Nadji Tehrani
Executive Group Publisher, Editor-in-Chief

Effective Hiring And Keeping 'The Right People'
44 Characteristics Of 'The Right People'

Successful managers are those who surround themselves with 'the right people,' give them direction and then get out of the way.

The vitally important question to ask is, 'Just how do you define 'THE RIGHT PEOPLE'?

In Table 1, I have tried to spell out some of the characteristics of 'the right people.'

Please read this editorial only if you believe that your staff is your GREATEST ASSET!

Most companies wrongly spend 98 percent of their time talking (yes, talking) about customer service, customer care and customer retention, and practically never talk about employee service, employee care or employee retention!

This misguided philosophy leads to excessive employee turnover and, eventually, will result in 'customer turnover,' which means substantially higher costs for training new staff, not to mention loss of revenue! Once a company learns that without a competent staff armed with a flexible, positive, can-do attitude, there will be:

' No customer service;
' No customer care;
' No customer retention; and
' No progress, the company is prepared to focus 100 percent on that elusive, highly complex (if not impossible) task of hiring 'the right people' and keeping them.

Observance Of Transparency Rule Is Vital At TMC
The right people follow the Cardinal Rule of Transparency 100 percent of the time. They NEVER, NEVER, NEVER keep management in the dark by withholding information, good or bad.

The Scope
The scope of this editorial is the effective hiring of 'the right people' in general.

However, in this issue, Mr. Ted Nardine, Senior Director of Performance Management of ClientLogic, a leading Top 50 teleservices company, has written an excellent article titled Hiring And Training For The Call Center: Developing The 'Universal Agent' And Beyond (see page 46).

In this article, Mr. Nardine focuses on effective hiring for the call center. Here are a few excerpts from his article:

'Transforming a call center from a cost-cutting afterthought to a viable, brand-carrying profit-generating division of the business begins by establishing effective hiring processes and training programs.

If staffed and managed properly, the contact center can be an invaluable asset to the business.'

The Breakfast With Legendary Jack Welch
Not long ago, Rich Tehrani, President of TMC, and I had the rare privilege of having breakfast with the Hall of Fame CEO of General Electric (quote - news - alert ), Jack Welch. We asked Jack, 'How do you rank your sales managers?' He stated, 'There are four kinds of sales managers and here is what to do with them:

1. First, a manager meets his sales goals, but doesn't uphold company values'I say fire this manager.

2. Second, a manager does not meet sales objectives, but upholds company values. I say give him another chance.

3. Third, a manager meets sales goals and upholds company values. I say promote and reward him.

4. A manager does not meet sales objectives and does not uphold company values. I say get rid of him.'

How Do You Avoid Those Worthless People With Bad Attitudes?
Today's job seekers are sophisticated. Many resumes are inflated, and many candidates are well schooled in giving the right answers to your questions!
"Today's job seekers are sophisticated. Many resumes are inflated, and many candidates are well schooled in giving the right answers to your questions!

However, to discourage 'the wrong people,' i.e., people with bad attitudes, otherwise known as WIs (worthless individuals), I have prepared a list of statements and items designed to scare off WIs. We use this as a qualification test for ALL new candidates before the interview process.

Table 2 Don’t Take A Job At Technology Marketing Corporation If:

You have ever stated any of the following…or any of the following actually bothers you or describes your mindset or behavior! • You do not have any of the 44 characteristics listed on Table 1. • You are a high-maintenance person. • You have ever kept management in the dark about anything whatsoever. • You are a political animal. Corporate politics defined: politics is a game played by incompetents! • If your ego is out of control! (We don’t run this company based on ego!) • If you are a clock-watcher. • If you are a chronic complainer. • If you are always negative (a full glass always seems empty to you). • If you can’t take criticism. Or…if you have ever stated: • “It is not my job.” • “I wasn’t hired to do this.” • “It is not my fault.” • “It is always someone else’s fault.” • “I don’t know (even though it’s my job to know).” • “I called him, there was no answer, therefore, the project died. I have never heard of being resourceful!” • “I am doing someone else’s job and I shouldn’t be.” • LAST, BUT NOT LEAST: Don’t take a job at TMC if you are NOT prepared to work on 12 cylinders ALL THE TIME! Don’t take a job at TMC if you are not a performer! There is NO room for con artists here!

Above All, Look For Multifaceted People!
Successful companies are those that hire smart, flexible, multifaceted people. As your company grows, your requirements will change. Flexible, multifaceted people who possess a positive, can-do attitude will be able to adapt to the changes. On the other hand, negative, inflexible people will lead your company to extinction! That is why they are justifiably called WIs.

The Road To Success
The following statements represent a few of the most precious comments I have read about successful companies and people. They reinforce practically everything I have tried to explain in this editorial:

' 'The success of every organization depends on how well the entire team works together!'

' 'Treat people like you want to be treated, that's the key to success!'

' 'Your success is the direct result of your attention to detail!'

' 'Learn from the mistakes of others ' you can never live long enough to make them all yourself!'

' 'Success comes from listening. I've never learned anything by talking.' Lou Holtz, head football coach at Notre Dame ' 1988 College National Championship Winner.

Calvin Coolidge's Advice On Persistence, Determination And Hard Work
'Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence, determination and hard work make the difference.' ' President Calvin Coolidge

Management Lessons Learned From Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson is one of the most successful coaches in football. 'Everyone I deal with is put on a scale,' Johnson said. 'The better performer, the harder he works, the more he meets the guidelines, the higher he is on the scale.

'If they fall short in some of those areas, the lower they are on the scale. And they have very little margin for error near the bottom. I like guys that work hard and play good.'

But everyone in the organization has to think about team goals. Anyone who distracts from those team goals is out of line. And everyone has to understand that.

About Attitude
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than education, money, circumstances, failures, success and what other people think, say or do. It's more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our ATTITUDES.

Something For Nothing People with poor attitudes are likely to stand in front of the fireplace and say, 'Give me heat...then I'll add wood!' Obviously, such people will never get anywhere! Successful people don't look to get something for nothing, and they don't make money...THEY EARN IT!

Keeping 'The Right People' If you are blessed enough to have a great, hard-working team with a flexible, positive, can-do attitude, then your number-one priority should be to cherish them, treat them like gold and give them plenty of challenge, great pay and promote them within the organization. Above all, let them know their hard work, achievements and dedication are greatly and genuinely appreciated. Let's not forget that they are indeed your greatest asset. If they are treated as such, then they will treat your customers as if they are their greatest assets! After all, loyalty, respect, appreciation and the resulting success are two-way streets.

As always, I welcome your valued comments. Please share them with me at [email protected] [email protected]. CIS

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