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BUSINESS MENTOR Recruit for attitude, TRAIN FOR SKILL BY CHRIS ELPHICK ou wouldn���t buy a new expensive piece of equipment for your business without careful thought and consideration. So why wouldn���t you take the same approach to recruiting and employing someone new? It is easy and common for employers to moan about the calibre of staff, how hard it is to get the right person, how young people lack the right work ethic, and so on. Many employers have eagerly embraced the 90-day rule because they can get out of an employment arrangement if they feel they have made the wrong decision. The goal should be to get it right in the ���rst place ��� to ���nd someone with the right attitude and then to train them well. There are three reasons why employers go wrong when employing people: 1 They recruit in a panic. 2 They recruit someone too quickly (usually the result of panic). 3 They don���t involve other people in the recruitment process. Y PANIC RECRUITING Many employers recruit at the last minute. This is often because they���re short of labour or in a crisis, and need more staff ��� immediately! The problem with panic recruiting is that suf���cient time isn���t devoted to ensuring you have the right person for the job. This could be because you���re preoccupied with other things or desperate because work is urgent or piling up. Often this situation means you���ll only do one interview, forego asking the prospect to demonstrate their skills or attitudes, and not do proper reference checks. You may not engage with resources or people that can help and provide an independent opinion, and you could end up skipping employment legalities just to get them in the door. Employing someone too quickly can mean you end up making a mistake. Employing the wrong person can be extremely costly and cause you major problems. So it is worth slowing down and investing in the recruitment process so that you make the right choice. TAKE YOUR TIME Recruitment takes time, skill and planning. If you know you are heading towards the busy or high season, plan your staf���ng and recruitment requirements well ahead. Consider involving a recruitment consultant so that you are organised throughout the process, ask the right questions (ones you haven���t thought of!) and make an informed decision. It should not matter how long it takes to get the right person. Doing so will reap bene���ts for your business. By planning and starting the process well in advance rather than rushing, you allow yourself time to recruit well. If necessary, get the prospect to come back several times if you are unsure about them. Ask them to spend a day at your business and to do a practical project. See how they ���t in with the rest of your team. Spend time talking with their referees, try to ���nd out what they did previously and how effective they were. INVOLVE OTHERS Ask your staff what they think is needed and who the ideal candidate for the job might be. If you are recruiting someone to join a team then get other trusted and experienced staff to meet them and give feedback. This could be in a less formal interview arrangement such as over morning tea. Every time you add to your team you change the team dynamic ��� this can be for the better or worse! If it���s the latter then you are likely to have a major problem to sort out. One person wrongly chosen can easily upset the balance of a whole team. ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING Typically when recruiting someone, the focus is on their level of skill and what you want them to do, rather than on who they are and the attitudes they bring. In hospitality or tourism industries, attitude is as important as skill because your staff deal with vital aspects of the services you provide, as well as interacting with your customers. MANY SKILLS CAN BE LEARNED ON THE JOB BUT CHANGING ATTITUDES IS A DIFFERENT BALLGAME ALTOGETHER. Many skills can be learned on the job but changing attitudes is a different ballgame altogether. To recruit for attitude: 1 Be clear about the attitudes you want demonstrated. These might include teamwork, customer service, quality, social skills, self-con���dence, creative thinking and problem solving ability. 2 Determine how you are going to ���nd out about these. A one-to-one interview will probably not do it alone. Create an opportunity for you to see the prospect perform and demonstrate their attitude. This might include role plays, walking round your business, spending time with a senior staff member, or asking how they would deal with certain scenarios or problems. 3 Ask their referees about their attitudes; plan some probing, open questions to get them thinking and talking. Chris Elphick is a Wellington-based business mentor, coach and trainer working throughout New Zealand and the Paci���c with a range of business enterprises. For more business tips and information visit: www.chriselphick.co.nz MARCH/APRIL 2013 ��� NZ AQUACULTURE ��� 7