WorldWide Drilling Resource

43 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® MARCH 2014 Management Tips by Tim Connor If You Are Hiring, Read This “Technological progress is like an ax in the hands of a pathological criminal.” Albert Einstein Hiring Under Pressure When you hire under pressure be- cause you have an opening or a territory that needs to be filled now, you will tend to hire beneath your standards and make a hiring mistake. Ever done it? Most managers have at some point whether it was due to an open position, a sales- person who suddenly quit, or the result of a new client who required additional staff to service them. Many managers do not have a hir- ing template or process, and therefore tend to make hiring decisions and mis- takes based on the “halo effect”, or their emotional state at the time of the inter- view. Both of these can lead to a poor organizational fit. Not that the person is necessarily a bad potential employee, they just may not be right for your organ- ization at this particular time. When you hire under pressure, you will overlook the lack of necessary expe- rience, skills, or attitudes and try to force a fit. It is a far better policy to not rush or deviate from the process you normally fol- low than to get someone in a job quickly. This is one of the reasons it is im- portant to hire everyone on a 90-day probationary basis. If you do discover, during the early employment period that a hiring mistake was made, you can fix it quickly without adding stress to your human resources department or setting yourself up for a wrongful termination claim or suit. Hiring Skills and not Attitudes It is easier to teach a new employ- ee the specific skills needed than to change their attitudes. Many managers feel finding the right skill or experience combination in a new employee is the best philosophy to have when recruiting. Many of these same managers have learned the hard way that just because someone has the skills, it doesn’t mean they will use them. Years ago when I was hiring an administrative assistant, I interviewed several qualified candidates. Each of them possessed the required typing ability, computer knowledge, adminis- trative skills, etc. The one I selected actually had the slowest typing speed, but the best attitude. I have discovered an employee who can type 120 words per minute, but who has a bit of an attitude, will hardly ever achieve that speed while working. By the same token, someone with a great attitude who can type only 50 words per minute will always be trying to improve his/her speed. Call it what you want - arrogance, ego, pride, insecurity, low self-esteem, no self-confidence - I don’t care, sooner or later these people with emotional or mental issues will become untrainable from a skill standpoint. Attitudes are developed over a life- time, and neither you nor I are going to change them in the short time this em- ployee might be with us. By the same token, hire a great attitude and I guar- antee this employee will push you and make you look good; and before you know it, will outgrow the position and want, as well as need, to move up or on. Everyone wins in the process. Avoiding a hiring mistake can save you lots of grief, wasted training time, negative impact on other employees and/or customers, not to mention the possibility of a legal or financial fiasco when you need to terminate them. Don’t risk it. The price is too high. In His service, Tim To receive Tim’s weekly FREE motivational booster articles, contact him at www.timconnor.com with “please add me to your free booster e-mail subscriber list” in the subject line. Or contact him via e-mail at admin@ worldwidedrillingresource.com Consejos de Gerencia por Tim Connor Si Esta Usted Contratando, Lea Esto “El progreso tecnológico es como una hacha en las manos de un criminal com- pulsivo.” Albert Einstein Contratar Bajo Presión Cuando usted contrata presionado porque tiene una vacante o territorio que necesita ser llenada de inmediato, tiende a contratar bajo los estándares y comete errores de contratación. ¿Al- guna vez ha hecho esto? La mayoría de los gerentes lo han hecho alguna vez, ya sea por alguna vacante o un vendedor que renuncio, o el resultado de algún nuevo cliente y requiere de más personal para darle servicio. Hector Leos Translator 3#-0 $ 0!5&-0$14)**% *-5#%,2%0 *--. .3+. +-$3*%1 !0% !4!)* !"*% &-0 "-2( 0%1)$%,2)!* !,$ #-++%0#)!* '0-3,$ *--. (%!2),' !,$ #--*),' 1712%+1 -+.!2)"*% 5)2( 2(%1% .3+.1 03,$&-1 ) *- *-5#%,2%01 #!, "% #-, &)'30%$ 5)2( -0 .3+. 3,)21 2- +!2#( $)&&%0%,2 *-!$ 0%/3)0%+%,21 0-$3#21 ),#*3$% *-5#%,2%01 %-2(%0+!* *-1%$ --. )22),'1 %.*!#%+%,2 3+.1 -1% )21 !,$ ##%11-0)%1 !0)!"*% .%%$ 3+.1 (-,% !6 Connor trans. cont’d on page 46. Foods for Thought The Good Guys: Figs are great for calcium and fiber Beets help the brain stay young Cranberries battle cholesterol Orange piths pack a lot of fiber Eggs support healthy hair and nails Sesame seeds make a strong heart Mustard helps protect against cancer Lamb carries essential omega-3 oils Frozen broccoli boosts immune systems Chiles prevent blood clots from forming Kiwis help eyesight and prevent cancer Celery leaves carry most of the nutrients The Definitely- Not -Good Guys: Smoked and cured meats link to cancer Energy drinks can lead to heart attacks White rice is connected to diabetes Reduced-fat peanut butter has extra sugar