I work with many startups and emerging brands. They have become the core of my business. It gives me great satisfaction in helping them with their recruiting needs. When my colleagues and I created ITB Partners, our strategy was to focus on this sector. Companies in this phase of their life cycle face decisions that carry significant risk. One or two bad choices can sink an otherwise viable company, even if they have proof of concept. We believed we could help emerging companies achieve success by avoiding business-killing mistakes. Recruiting new employees is one of those high-risk activities.
A growing company will eventually need to increase its staffing level. They must approach this high potential risk with caution. For many of my clients, i.e., emerging brands, the first consideration is to find an outsourced solution. Many job functions can be outsourced, including accounting and human resources. A recent client had even outsourced most of their marketing function. However, a viable outsourcing strategy requires a strategic-level employee on staff to manage the outsourced function.
A good example is to hire a Controller or CFO to manage the outsourced accounting function and interface with the financial community and investors. Mission-critical job functions probably cannot and should not be outsourced. Early on, outsourcing non-mission-critical job functions may be a better use of a company’s resources. It is also a valuable way to reduce the risk associated with an expanding workforce.
Some Pitfalls.
Adding too much staff too soon.
Failure to use outsourced solutions
Lack of prioritization of positions to fill
Lack of processes for recruiting and selection
Lack of training for interviewing and selection
Lack of a coherent reason why someone should join your company
Recruiting for startups is different from hiring for a going concern. As I say, the risk is more significant. The costs for hiring a non-competent employee or someone whose behavioral issues negatively impact the culture may significantly affect a small company. Established companies have less difficulty attracting good employees. They have people, processes, and systems to ensure an effective recruiting and selection process and lower risk profile. They have an established culture and look to fill positions with people who reflect their mission.
Small, emerging companies have fewer resources, are less political, and have a bias for action. Speed rules! Entrepreneurs often have unconventional management styles. They can be chaotic. Employees working in these environments must demonstrate a high degree of flexibility and adaptability. Job roles have a wider scope, requiring employees to have a broader experience. It requires employees with greater self-confidence who are comfortable in an ambiguous, less-structured work environment. Many entrepreneurs lack training in recruiting, selection, onboarding, and retention. Job descriptions are challenging to create as ideal candidate profiles, and behavioral components may be more important than skills and experience. Finally, an emerging company may have more difficulty selling employment opportunities as their brands are unknown.
What to Do?
Begin with a plan!
Set staffing priorities w/timeline for hires
Can function/position be outsourced?
Establish processes for recruiting, selection, and onboarding.
Determine training needs of key managers and decision-makers.
Determine selection criteria (skills, experience, cultural fit)
Determine employer’s Unique Selling Proposition – Why should I join this company?
Let’s assume that you have a process in place to determine if a function should be covered by a contractor, an outside resource provider, or to hire W-2 employees. You have determined that you need a significant addition to staff in one or more mission-critical areas. Your solution is to hire employees to meet this need. How should you proceed?
As with any initiative in business or life generally, a successful outcome usually begins with a plan. Actionable data is required to develop an effective plan. So, what is the information you need? First, understand the work to be done and the importance of that work to the current year P&L. In other words, a cost-benefit analysis for each position you need to fill. This information provides the priority for filling each position.
To summarize, you have determined that increasing your company’s employment base is necessary for growth. But adding employees carries risk. You understand that minimizing this risk is critical to your company’s survival. Fortunately, you can mitigate this risk by improving the skills of those responsible for recruiting and selection. The solution is to find a consultant or a program that will give your managers the training and development they need. The cost of failure in this regard cannot be understated.
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I first stood at the Lincoln Memorial the day of Live Aid. It was my first trip to Washington, D.C. I almost kept going to Philadelphia to stand outside the concert event and hear the music. I decided to stay in D.C. and watch the concert from a new technology called jumbotrons staged on the National Mall. I realized I was experiencing history and that it was best I stop and take in the events.
I shared previously about Lincoln. I wondered what would be the outcome of the Live Aid effort that day in D.C. I wondered if Abraham Lincoln realized in 1858 when he explained how a divided house could not stand he would be dead in less than seven years by assassination. I stood at his memorial in 1985 and wondered why he was not buried in D.C. I concluded it did not matter where he is buried. Death is death. The best that can be done going forward is to honor the memories, the actions, and the contributions of the dead.
