, and as you might suspect, I don’t enjoy it.

Like many real estate hiring managers, my natural tendency is to procrastinate on these tasks.  To be successful, I too have to change my mindset and move into an assembly mind mode.

Here’s the bottom line:  For a real estate manager, creative work is going to seem easier because it tends to be reactive.  It is going to take more energy to do the proactive tasks of recruiting.  Proactive work will continue to seem uncomfortable until you list it out, get in an assembly line mindset, and knock it out.

As Sir Isaac Newton once said, “Objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Objects at rest tend to stay at rest.”  The real estate hiring manager must understand both realities and know how to be effective in both arenas.

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Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

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Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

5 Tips for Networking at Conferences

There are many businesses that still depend upon face-to-face networking for generating new prospects.  Obviously, most real estate companies rely on this important business strategy, but there are many others as well.

While some believed that the rise of online social media would cause face-to-face networking to decline in importance, this has not happened. The traditional techniques for networking are as relevant as they’ve ever been.

I was fortunate to read some invaluable information on this topic back in 1987 as I began to build my clinical practice. By putting into practice the principles I discovered, I was able to reap the benefits that well-executed networking activities consistently provide.

For my work at Tidemark, many of the same networking concepts have applied and produced predictable results.  However, there was a new wrinkle to the process that I didn’t anticipate—the art and science of networking at conferences.

I’ve developed some methodologies in this arena, but I still have a long way to go before tapping the full potential of the conference venue.  This is why I’m always on the lookout for good articles written on this topic.  I ran across such an article last week. 

The article is written by Dave Kerpen.  Kerpen is the founder and CEO of Likeable Local,  and the best selling author of Likeable Social Media and Likeable Business.   Here are some of his thoughts on the topic:

1) Research speakers and attendees ahead of time - and reach out. A week or two before the conference, look at the speaker list and, if available, the attendee list. Research the people you'd most like to meet and spend time with, and then reach out via email, Twitter or LinkedIn. Figure out how you can truly help them - and then offer your help. By showing your friendship first, you'll be differentiating yourself from everyone else, who just wants to get something from them. Set up a 10-15 minute meeting over coffee or a drink. That way, you won't have to scramble and compete to get their attention once at the conference.

 2) Use social media to connect with and compliment the speakers.  Chances are, you want to meet and network with speakers even more than with fellow attendees. But so does everyone else. One of the best ways to grab a speaker's attention is to engage with him or her on Twitter before the conference, and pay him/her a genuine compliment before or during the speech. I'll often then send a private message on Twitter to set up a meeting, so that I don't have to fight through the crowd after his/her speech for 2 meaningless seconds of conversation.

3) Skip a panel or two and hang out in the break room. As valuable as the content of a conference can be, if you're there to meet people, it can be more valuable to hang out outside the panels, in the break room, trade show floor, or by the coffee or snacks. There, you'll have more time to meet people - a speaker who's just arrived, or an attendee who stepped out to take a phone call, or a sponsor you might be able to partner with. Most conferences have built-in breaks and networking time, which can be very valuable. But consider making more of this time for yourself - you can always get the notes from that panel later.

4) Forget just giving out business cards - collect them. The traditional thinking for conferences is "Bring lots of business cards to hand out to everyone you meet." I bring my business cards to conferences. But I'd rather be in control of who I connect with - collecting cards from the people I most want to stay in touch with. So, do ask each person you meet for his/her card- and then, do connect with them on LinkedIn - either after the conference, or right then and there. Always include a personal message when connecting.

 5) Ask meaningful questions of the people you meet. Everyone else is asking, "Where are you from?" and "Where do you work?" and other small talk at conferences. Larry Benet taught me to ask better questions, such as "What are you most passionate about?" and "What charity do you care most about?" and "Who at this conference would you most like to be connected with?" That way, you get people talking about something they really care about, and you can form a more meaningful relationship faster. Of course, the most important question you can ask of someone is, "How can I help you?" When you ask these questions, listen well, and be genuinely interested. This will make a difference for you."

