Questions Stars May Ask: Are You Ready?

by apogeebg on July 19, 2011

In the recent issue of Workforce Management, the authors presented 200 questions which may be asked by today’s job seekers.  When you can find a moment, we think they’re worth some time.

We particularly liked the questions which may be posed by some of today’s top candidates.  We grouped them into a few broad categories.  Note how many of these questions pertain to their work group, your culture and how you think they will ‘fit’…

Questions Stars May Ask

About your company…

Lots of your competitors have great products and people programs. What is the deciding factor that makes this opportunity superior? Are you able to say any things that you will do to make this a great experience for me if I accept the position?

When top performers leave the company, why do they leave and where do they usually go?

When was the last significant layoff? What criteria were used to select those to stay?

How many days will it take for you (and the company) to make a hiring decision for this position?

About your product and services…

What’s your company’s “killer application”? What percentage of the market share does it have? Will I be working on it?

Does the company have a program to significantly reward individuals who develop patents/great products? Is there a program to help individuals “start” their own firms or subsidiary? Will I be required to fill out noncompete agreements?

How many approvals would it take (and how long) to get a new $110,000 project idea of mine approved? What percentage of employee-initiated projects in this job were approved last year?

About their work group…

What’s the gross profit margin of the division I will be working in? What percentage of the total profit from the company does it generate? Is it increasing or decreasing?

Who are the “coolest” people on my team? What makes them cool? Can I meet them? Who is the best and worst performer on the team, and what was the difference in their total compensation last year? Sell me on this team and the individuals on it that I get to work with. What makes my closest coworkers fun great people to work with?

Which individual in the department can I learn the most from? What can he or she teach me? Can I meet that person? Does the company have a specific program to advance my career?

How many hours a week do you expect the average person on your team to work? How many hours does the average person in fact work? Are there work-life programs in place to promote a healthy work-life balance?

Give me some examples of the decisions I could make in this job without any approvals. Can you show me the degree of autonomy and control I have in this position?

What is the first assignment you intend to give me? Where does that assignment rank on the departmental priorities? What makes this assignment a great opportunity?

If I were frustrated about my job, what specific steps would you take to help me overcome that frustration? How about if you were frustrated with me? Can you show me examples of what you have done for others in your group in the past year to overcome any frustration?

What are the “wows!” of this job? What are the worst parts? And what will you do to maximize the former and minimize the latter? If I asked the incumbent what stinks about the job, what would he or she say? Can I talk to him or her?

Could I get a chance to see the team in action? Can I sit in on a team meeting? Shadow someone for a day?

What are the biggest problems facing this department in the next six months and in one year? What key competencies have you identified that I will need to develop in the next six months to be successful?

About your company culture…

Can you give me some examples of the best and worst aspects of the company’s culture?

What makes this company a great place to work? What outside evidence (rankings or awards) do you have to prove this is a great place to work? What is the company going to do in the next year to make it better?

What would I see if I stood outside the front door at five o’clock? Would people be smiling? Staying late or leaving early? Would everyone be taking work home?

Can you show me that the company has a diverse workforce and that it is tolerant of individual differences? Does it have affinity groups or similar programs that I might find beneficial? Is there a dress code? Can you give me an example of any “outrageous conduct” this firm tolerates the competitors would not?

Does your company offer any “wow!” benefits? Does it pay for advanced degrees? Does it offer paid sabbaticals? On-site child care?  Relocation packages?  Mentor programs? How are these superior to those of your competitors? What about job sharing? Flex-time arrangements?  Telecommuting?  Workout facilities?

What is your “learning plan” for me for my first six months? What competencies do you propose I will develop that I don’t currently have?

Could I miss a day without your advance permission? What percentage of the people in this position telecommute?  Has anyone in the group been allowed to take a month off (unpaid) to fulfill a personal interest?

How will my performance be evaluated? What are the top criteria you use? What percentage of my compensation is based on my performance? Is there a process where the employees get to assess their supervisor?  If I do a great/bad job in the first 90 days, how, specifically, will you let me know? What are the steps you would take to help me improve? How do you discipline team members?

How many hours of your time can I expect to get each week for the first six months on the job? How often will we have scheduled meetings?

What will make my physical work environment a fun and stimulating place to spend time?

What inputs do employees get in departmental decisions? In hiring and assessing coworkers?

About job fit…

What do you see in me? What are my strongest assets and possible weaknesses? Do you have any concerns that I need to clear up in order to be the top candidate? What is the likelihood — maybe in percentage terms — that I’ll get an offer?

