Interview Questions that Lead to Hiring the Right Person

What leads to hiring mistakes? Often, it’s interviewing mistakes. Here’s a better tool for assessing your candidates’ skills.  But before you jump into reading the article let me give you a quick synopsis.  Essentially, Claudio urges hiring managers to take a more behavioral approach to the interview process instead of asking candidates to tell their story, i.e. regurgitate their resume.  He outlines the types of people you might be looking for, everything from strategic thinkers to change agents, and then shows the types fo questions that would be wise to ask folks who claim to possess these skills/personalities.

Here are a few questions I thought were most interesting:

Change agent–> Describe a time when you received org. resistance to an idea or project that you were responsible for implementing.  How did you handle it? What resulted from it? Would you handle any differently now?

Results Oriented–>Have you been involved in a business or product launch? What were the specific steps you took to contribute to the success of the launch?

Will you be asking these kinds of questions?  If you’ve been doing it all along, what kinds of results have you seen from them?

First Day of Summer

 

Happy first day of summer!  I really enjoy this wonderful Google Doodle.

Turning 30

Folks, I’m turning 30 today!

I’m not sure if the exclamation point above is an excited one or a “holy hell, already?  I’m not ready,” one.

A little while ago my friend sent me a wonderful article from the Huffington Post about the 30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Know by the Age of 30.  So, thank you to my friend for sending me the article and thank you to Pamela Redmond for writing it back in 1997 for Glamour Magazine.

So here are my checked off items, how did you fair?

By 30, you should have …

1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come. 

2. A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.

3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.

4. A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying.

5. A youth you’re content to move beyond.

6. A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age.

7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age — and some money set aside to help fund it.

8. An email address, a voice mailbox, and a bank account — all of which nobody has access to but you.

9. A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.

10. One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.

11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.

12. Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.

13. The belief that you deserve it.

14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.

15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better.
By 30, you should know …

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.

2. How you feel about having kids.

3. How to quit a job, break up with a man, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.

4. When to try harder and when to walk away.

5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.

6. The names of the secretary of state, your great-grandmothers, and the best tailor in town.

7. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.

8. Where to go — be it your best friend’s kitchen table or a yoga mat — when your soul needs soothing.

9. That you can’t change the length of your legs, the width of your hips, or the nature of your parents.

10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.

11. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.

12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or not flossing for very long.

13. Who you can trust, who you can’t, and why you shouldn’t take it personally.

14. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.

15. Why they say life begins at 30

Thank You

Those two little words can do wonders.  The writers at The Build Network explored The Gratitude Effect and found that if you “Take a minute to thank your employees. It’ll benefit your bottom line more than you may realize.”

What did you do today?  I hope you thanked at least one person!

Fashion in the Workplace

I love getting the Marie Claire magazine additions that cover fashion at work.  As I was reading the magazine a couple of weekends ago it talked about Casual Friday and how some people really take it to extreme levels or slobbery.  Back in the day when the majority of the workforce was males the casual Friday dress code was put together and it consisted of khakis and a polo but what about us ladies? 

I can’t say that I haven’t broken the rules, or rather bent them, every now and again by wearing open toed shoes or a pair of shorts.  But I do try and keep things composed and still professional.  When wondering what to wear on a Friday, think of yourself as working in a design studio.  Those folks might wear jeans and some quirky things every now and again but for the most part they look pretty darn hip.  Just stay away from those hip torn jeans.

I’d say the hardest thing to switch gears from is casual college attire to casual Friday at a place of work.  Where do you draw the line?  Well you are obviously in luck as Veronica C. wrote an article about this back in February of this year for a website called www.experience.com titled, Escaping “college student” fashion in the workplace.  Here are some of her pet peeves:

1. Backpacks – “Even if you’re wearing a suit that screams professionalism, this look can quickly be undercut by something as simple as a backpack.” I don’t necessarily agree.  I use a backpack now and we were actually given backpacks at a sales meeting that had our brand logos.  With a laptop that weighs close to 10 pounds, this is the easiest way to transport it.  Now do I suggest that that be the only way you transport your important papers?  No, you should definitely invest in something a little less casual for those offsite business meetings.

2. Ill fitting clothes – “Making sure your clothes fit well is another important step in establishing your workplace reputation.” Agreed.  now we can’t always look put together but let’s try a bit harder.

3. Wrinkles – “Showing up every morning with wrinkles and creases in your newly-bought professional apparel is almost worse than donning a wrinkle-free T-shirt and jeans.” I agree again.  A slip up here and there is ok, but not on the days when you’re meeting with the president.

Lastly, here are some inspiration pieces for you from where else but pinterest!