While I don't personally connect with the questions Kerpen recommends asking, I do think the questions need to be personal and different.   I would also add that questions should be genuine.

If you are a naturally inquisitive and thoughtful person, utilize your gift for reaching out and connecting with new people. In looking back on my career across multiple domains, it may be the most valuable thing I have ever done.

Question:  In what ways could you increase your value to others and your business by being more proactive about face-to-face networking?

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Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)

Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust.   Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes).   To get started, click here.

Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Post Memorial Day Insight: To Do...Or...Not To Do

The WorkPuzzle gang has been a little slow in recovering after Memorial Day Weekend.  We'll be back to our normal publishing schedule next week. 

To wrap up this week, I thought I'd post something a little more eclectic than normal.  I found two "lists" this week that caught my attention.  Whenever I spend significant time away from the office, I tend to come back and question my priorities--what am I doing, and why am I doing it?  As I try to get back on track, rules that speak to priorities tend to resonate with me. 

The first list was orginally published in Reddit and was consolidated by Dina Spector, one of the Business Insider contributors.  It is an intriguing list of small things you can start doing to make yourself more healthy.  If you click through to the original article, most of the insights are documented with original research citations.

The second list is written by Jeff Hayden and published in Inc. Magazine. It is a list of things that you should immedietly elliminate from your daily routine. 

So, here is a slight adaptation Hamlet's famous question:  To do, or not to do.  That is the question.

To Do

1. Learn to drink your coffee black. Coffee is good for you (in moderation). Eliminating milk, cream, sugar, or flavorings will cut calories and maximize coffee's health benefits.

2. Stand on one leg while brushing your teeth. This is an easy multi-tasking activity that can improve your balance. 

3. Spread avocado on your toast instead of butter. Avocados are a good source of healthy fats. The fleshy green fruit is a mainstay on the "superfood" list. 

4. Meditate for just 20 minutes a day.  At least a dozen executives swear by the relaxing technique.

5. Eat fruit instead of candy.  Candy is sweet because it contains processed sugar, usually high fructose corn syrup. Fruit is sweet because it contains natural sugar, while it's also rich in fiber and vitamins. 

6. Learn how to cook. You will eat healthier, save money on dining out, and boost your self-esteem armed with a new skill. 

7. Park farther away from your destination. This is an easy way to squeeze more physical activity into your daily routine. 

8. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. This will burn calories and tone leg muscles.

9. Shop on a full stomach. Studies show that people who snack before a grocery trip buy fewer unhealthy foods. 

10. Drink more water.  The benefits of staying hydrated are endless — healthier hair, skin, and more energy. Some fitness experts claim you can lose weight if you drink water before every meal. 

11. Turn off your phone from time to time. Occasionally unplugging can help stressed individuals achieve a state of complete relaxation. 

12. Read a book. Expand your knowledge, reduce stress, and briefly cut ties with the Internet. 

13. Walk faster. Power walking will help blast fat — and get you to your destination sooner. 

14. Eat whole wheat bread instead of white bread.  Whole wheat bread is higher in fiber than regular white bread. Fiber helps with digestion.

15. Moisturize daily. A good moisturizing regimen prevents dry, flaky skin.  

16. Stretch every day.  Studies have shown that, in addition to enhancing flexibility, stretching makes you stronger and increases endurance. 

17. Regularly wash your hands with soap and water and dry properly.This simple step gets rids of germs and drying off prevents the spread of bacteria.  

18. If you are a regular public transport user, get on the bus one stop later than usual, and get off off one stop earlier than usual. Walking burns calories, reduces anxiety, and strengthens bones. 

19. Wear sunscreen. You don't want skin cancer. And you don't want to look like this. 

 Not to Do

1. Check my phone while I'm talking to someone.  Stop checking your phone. It doesn't notice when you aren't paying attention.  Other people? They notice. And they care.