You, as the leader of your organization, have selected job applicants to be candidates for each role you need to be filled in your organization. You do not need to spend any more time considering the end of the tenure for those you need to move out of your organization. You have stepped through assessing each applicant’s application package, identified what seems to be a match between their application package and your role opportunity, had the screening call conducted by way of your direction, read the call outcomes, and have decided to speak with a candidate yourself. You now must decide how much freedom you will give your candidate to accomplish their work in your organization through the role they serve. You are considering death and life simultaneously as you move to care for the organization. This decision is similar to a shepherd and the flock they supervise.
A sheep has no fangs or claws. They are dependent on the shepherd to protect them by leading, guiding, and directing them. They lead by being out front of them. They guide by being beside them. They direct by being behind them. The shepherd leads them to grass to eat. The shepherd does not mandate which tuft of grass a sheep must eat. Each sheep has some degree of freedom in its relationship with its shepherd.
Let’s look at a formula I have studied for years to help me evaluate the possibility someone would want to purchase something from me as a means to guide your interview conversations. A buyer may want to purchase a product I am selling or my labor in the form of services. The formula has three parts to it. Each part must have enough value in the eye of the buyer to purchase whatever it is I am selling. You also need these three parts to have enough value in both your eyes and in the eyes of the candidate to proceed through your evaluation process.
INTEREST
You are selling a job by way of a compensation package. There may be fame as an outcome of the job, but no one can guarantee fame. The exchange of money in your labor budget for the total services delivered from a worker is the deal. Is this deal interesting to you as the service buyer? Is this deal interesting to the candidate as the service seller?
Now, the candidate has the same thoughts in mind but is reserved in their perspective. They see you are selling your compensation package, and they are the buyer through their services currency. How do I know this is true? Because they would be talking to a better deal for their services currency than talking to you about your compensation package. You have the best offer that has come to them. They most likely are always looking for a better deal. You most likely are always looking for a better deal. A better offer could come at any time. So, the offer from you has a boundary to it called time.
Here are some clear indications of interest on both your part and on the part of the candidate. Are they looking you in your eyes to listen to what you are telling them? Are you looking into their eyes? Are they taking notes during your discussion with them? Are you taking notes about their discussion performance? Are they able to repeat back to you any of the statements or points you make to them? Are you able to repeat back to them anything they shared during the conversation that is new to you? Are they able to provide a meaningful answer to a question you ask them about the information you have shared with them? Are you able to provide a meaningful answer to a question they ask you about the information you have shared with them? Are they involved with social networking during your conversation with them? Are you multitasking during the conversation with them?
TRUST
A buyer may want what is sold, but they do not trust the seller. If a buyer does not trust what is being sold, then they have no interest in what is being sold. Trust is the connector of evidence and faith. Evidence is clear proof. An example of evidence is the paycheck arriving to the worker every pay cycle. Faith is the assurance the evidence will arrive. An example of faith is the time between paydays. An example of trust is the inability to prove the paycheck will be delivered to the worker on payday but convinced the paycheck will come as agreed.
You, as the interviewer, may conclude the candidate has the skills, but you do not trust they will deliver those skills to you for the compensation you deliver to them. You also may conclude they are interested in doing the work you want them to do for you, but they also have an interest to go and fix parts of your organization they believe need fixing beyond the work you want them to do.
They, as the candidate, may realize you are not a person they want to walk with now. You can protect, lead, guide, and direct them, but they do not want to eat the grass you have provided for them. They may have a worldview that does not overlap suitably with yours or the organization.
Any of these reasons and more cause the candidate to stop being a candidate. You are unable to provide them the trust necessary to do their role in a manner they prefer that is also acceptable to you. Their candidacy is dead. Move on without remorse. Do not be concerned with what may occur with them tomorrow as a future applicant to another role you need to be filled.
MONEY
You have what you define as a great job opening. You do not have enough money to pay someone to do the work. Stop what you are doing. You do not need to interview anyone. You need to find a budget to spend.
Asking anyone to work for less than what the work is worth demonstrates poor judgment. Your trust as a leader would be damaged by such a choice, perhaps beyond repair. It is not worth the hassles of asking anyone to take work that is not funded fairly.
