Tampa Bay Jobing Community Blogs

Martha I. Finney helps companies improve their performance by attracting, keeping and inspiring high-passion, high-performing talent. This posting is based on the principles from her new book, The Truth About Getting the Best From People . For the full collection of her extended blogs, including, "Why I Love HR,” visit www.hrjourneys.blogspot.com. Contact her at martha@marthafinney.com 

Unless you’re one of those people who enjoy beating their heads against a wall, it’s rarely any fun to be in the job market. But if you’re looking for a job in the leadership levels, it’s even worse. Reason: Chances are almost 50/50 that you’ll be looking for another job before the year is out.  For some reason, new hires in leadership roles have an abysmal success record. And, even though the cost of recruiting, hiring, losing people of your level  – and starting the cycle all over again – is the most expensive of all the open positions, employers seem to take this hard knock as a cost of doing business. 

What a terrible waste of money, resources, precious time for all concerned.  Especially you, if you’re the one out on the street in a few months’ time.  The good news is that the power is in your hands. You can say, “This cycle of frustration stops with me.”  But that means that you have to take control of the interview (hey! Your first leadership assignment in this organization) and be willing to be the one to decide whether you might not be the best culture match (hey! Your second leadership assignment in this organization).

Here’s the problem: Even though companies are becoming increasingly aware of the real importance and impact their culture and values have on engaging the discretionary effort of all their employees, for most companies that awareness isn’t showing up in the kind of leaders they hire from the outside. When it comes to hiring people leaders, employers can be like fish. They’ll leap out of the water for anything bright and shiny, without first taking into very serious consideration what lurks between the feathers and twirly, swirly, glittering things. For fish, of course, the bad news is that there’s usually a sharp hook buried inside all that attraction. But for employers, they don’t discover that buried inside that bright and shiny resume is a set of behaviors that could destroy their carefully cultivated culture. 

I’m not implying, of course, that you’ve got a sharp hook imbedded in your resume or personality, but let’s face it, we’ve all got hooks – a branded story of who we are, what we can offer the employer, our set of leadership beliefs, the market performance of our previous employer while we were at the helm.  The problem is that if you are luring the wrong employers, there’s going to be a lot of pain, and actually you’re going to be among the 40%+ of new management candidates who lose their jobs before they’ve really had the chance to prove themselves.

I’m torturing this metaphor; I guess it’s time to get on with my point.

The more successful you were at your previous company or the greater the cachet of your company (especially as regards its reputation for an engaged culture), the greater the likelihood that you’re going to land in a new job that could make you miserable.  Like it or not, your new employer isn’t just hiring you, they’re hiring where you’ve been.  If you’ve been with a successful company that performed supremely in your marketplace and enjoyed a cadre of over-the-top dedicated employees, your new employer is going to want to have some of that mojo. And, because you’ve seen it first-hand and from within, they reason, you’re just the one to give it to them.  They’re so invested in asking the questions that will result in a job offer and acceptance that they tend to avoid those questions that could reveal you to be a bad culture fit.  Or, more to the point, the company is a bad culture fit for you.

You’ve got to do that piece of the dirty work. Sorry to have to break it to you, but that’s just the way it is. The truth will come out eventually, and believe me, you’re being back out on the street is going to be a lot more painful for you than it will be for them.

During the job interview itself, go deep into questions about the company culture. This is the first place where a big mismatch can be revealed. For instance, it’s not enough to simply know what the company’s values are. (You can find them on their website and after a while they all look the same…integrity; service; servant leadership, performance; collegial; collaborative; people-first…they very quickly appear to be the workplace versions of personal ads. Replace them with “candlelight dinners,” “puppies,” “walks on the beach,” and you’ll see what I mean.)

The trick is to ask your interviews how those values have been demonstrated by decisions and choices in recent years. If the company really takes its values seriously, your interviewers will have plenty of stories at their fingertips. A few good questions to ask, for instance, are:

1.       Can you tell me of a time when you hired a star candidate who turned out to be a culture mismatch (if you’re really brave, say, “toxic manager”)?  How did you handle that situation?

2.       Can you think of a time when you were able to save a new hire who got off on the wrong foot culturally? What happened with that person?  Can I talk with him or her?

3.       Do you have any mentorship or culturalization onboarding programs in place, so I can be sure to hit the ground running?

4.       What exactly does servant leadership look like here in terms of behaviors and expectations? Could you introduce me to someone who is known to represent the best leadership qualities that work in this culture?

Sure. You’ll take your interviewers by surprise with these questions (unless they’ve read this blog as well…in which case they’ll recognize immediately how brilliant you are!).  Most interviewers are accustomed to asking behavioral interview questions, not having to answer them.  If they draw a blank on these questions, and can’t tell you stories to support their cultural ideals, that’s your first big sign that there could be a culture mismatch here. And that you would get zero support while trying to integrate yourself into your new team.

But others will be so relieved to discover that you recognize the importance of a culture fit for managers, that – assuming everything else is in place – they’ll be falling all over themselves to hand you the keys to the 60% Club. That’s the club you’ll want to join. There’s staying power there.

A special note from Martha:  If you’re a manager, your company is counting on you to be an engaging leader. But what exactly does that mean? And how do you do engagement? Just because you’re brilliant at your technical skills, that doesn’t mean that you’re a natural at people skills. New managers need a book that can help them figure it out in simple, straightforward ideas.

That’s why I wrote The Truth About Getting the Best From People. It’s a book made up of 49 short, simple truths designed to help new managers understand how their beliefs and behaviors directly impact their employees’ passion factor on the job.