2. Multitask during a meeting. The easiest way to be the smartest person in the room is to be the person who pays the most attention to the room.

3. Think about people who don't make any difference in my life.  Trust me: The inhabitants of planet Kardashian are okay without you.

4. Use multiple notifications.  You don't need to know the instant you get an email. Or a text. Or a tweet. Or anything else that pops up on your phone or computer.  They can wait. You, and what is truly important to you, cannot.

5. Let the past dictate the future.  Mistakes are valuable. Learn from them. Then let them go.The past is just training. The past should definitely inform but in no way define you--unless you let it.

6. Wait until I'm sure I will succeed.  You can never feel sure you will succeed at something new, but you can always feel sure you are committed to giving something your best.

7. Talk behind someone's back.  If only because being the focus of gossip sucks. (And so do the people who gossip.)  Spend your time on productive conversations. You'll get a lot more done--and you'll gain a lot more respect.

8. Say "yes" when I really mean "no."  When you say no, at least you'll only feel bad for a few moments. When you say yes to something you really don't want to do you might feel bad for a long time--or at least as long as it takes you to do what you didn't want to do in the first place.

If you follow the advice on both of these lists, your summer will be off to a great start, and you'll be making investments in yourself that will pay dividends far beyond the next few months.

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Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)

Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network.  Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?  

By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust.   Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes).   To get started, click here.

Already of a member of TMOC?  If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage.  Questions?   Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.

 

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Turning Your Sales Expertise into Recruiting Expertise—Part 2

In our last discussion, I outlined two of the five steps that allow you to connect your previous sales expertise to the recruiting process.

The first two steps—developing a relationship with the candidate and identifying the candidate’s needs are critical to the process.  If this important groundwork is not laid at the beginning of the recruiting sequence, the remainder of the interaction with the candidate will feel “sales-y.”  Talented candidates shut down and run the other way when they detect an interview heading down this path.

Assuming you’ve laid the proper groundwork, here are the remaining components of the recruiting strategy:

Preventing/Overcoming Objections: Although objections are inevitable in any sales process, the key for successful sales professionals/recruiters is actually preventing objections. By asking the right types of questions in step 2, many objections that would have occurred in the process are addressed before the candidate has an opportunity to bring them forth. Keep in mind that some objections are inevitable, that they are often training responses, and that most are emotional and not practical.

It is not uncommon for candidates to experience “buyer's remorse” at some point during the recruiting process.  After the initial attempts to build a relationship and share information, candidates often get cold feet.  If this should happen after an interview (during the follow-up process), reminding your candidates of why they started down this path in the first place may help them get back on track. 

Filling the Need/Providing Benefits: Identifying the need (step 2) is considered the most crucial skill in sales or recruiting; filling the need (step 4)  is the second-most critical step to ensure success. Often recruiters and sales professionals alike pay little attention to step 2, and focus solely on step 4.

Like many sales professionals, recruiters often focus on what is commonly known in sales language as their “product knowledge.” They have an in-depth understanding of the organization they are recruiting for, they understand every detail of the position and its function, and they completely understand the requirements of the role.

Armed with all of this product knowledge, these untrained recruiters contact potential candidates and attempt to “tell” them about every benefit of the position and company they represent, never addressing the real needs of the candidates. This is a common mistake that is made by most sales professionals and is illustrated further in this article.

Most of our recruiting coordinators (ie. the individuals who first make contact with candidates) have been advised to not over-share information.  While many of them do have the “product knowledge,” that information is best shared by the hiring manager later in the process (if it even needs to be shared at all).  If a candidate is told everything about the career and company, there is little reason for the person to invest time in an interview. 

When a hiring manager is face-to-face with a candidate, it’s important to only address the unique and specific needs identified in step 2 of the process.  At this stage of the hiring process, the candidate’s needs are the primarily concern.  Product knowledge and information overloading just muddies the water and makes it difficult for the candidate to gain clarity in an important career decision.