Now, what is fair? That answer is between you and the service supplier. If you are convinced you have a fair compensation package, then this is all you need to know for fairness. If your candidate does not agree that what comprises your compensation package is fair to them, then you are still at a stopping point with their candidacy.
What you are seeing at this point in your evaluation process is the concept of equal pay for equal work in terms of economic equity. You do not have a pay gap, as the candidate is not being paid because they are not a member of your organization. Your best and final offer is what it is. I am not talking about job promotions, pay raises, or any other role modification. I am only discussing bringing a new person into your organization. What happens to them after they are brought into your organization is an altogether different thought construct based on the linear connection of your worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue. My hope for you is you walk out the linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue with those you lead in a fair and clear manner. I hold this hope as I prefer you to be a credible leader.
RECOMMENDATIONS
I recommend you take time this week to practice your interview methodology and cadence. Go so far as to prepare the meal menu you will eat before the interview to have all parts of yourself ready to hold the discussion.
I also recommend you do not multitask during the interview discussion. There is nothing good that comes from multitasking during a crucial discussion. All that is demonstrated by multitasking during a crucial discussion is chaos is present in your organization. If you need to communicate to the candidate you have chaos in your organization, then you can do so effectively by way of a single sentence, either verbally or in writing. Then, stop multitasking and focus on having a productive conversation.
Finally, gain a commitment from the candidate during the conversation. See how interested they are in joining your organization by putting actions to their words. Ask them to write something and email it to you. Write, in the form of a researched-based effort. This action is a great way to learn quickly how interested a candidate is in joining your organization based on all they have learned to this point about you, the role, and the organization.
So, I ask you: where do you want to go? I hope your answer is to develop the plans necessary to accomplish the strategy you know you need to achieve to arrive at your desired destination. If this is the case, then let’s get to work. If not, then I wish you the best of everything.
I hope we will see each other here next week. Email me if you need to talk before then.
Stephen Dawson is an executive consultant of technology and business strategy, serving significant international organizations by providing leadership consulting, strategic planning, and executive communications. He has more than thirty years of service and consulting experience in delivering successful international business development and program management outcomes in the US and SE Asia. His weekly column, “Where Do You Want To Go?,” appears on Thursdays.
Dr. Dawson has served in the technology, banking, and hospitality industries. He is a noted strategic planning visionary. His pursuit of music has been matched with his efforts to lead by service to followers. He holds the clear understanding a leader without followers is a person taking a long walk alone.
Stephen has lived his life in the eastern United States, visiting most of the United States and several countries. He is a graduate of the Regent University School of Business & Leadership. Contact him at service@shdawson.com.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
New Century Dynamics Executive Search is pleased to announce that we have been engaged to find an Operations Manager for a Pizza Take-Out/Delivery Company in Central Ohio.
Operations Manager | Job Expectations
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
Direct Reports:
Multi-Unit Manager
General Managers
Schedule expectations:
Variable shifts and days
Evenings and weekends as needed
45-50-hour workweek
General Job Expectations:
Autonomy to meet the goals of the role position and company, bring value, and process improvements.
Create an economic system to meet labor profitability goals offsetting company overhead.
Execute the company’s core focus – Proud to always serve unmatched quality in both pizza and experience – in all areas of responsibility.
Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program/process improvement.
Coordinate activities between all departments for smooth and efficient implementation of food and beverage initiatives, service initiatives, operational updates, and training programs.
Direct and coordinate operations, service, menu, restaurant environment, cleanliness standards, management development service style/system, food safety, and internal marketing initiatives at the restaurant locations.
Minimize security threats, shrinkage, and profit loss through regular audits, develop loss prevention procedures and hold teams accountable to security guidelines.
Assist with planning and implementation of annual events and company meetings as required.
Core Areas of Responsibility:
Customer Retention
Motivate all managers and team members to become knowledgeable, organized, and task-oriented so they may use their energy, passion, and drive to focus on the customer.
Monitor guest feedback and take action on trends.
Supervision
Lead manage and hold accountable direct reports using the EOS model.
Coach, train, and develop direct reports.
Quality Control
Ensure all product and customer service standards are met.