Click on the title and check it out! I hope you’ll enjoy it!

If you like drag racing or not you will love Jr Drag racing. Jr.Dragsters are for youngsters ages 8 to 18 years old. Most of the local drag strips have Jr. Drag racing programs. In the Tampa Fl. Area Sunshine Drag strip 4398 126th Ave, Clearwater Fl. Has a good program in conjunction with Bradenton motorsports Park. 21000 SR 64 Bradenton Fl. They are just like racing the big dragsters only a little slower. These young people really show how much they enjoy it. They race 660 feet, 1/8 of a mile in about 8 seconds at 70 mph. They work on the car with their family members. And it is a real treat to watch. The engines are based on a 5hp small 1 cyl design. One of the NHRA people there to help everyone, is a gentlemen named Bill Lee. This guy really knows his stuff. You can also see the big cars race on the same day. Its a lot of fun for the whole family. In the picture below is Jacub Paul the driver and crew for his Jr Dragster. He is having a lot of fun with it. So if you like cars like all of us Automotive technicians check out the Drag races soon. You can link up at sunshinedragstrip.com orbradentonmotorsports.com and check out the shows or test and tune. You are all welcome to come and race or view the show.

 

Schools out we have to watch out for the young people driving. They are on their cell phones going to the beach and just plain new at driving. It is our job as a bit older people to look out and educate them on the ways of the road. If you have teens at home make sure that the are driving a good safe car. Try not to get mad when they don't drive perfect. Be careful on the road. Make sure you get your car serviced.

Do not miss the opportunity to see the

"Top 7 Strategies for Building World Class Teams"
Presented by:  Ford Kyes,  Action Coach

7:30 AM to 10:00 AM
Radisson Hotel
12600 Roosevelt Blvd
St Petersburg, Fl 

 

 

 

The NAAAHR Tampa Bay Chapter is starting a PHR/SPHR Study Group

Classes will begin Tuesday, August 19th from 6-8 for 14 weeks.  If you are interested in pursuing your professional designation or teaching one of the modules, please respond by email to Sheila Christy-Martin, Ed. D, PHR socmsan@earthlink.net no later than Monday, 7/7. 

For more information on our chapter, watch our video and check out our meeting dates:

NAAAHR Tampa Chapter Community Profile

Hope to see you at our June 19th meeting!!!

Join me on July 2 as I interview Libby Gill, former executive with Sony Entertainment and employee engagement expert, as we discuss inspiring excellence in high-passion teams.

In this lively edition of Engagement Journeys, Libby will be sharing her advice and insights into:

• Leading multi-generational workplaces
• Creating effective leaderless teams
• Inspiring innovation and risk-taking
• Coaching a collaborative, results-centric group that thrives on momentum

About Libby: An entertainment industry veteran, Libby Gill spent fifteen years heading public relations and corporation communications as Senior Vice President at Universal Studios; Vice President at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Turner Broadcasting. She was also the branding brain behind the launch of the Dr. Phil Show for Paramount Studios.

Today she is an internationally respected corporate consultant and author. She has shared her success strategies on the Today Show, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, Dr. Phil, CNN, NPR, Oprah & Friends Radio Network, Fox News, CBS Early Show, and in Time magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, O Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Self and many more). For more information, contact info@libbygill.com

Time: 2 pm ET, July 2, 2008
Register: http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=3347535

See you then!

30th Anniversary Celebration Featuring Morris Day and the Time
If you missed him at the 2008 Grammy Awards, now is your chance to see him live! 
Tuesday, August 26, 2008  8:00 - 10:30 PM

Morris Day burst onto the music scene with the group's self-titled album, The Time.  Soon after the world was introduced the prolific Minneapolis music marvel, the group went on to record three more albums, including Ice Cream Castle, which included the mega-hit "Jungle Love". Morris Day then launched his solo career, releasing three albums: The Color of Success, Daydreaming, and Guaranteed. In 1984, Morris Day and the Time were cast to star opposite Prince in the hit movie “Purple Rain”.

In his new album, Day combines classic old school sounds with new music featuring hot new artists. He delivers energetic vocals and witty lyrics, complimented by his trademark smooth-as-silk dance moves, all wrapped up in flashy, dapper fashions!

The celebration starts with desserts and a cash bar and continues late into the night with our DJ keeping everyone moving on the dance floor.  This is one party you don’t want to miss!

One ticket is included in all full conference registrations. Extra event tickets are available for purchase at $50 each: Extra Meal/Event Tickets

Don't forget to visit us at the Jobing.com expo booth!

See you there.  Angela

Resume expert Laura Smith-Proulx of An Expert Resume, author of three books on resume and job search topics, has attained a 98% success rate winning interviews with techniques for a competitive edge in the job hunt based on her expertise as a former recruiter. Visit An Expert Resume to get Laura's FREE E-Course, "The 7 Biggest Resume Mistakes That Can Keep You From Your Dream Job... and How to Avoid Them."

If you're conducting an active job hunt, you're probably aware that working with a recruiter can be an effective method for your search. However, finding a recruiter that specializes in your field can be a daunting prospect. Where should you look? How do you know what to expect? And what precisely should you be prepared to provide?

Finding and effectively collaborating with recruiters is mostly a matter of sharpening your networking skills (which is a good idea during any phase of a job search!).

Read on for some ways to expand your options and locate key professional recruiting contacts that may also be looking for YOUR expertise:

1 - Avail yourself of professional organizations in your industry. These associations can be a boon to the active job hunter, as they frequently offer job postings, mem