Advance/Close the Sale: In recruiting and sales, advancing the sale is the final objective throughout every step of the process. By filling the need in Step 4, you are in a position to advance the sale to the next step.

In recruiting, closing is most commonly compared to presenting the offer and gaining acceptance from the candidate. At this stage recruiters often focus on the practical aspects of the offer being made: compensation, benefits, perks etc.

Effective recruiters and sales professionals alike understand the importance of re-emphasizing the emotional drivers identified in Step 2 of the sales process prior to presenting the practical aspects of the solution.

In the real estate recruiting process, there is often more “advancing” and less “closing” required.  After learning about the candidate’s unique situation, figure out a reasonable first step (or next step) in the hiring process and attempt to get the candidate to commit to that step.  Mutually select a date when the next step will be completed and then hold the candidate accountable to the target date. 

Without “closing” a candidate on the next step, the hiring process will not gain and maintain momentum.  Seemingly great interviews result in disappearing candidates—i.e. individuals you never hear from again after the interview is finished. 

Knowing what to ask, when to ask, what to share, and when to listen is fundamental to both the sales and recruiting process.  Here’s to becoming an expert at both!

Note:  Note: Quotations (italicized text) are excerpts from a great article written by  Stephen Lowisz.  Read more of Stephen’s article by visiting his author page on Electronic Recruiting Exchange.

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Editor's Note: Lee Gray is the Senior Account Manager at Tidemark Inc. Lee is a guest contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. .

Is Requesting a Resume a Good Idea for a Real Estate Agent Interview?

Over the last few years, we’ve worked with several real estate hiring managers who insist on seeing a resume before meeting with a candidate. When our account managers ask for an explanation, the conversation usually goes something like this:

"My time is valuable, so I want to make sure the person is both serious and qualified to become a real estate agent.” 

One manager recently said:

"If they can't send me a resume, I don't want to waste my time on them." 

Is this a good policy?  Let’s investigate the pros and cons of this stance.

First consider that every business practice is an expression of various underlying assumptions.  From that premise, let’s try to surmise what possible assumptions are being made in the “resume first” stance and then assess their validity. 

Assumption #1: Any candidate worth interviewing will have a resume handy and be eager to show it to me before a meeting. 

I want you to consider the best people who have entered and thrived in your organization. How many of them would have sent a resume or even had a resume handy when they were first hired?  How many of them would have come to an interview if you asked them for one?

It appears to me (for reasons I will go into below) that only the most desperate (and perhaps confused), would feel compelled to bring a resume to the first interview when considering becoming an independent contractor within the real estate industry. 

Assumption #2: You interviewing them is more important than them interviewing you.

This assumption is clearly communicated in the request for a resume. In many highly competitive corporate jobs where a salary, benefits, and security are provided, this is certainly to be expected. But, in the real estate industry, there is a different set of expectations. 

Most candidates know that becoming a real estate agent means signing up to invest significant resources to become an independent contractor.  From this perspective, it only makes sense that the first interview would be a two-way street of reciprocal respect.

Remember, you need great candidates as much as they need you. If, after the first interview, you have doubts about the person’s potential to perform, asking for a  resume would seem reasonable.  At this juncture, it makes sense to test a weak candidate’s follow-through or investigate their background.

But if you ask a savvy candidate for a resume, you run the risk of alienating them because they are often employed successfully and want to assess you (and the real estate career) before you assess them.  

Assumption #3 Your time is more important than their time.

Most working professionals do not have an updated resume in hand.  Most people do not prepare a resume until they are unemployed, or think they will soon be unemployed. I know many people who have never needed a resume because their reputation and professional performance speaks for itself.