Process Management
Approve Operational Manual edits (all processes used in food production, sanitation, and customer service) and update the Operations Manual.
Catering
Prepare menus, budgets, and goals.
Vendor Relations
Facilitate open discussions and communication with managers, team members, and other business or vendor partners to improve organizational efficiencies and practices.
Implement or oversee environmental management or sustainability programs addressing issues such as recycling, conservation, or waste management.
For more information, contact Jim Weber.
Jim Weber – President New Century Dynamics Executive Search
New Century Dynamics Executive Search places a CMO/Head of Marketing for a rapidly growing, northeastern-based, direct-to-consumer, subscription meal delivery company.
Jim Weber, President of New Century Dynamics Executive Search, and Managing Partner of ITB Partners reports that he has found a CMO/Head of Marketing for his client.
Working with the senior leadership team, this Executive will drive the development and plan the execution of a comprehensive growth strategy to achieve the company’s objectives, charting their path to the future. The Head of Marketing will evaluate and enhance the organization’s branding, digital & traditional marketing, partnerships, event planning, public relations, community outreach programs, and customer experience group.
With respect to the Company’s goals, vision, mission, purpose, and core values, the General Manager is accountable for the overall smooth and profitable operation of the designated restaurant. The General Manager trains managers and hourly team members on proper restaurant operation procedures, regulatory agency guidelines and provides ongoing training for updates and maintenance of training standards.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
A. PRINCIPAL DUTIES
1. Provides Leadership, Management, and Accountability for the designated store by following the EOS guidelines
2. Maintains a positive work culture that will facilitate the overall success of the restaurant. Demonstrates the core values by “living” them.
3. Accountable for the overall financial performance of business units based on annual budget expectations.
4. Accountable for expanding business volume to meet growth goals set by leadership. The GM will recommend ways to increase demand for the
restaurant in our market.
5. Accountable for focusing team efforts to accomplish our mission with
exceptional guest experiences and the constant building of guest loyalty.
6. Accountable for facility safety & security, maintenance, and cleanliness.
7. Accountable for recruiting, hiring, performance management, compensation management, employee relations, ACA compliance, terminations.
B. LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY
1. Leads management team by following defined success routines
2. Directs the work of all team members.
3. Manages restaurant electronic systems including POS, gift cards, delivery platforms, data management software, and credit card processing. Updated 01/21/21 JS
4. Follows EOS best practices including weekly L10 meetings
5. Establishes and maintains contact with vendors and service providers
6. Maintains store files including trainee folders, Health Policy Agreements, and daily sales.
7. Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities;
attending seminars, reading professional publications, etc.
8. Interacts effectively and maintains good rapport and professional presence with team, customers, purveyors, community, and owners.
9. Maintains a professional appearance. Follows current Uniform policy.
10. Ensures proper food handling procedures are followed at all times per
regulatory agency guidelines and company standard operating procedures.
11. Protects all critical company and customer data, including proprietary
information, recipes, accounting statistics, credit card information &
customer/vendor information.
C. GUEST SATISFACTION
1. Daily management of events, private parties, beer classes, guest feedback platforms, and reservation/wait-management systems.
2. Assigns server sections; monitors seating and rotation; adjust sections based on business volume.
3. Checks on guests throughout meal service with a focus on guest satisfaction during high volume periods.
4. Follows our brand guidelines to ensure consistent, accurate, and high-quality food, beverage, and service levels for all guests at all times.
D. EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION
1. Inspires team members to perform at their highest level through ongoing recognition of behaviors that align with core values.
2. Maintains a healthy lifestyle, promoting a stress-free and vigorous
management style.
3. Oversees the creation, maintenance, and communication of schedules through scheduling platforms.
E. LOCAL STORE MARKETING
1. GM is accountable for executing the Local Store Marketing (LSM) strategy.
2. Works with Marketing Manager to maintain an accurate calendar of events, dates, and times for store and local market.
3. Accountable for ensuring office supplies, marketing materials, menus, and retail items are in good condition and at sufficient levels
F. HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
1. Ensures sufficient staffing levels by predicting store sales to meet guest satisfaction, team engagement, and business requirements
2. Oversees semi-annual evaluations & quarterly People Analyzer Reviews for all team members and completes evaluations for direct reports.
