How to Hire Terrific Employees Part Three:

Part Three:Build Interactive Evaluation into Probation and Training
By Cynthia Wall

Choose the staff who make your business inviting to customers and profitable for you. A three-part article hiring process to help you find employees you can trust.
Read Part One: Adopt a Screening Process That Reveals Applicants’ Qualities & Skills
Part Two: Teach Applicants About Your Business During Screening and Probation

Evaluation Starts on Day One and Continues Throughout Probation Evaluation consists of feedback and the formal hiring interview. Respectful evaluation allows you to measure your candidate’s progress, and also builds the morale and loyalty that turns a good candidate into a terrific long-term employee.

Encourage Mutual Feedback

Feedback is informal and happens frequently. For those on probation, your feedback should give clear direction toward earning a permanent position. How they respond to your feedback offers major clues about whether you want them to work for you. You hope they feel appreciated when good work is noticed and gladly learn how to correct and prevent mistakes.

Watch for ways the prospect is being terrific on every shift. Did she restock shelves without being asked? Let her know you appreciate initiative. Thank her if you overhear her say, “I don’t know, but let me find out for you.” Tell her you are delighted if she asks for advice on ways to correct or prevent errors.

Positive comments help balance the times you notice errors. When addressing a problem, ask to speak to her alone as quickly as possible. Introduce your comment with a neutral phrase, such as “I need you to handle something differently.” For repeated mistakes, ask her to describe exactly how the error occurs and provide training if needed. Have her write down corrective actions on her task list to reinforce the lesson.

To measure progress, initiate conversations during lulls. Invite her to offer her opinion before you comment by asking:

How do you think you are doing so far? Is there anything you would like to be doing more or less of?

Caution Answers:

• “I can’t do everything you want me to.”
• “It’s boring sometimes.”
• “I hate having to clean.”
• Any criticism about customers, unless asked with a question of what to do.
  

Welcome Answers:

• “I’d like to learn about product ordering/merchandise display, etc.”
• “Please tell me what else you want me to do when not waiting on customers.”
  
• “Where do you think I could improve?”
  

Follow-up comments and questions: Move around the work environment with them and discuss the tasks they might eventually take on. Explain the rationale for how you display merchandise. Describe in detail your vision of success. Affirm the importance of the small but key daily tasks that keep the business alive and thriving. Ask: ·

Is there some way we can be more helpful in training you? Do you have any suggestions to improve how we operate?

Caution Answers:

• Unjust or petty complaints about co-workers.
• Indifference or negative tone about the store.
• Not respecting your preferences for the store’s policies or ambience.
  

Welcome Answers:

• Asking for training or specific feedback.
• Requesting a review of tasks or scheduling, anything that shows she is committed to earning the position.
• Ideas that show growing awareness of how the store works – moving displays, suggesting new products or services.
  

Follow-up comments and questions: You might try one of her ideas to boost her investment in the business’s success. If negative about other staff, ask what she needs to feel better about them. Is there a willingness to talk with them, or only complain? If your intuition tells you that he or she is not a team player, be glad you found out while still in probation.

Conduct a Formal Hiring Interview

The hiring interview signals the offer of a permanent position. This is your opportunity to speak privately about mutual job satisfaction and concerns. The prospect gets to express needs and expectations as well. If you are not going to hire the person, you do not need this step.

Arrange an hour of uninterrupted time. Begin by referring to the task list, asking the candidate how well she thinks she has been handling each specific item. One way is to ask her to grade her own performance on each key item, A to F. You then acknowledge the areas of accomplishment, and mutually discuss solutions to problem areas.

You will be relieved to find how honestly, even harshly, most will reflect on their weak areas. Your fears about being too critical fade as you reassure them that they are doing better than they think.

Waiting until they comment on their own progress makes it easier to point to the areas you want them to improve. Suggest training and ask how they would like to receive feedback on progress. This may be a chance to delegate new tasks. Upgrade the permanent job description to match expanded responsibilities.

End the interview with a celebration of her new status as an employee. Describe how she has become an asset to the business, and remind her you want to keep hearing about new ideas and suggestions.

Managers who use this format find they spend most hiring interviews sharing strategies with the new employee to improve morale and customer service.

The Reward of a Good Hiring Process is Mutual Trust

Use these three elements of screening, probation, and evaluation to avoid making a snap decision on a long-term commitment. You establish the importance of the position by making the first interview deliberately formal, and having a defined probationary period for training. Prompt and respectful feedback saves you more time – not to mention sleepless nights – than any other form of employee communication. Each completed phase informs your intuition about whether you have the right person for the job.

From the moment that you invite people to apply to work with you, model how you want them to treat you and your customers – with honesty and respect. By continually orienting them to a bigger picture of your store’s function and future goals, they will incorporate how their role is important in the success of your business.

Most important of all, you can confidently ask for the best from your employees. They will love their jobs and have learned to trust that you will listen to their ideas and concerns with respect.

Cynthia Wall, LCSW, is a therapist, consultant, and the author of The Courage to Trust: a guide to building deep and lasting relationships (Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publication, 2005). In consultations, she assists a small business translate the successful strategies of larger corporations and supervise employees with compassionate honesty. Contact Cynthia at www.CynthiaWall.com.

Published in Networking Today, April 2006.