How do you think the most capable candidates will respond to this request? Do you believe that they will spend the time necessary to prepare a resume just for you? They will only do so if you have earned the right to make such a request.  Instead, most candidates will interpret your request in one way:   "My time is more important than yours." 

Assumption #4: You're in the power position not them.

The very act of requesting a resume communicates a great deal about your assessment (or your insistence) of the balance of power in the relationship. You might as well be saying: "Yes... I think I'm more important than you".  Even in competitive corporate America when an important executive is being courted for hiring, the resume is not requested until it makes sense to everyone involved.

In order to attract the best candidates you must not assume this power position.  The relationship has to feel peer-to-peer, especially in the first meeting.  In my opinion, some managers who request resumes before the first interviews have issues around fearing vulnerability.  This technique may help them from exposing this apprehension.

Assumption #5 : You don't expect to interview successful candidates.

This assumption could be based on past experiences of interviewing terrible candidates. The problem with this assumption is that protecting against “wasting time” with unqualified candidates kills the chances of engaging better candidates in the future. It would be similar to a fisherman giving up casting because previous casts were unproductive.  Yes, he’ll save a lot of time.  But, the chances of catching fish have diminished to zero.

In our experience working with real estate hiring, about one third (33%) of interviews result in an engagement where the managers is truly excited about the candidate’s potential.  Of the third who fit into this category, usually one half (50%) of those candidates end up joining their team as an agent.   Working backwards on these percentages, it takes an average of six interviews to hire one high-potential “new to real estate” agent.*

If you disagree with my analysis of this problem, don't hesitate to let me know. I have been wrong before and expect I will be again. But, in my view so far, the basic rule of thumb is this: 

If you want to attract the best talent to your team, you must treat everyone, initially, like he/she might be the best candidate you've ever seen. 

*Note: The overall hire/interview percentage is higher than 17% (1 hire in 6 interviews) for most high- performing real estate organizations.  This happens because some of the “not-so-great candidates” also become agents.  Overall, high- performing real estate companies see 25% of their total interviews eventually convert to hires.  This data is based on the companies who are clients of Tidemark.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Be Happy: Become a Real Estate Agent

I had the opportunity to spend some time with the executive team and managers of Ruhl &Ruhl Realtors in Davenport, Iowa late last month.  Caroline Ruhl and her team lead a highly productive company that is full of optimism and contagious energy.

Caroline’s company is very successful at attracting talented young professionals to the real estate industry.  They are far ahead of most of their industry peers and have a bright future emerging. 

By chance, I happened to arrive for a pre-planned speaking engagement on the day when the company surpassed a very aggressive recruiting goal they’ve been working on for several years.   

The impromptu celebration (which started at 9am) included cake, sparklers, candy, champagne, and balloons.  And not just any balloons, the meeting room was filled with balloons that each had the individual name of one agent in the company written on it.  It was quite impactful to look around the room and recognize the lives that have been impacted by the recruiting process.

Doesn’t this sound like a fun place to work?  Darcy Holle and Sally Atwell planned the surprise celebration.  Both of these ladies are great recruiters and lots of fun at a 9am party too!

I relayed this experience to you as a way of introducing some new research that was recently published in Forbes Magazine.  Not surprisingly, Caroline pointed me to this article during my visit.  It only makes sense that a fun place like Ruhl & Ruhl would discover this research!

The research was done by an online career community called CareerBliss, and it involved collecting surveys from more than 65,000 employees.  Forbes magazine reported:

“Employees all over the country were asked to evaluate ten factors that affect workplace happiness. Those include one’s relationship with the boss and co-workers, work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, daily tasks, and control over the work one does on a daily basis.