You can see the entire list of 200 questions your company may be asked here—in case you’d like to brush up on a few more answers…

A Perfect Storm—Averted

by apogeebg on June 24, 2011

Frequent flyers will appreciate this latest practice release from Stace Williams, Director of Leadership Practice at BlessingWhite.  She recounts an afternoon at a gate in Philadelphia on the Friday before Memorial weekend when United announced a serious mechanical delay for flight 271.  Business travelers particularly would recognize the ingredients of a perfect storm—but for the experienced intervention by the pilot.

What did he do?  He…

  1. Lead from the front—came out of the cockpit and engaged the passengers directly in their waiting area.
  2. Showed understanding of others’ experience—he let them know he understood their pain.
  3. Reminded people what’s important—he kept the passengers focused on the most important outcome—their own safety.
  4. Was part of the solution—he took an active part in handling the problem, whether reassuring each passenger in line, speaking directly with the mechanics or calling flight operations to explore alternatives.
  5. Expressed genuine appreciation—he sincerely thanked the passengers and expressed his gratitude for their patience and efforts.

Captain Douglas Moore received a round of applause that day—3 hours after the scheduled departure of flight 271.  Read Ms Williams’ full account here.

Your Best Boss: Born or ‘Made’?

by apogeebg on May 4, 2011

Ever pondered the question?  A study in the February issue of the Academy of Management Perspectives, “Leadership and Neuroscience: Can We Revolutionize the Way That Inspirational Leaders Are Identified and Developed?” sheds light on both sides of this intriguing subject.   In it, David A. Waldman, Pierre A. Balthazard and Suzanne J. Peterson explore the concept of coherence—the measurement of how different parts of the human brain communicate with each other.

They posit that since different parts of the brain are responsible for different types of behavior and responses as well as different types of cognition, brains that communicate better across regions may also be better able to handle a broader range of responses—including the complex process of understanding and conveying emotions.  The authors found that individuals with greater coherence (movement across brain regions) had more inclusive and collective visions of the future for their organizations; those with less coherence had a more individualistic or self-centered vision.  They also found that individuals with more collective visions were seen as more charismatic by their teams.  This suggests you either ‘have it’ (charismatic leadership) or you don’t.

Case closed?  Not quite.  Enter neurofeedback—a process, much like biofeedback, which helps individuals understand the various sensations associated with the different ways their brains are firing.  Based on some evidence that neurofeedback can alter some brain functioning, the authors suggest that it may be possible to teach people how to alter their own brain activity so that they create more coherence across regions.  If this is true, we may be able to learn how to process information and emotions in a way which may make us more ‘inspirational’ to others…

Now—that’s something to think about!

Get Rid of Job Descriptions?

by apogeebg on April 18, 2011

In the March 2011 issue of Workforce Management Online, Edward E. Lawler and Christopher G. Worley* proposed the following:

 

“…Despite their widespread uses, job descriptions frequently are more dysfunctional than helpful…”

“…They (job descriptions) are an obsolete management practice that no longer fits today’s rapidly changing human capital centric world of work.”

“…Abandoning job descriptions may sound like a radical approach to many, but it is in fact the way many professional service firms and knowledge work firms have been managed for decades…  It is also the way an increasingly large number of global technology organizations from Google to Netflix are managed.  Simply stated, it fits a management approach that highlights agility by emphasizing adaptability and focusing on human capital as a source of competitive advantage.”

 

Since we can’t just abandon job descriptions and declare we’re being ‘strategic’—what’s the alternative?  According to Lawler and Worley, the answer is competencies—you can use them to effectively hire, manage, pay and promote.

“…The evidence is clear…; a combination of effective leadership and an effective goal-setting process is much more effective at motivating and guiding behavior.  For organizations, it is a step toward achieving sustainable effectiveness.”

 

We feel this approach has a place at the table.  Tell us what you think!  To comment, e-mail info@apogeebg.com.

*Edward E. Lawler III is a distinguished professor of business at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.  He is the founder and director of the university’s Center for Effective Organizations.  Christopher G. Worley holds a joint appointment as a research scientist for the Center for Effective Organizations and is a professor of management at Pepperdine University.

Do Your Managers Have What It Takes to Really Engage Their Teams?

by apogeebg on April 6, 2011

New research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) suggests that the extent to which managers provide guidance, feedback and the appropriate level of autonomy for staff is key to whether employees are willing to go the extra mile for their organization.

“The central role of managers in boosting individual and organizational performance is well-recognized—with with the recent government-commissioned MacLeod review of employee engagement making the point particularly well,” said Ben Willmott, CIPD senior public policy adviser. “But managers need more specific, tried-and-tested guidance on what they can do on a day-to-day basis to fulfill this key role well. Our new research is designed to fill that gap.”

To download your free copy of this study, go to:  “Management Competencies for Enhancing Employee Engagement,”

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