3. Manages all team members during pre-service, service & closing hours. Management will include:
i. Provides direction, instruction, and coaching to team members (daily)
ii. Monitors team members’ performance. Updated 01/21/21 JS
iii. Commends/corrects performance through proper use of performance
documentation
4. Develops future leaders to meet succession planning needs.
G. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
1. Attains the financial goals/budgetary goals of the company by monitoring and making adjustments as necessary.
2. Dispersing properly and effectively the budgeted capital, including but not limited to advertising, donations, decorations, bonuses, and promotions.
3. Follows success routines including weekly side-by-side, inventories, invoice processing, payroll processing & monthly P&L reviews.
4. Ensures inventories are completed accurately and on time.
5. Maintains accurate and comprehensive record keeping.
H. FACILITY MANAGEMENT
1. Utilizes daily success routines to monitor the physical premises.
2. Orders repairs and refurbishments as needed. Assists the Business Support team to maintain Resource Manual. The manager uses approved contractors who maintain competitive services and pricing.
3. Maintains a clean & sanitary work/storage area with regard to the health dept.
4. Manages on a shift by shift basis all necessary cleaning (daily & weekly)
i. Checks out all team members at end of shifts (station and cleaning)
ii. Assigns cleaning tasks as needed to keep BOH areas sanitary, clean and safe, and public-facing areas immaculate
I. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
A. Ability to stand and walk continually throughout service shifts
B. Ability to frequently lift 30lb trays of food and drinks
C. Ability to occasionally lift 50lb for product delivery and restocking
D. Ability to communicate easily to guests and team members
QUALIFICATIONS
A. 3+ years of management experience required
B. Bachelor’s degree preferred
C. Proficient knowledge of P&Ls, budgets, inventory systems, financial statements and
ability to read & interpret business reports
D. This position regularly requires long hours, nights, and weekend work
E. Reliable transportation for the required trips for errands (bank, store, printing, etc)
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
“Truth is like the Sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.” Elvis Presley
Dr. Stephen H Dawson
Ah, the search for truth. I see the term truth as a singular term. There are parts of the truth we understand, but never all of the truth. If someone understood all truth, then they would be omniscient. We covered our understanding of truth last week when we considered the linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue. Today, let’s talk about how to assess the folks who have applied to work in your organization to help accomplish the strategic planning work that you need to be accomplished by your organization.
I have encouraged during our time together that appropriate research be accomplished when considering all things. I shared research is part of how I have worked for years in a research-before-action mode. I provided examples of this belief. I cautioned against analysis paralysis. I described the differences between looking and reading. You now need to read through the applications submitted by the folks who want to come work for you. Let’s go through some of the facts you face, and see how you can best identify some qualified candidates.
ROLE CONSTRUCTION
The means to define a role in your organization begins with the job analysis. Work is performed to understand what each role needs to accomplish, how each role needs to accomplish the work, and the resources used by each role. The job analysis work is then finished and termed as the job analysis asset. A subset of the job analysis asset then forms the job definition asset. A subset of the job definition asset then forms the job announcement asset. A person is then sought to fill each role in your organization to do the job required by each role.
APPLICANT TRACKING
An applicant selected for consideration to fill a role you have in your organization is then called a candidate. The applicant tracking system is valuable for keeping track of applicant information. It alone is not valuable to evaluate applicants for their match to any role. A resume or CV can be padded with loads of terms, matched with a fake cover letter, only to waste much time. I have found no resume parsing technology worth using. The screening call must occur by telephone to know with any degree of certainty if a candidate is a potential match to a role. The screening could occur in person, but it has been my experience this screening step best occurs by telephone conversation. Meaningful applicant screening cannot occur until after the screening call when a qualified subject matter expert can speak with the candidate and find out how much truth resides in their application package.
Now, all of these laws, requirements, and guidelines can be averted with ease. Person A has a job to fill. Person B applies for the job to work for Person A. Person A tells Person C to read through the many social networking options available to accomplish research on Person B. Person C then tells Person A verbally what they found out about Person B.