They evaluated each factor on a five-point scale and also indicated how important it was to their overall happiness. The numbers were combined to find an average rating of overall employee happiness for each respondent, and then sorted by job title to find which occupations had the happiest workers. A minimum of 50 employee reviews was required to be considered for CareerBliss’ 10 Happiest Jobs in America, and executive level jobs, like chief executive, were excluded from the study. “

And the results…

"The happiest employees of all aren’t kindergarten teachers or veterinarians. They’re real estate agents. Professionals with this job title are typically responsible for renting, buying, or selling property for clients. According to the BLS, they study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property site, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts. They make about $51,170 per year, on average—but top earning real estate agents rake in over $92,000.

With an index score of 4.26, real estate agents said they are more than satisfied with the control they have over the work they do on a daily basis. They’re also fairly content with their bosses.

Real estate agents have definitely weathered quite a financial storm over the past few years but right now [mortgage] rates are between 2% and 3% and inventory is low, making it a real estate agent’s dream as new homes hit the market and are getting multiple offers in the first week….  Happy times.”

This is great information to have in your back pocket during your next interview.  If you’re interviewing a “new to real estate” candidate, a high percentage of these individuals are leaving jobs/careers that make them unhappy. 

As we’ve discussed many times in the past, make sure you listen to their story first and address the unique points of pain that you uncover during the interview.  As a side point, after the groundwork is laid, it may be helpful offer this independent research as a way of driving your point home.

During our next discussion, we’ll spend some time learning about the most “unhappy jobs” in America and how this information can also improve your recruiting results.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. 

Asking and Listening: The Magic Bullet of Interviewing and Hiring

I recently had the pleasure of visiting our long time clients at Prudential Carolinas, Prudential York Simpson Underwood, and Prudential Yost-Little Realty, all under the same roof in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I had spoken to this executive team and group of managers on at least two previous occasions and have always enjoyed our interactions. 

Part of my presentation involved a refresher course on the psychology of a good interview. Most of this section emphasizes the vital importance of listening to the candidate and eliciting as much information as possible during the first interview.  The process involves asking a lot of open-ended questions about who they are, what’s their story, what’s causing them to make a career change now, what they hope to gain from working, etc.

My emphasis on the power of listening comes from volumes of research on how people make decisions concerning any important topic in their lives. To emphasize this point I used several non-hiring examples such as dating or making an important purchase.

Think back to when you were dating—would you rather hear your dates drone on about themselves or ask some thoughtful questions along the way? When you buy a computer, do you want the tech-sales-geek to expound on all the details of each machine, or would you rather he ask a few questions first and then focus on your needs?

Here is a counter-intuitive principle that is true of all human interactions:  As people talk about themselves, they will learn more about themselves and feel more attached to you (the listener) in the process. 

No matter how many times I deliver this presentation, managers continue to report how difficult it is to put this into practice.  But, the group in North Carolina is starting to crack the code and seeing some incredible results.

During the presentation, one of the managers (Player Murray) gave the group some feedback on how this technique was working during his recent interviews.

"I'm not sure that I said much of anything in my last interview, and the candidate decided to come work for us!”

He went on to say that when he finally began to trust the process of first asking questions and listening, many interviews proceed with little need to describe much of what differentiates his company from others in the first interview.

"I am convinced that this is the number one principle to practice in the first meeting, and without it, I would not have hired many of the high quality candidates who came through HiringCenter.  They feel valued and connected when I listen to them first and foremost."

Player has learned the magic of asking and listening. He has seen first-hand how people become attached to those who are interested in them. He doesn't do this to be manipulative, he does it because it’s the right thing to do—that’s why it works. 

This story has been repeated with other managers across the country. Savvy, early-in-the- pipeline candidates who know little about the real estate industry will ask questions when they are ready. Even if they do ask some questions intially, don't be sucked into talking about yourself and your company too much.  Instead, answer briefly and get back to asking and listening.

In fact, here is a good rule of thumb:  Always assume you are not listening enough. At this point, you’ll probably be at the right level, and the magic will soon start happening in your interviews.

Question:  How have you learned to become a more effective listener (in interviews or other situations)? When using these techiques, how have you noticed your relationships change?    

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.