This plan has been around for millenniums. It provides plausible deniability to Person A that they have not violated an employment discrimination law. This plan also introduces the possibility of improper research occurring along with the possibility of incorrect interpretation of either the proper or improper research. It also furthers the possibility Person B did not maintain the necessary confidentiality of Person A. The hassles here are not worth the risks. I do not endorse this plan. My linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue would not consider this plan, but the plan is possible for anyone to perform.
THIRD-PARTY TESTING
The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory are workable options to help meet your needs to understand the personality held by each candidate. The ProfileXT assessment includes an assessment of candidate’s cognitive ability. A suitable personality assessment helps to understand a candidate, but personality testing alone is insufficient to understand the potential match between each role you need to be filled and each candidate’s ability to fill each role. This testing could be used in combination with other applicant evaluation methods. I am leery of using a third-party test alone to evaluate anyone or anything. I hold this concern because there are still too many gaps in the picture to get to the truth of an applicant’s ability to join my organization and do the work I need to be accomplished.
I look at the pile of job applications and wonder if it is possible to find a candidate suitable to meet my needs. I get tired from reading the applications. I get overwhelmed by the work I need to be accomplished by my people getting further behind. Sound familiar? I experienced this pain for years. I finally said enough to this way of working and decided to gain the help of someone who is qualified to meet my needs by paying them to fill a short-term role in my organization.
COUNSELED RESULTS INTERPRETATION
A podiatrist is someone who I do not need all of the time in my life. However, should I need work performed on my foot, then I want to talk to someone who knows how to help solve my foot problem. I also want someone qualified to work on my foot. Do you remember our discussion about heavy equipment operation? The same principles from that discussion hold true to your need for help to find suitable applicants to consider.
I do not see a straight line to finding a suitable applicant for any role in today’s world. There are too many changes occurring in global commerce, social, and political landscapes to plan for an organization to have any worker remain their entire work career with any organization. I cannot afford to endorse any candidate for a role unless I have credible research supporting my endorsement.
I do see the need for strategic foresight. I am both a scholar and practitioner of strategic foresight. Anyone can do some meaningful form of strategic foresight. Just ask a single mother who raised her kids to graduate from school, stay off alcohol and drugs, and stay out of jail. She is living proof strategic foresight can exist at all levels of society.
I do see the need for succession planning. I am both a scholar and practitioner of succession planning. Ask anyone who lived through the changes that occurred during 2020 to tell you their version of succession planning. This planning has a lot to do with contingency planning. Sometimes these planning efforts also benefit from the help of strategic foresight, should strategic foresight be accomplished before it was needed.
What you are trying to avoid is more problems coming to you. You cannot escape the truth your linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue combination must have a suitable overlap with the linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue combination held by everyone you bring into your organization. Furthermore, that overlap must also be suitable for those in your organization now to have the inclusion effect occur productively across the linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue found in your organization’s culture. Remember, your organization includes any matrix-supplied folks involved in doing work with your people, your customers, your strategic partners, and your supply chain network.
What you are hoping for is the reality of truth helping you both find and select a suitable job applicant for each role you need to be filled in your organization. You are hoping one candidate will stand out among the rest, or at least find you have no appropriate candidates. Light helps with eliminating darkness, yes?
My recommendation to help you find some qualified candidates from the job applicants you have now is to evaluate their personality and worldview. This consideration will help to diversify your organization by walking out the linear connection of worldview, ethics, morality, and virtue held by everyone involved in working with each role you need to be filled by your selected job applicant. You are going to face their personality and worldview eventually. It is best to understand both of them during the assessment process.
You do not need a counselor to help you interpret the skills held by an applicant. The skills form a clear set of credentials. If applicant skills are not clear, then they are not qualified to become a candidate.
A match by personality to a role is realized by also matching skills and worldview. An espoused worldview is the most straightforward means I have found to understand more about a person. Their personality and skills may help me understand their worldview, but it is not a guarantee. Personality may be situational. Worldview is often continual. Skills are often temporal.
I urge keeping the screening call bound to a list of predefined questions prepared by you. This approach will help assure the person conducting the screening call does not attempt to interject an interview approach you do not approve of. It will also help assure all applicants are evaluated fairly.
If I were you, then I would select someone who can prove to me they can help me accomplish the candidate assessments and interpret the results of each assessment by their provable work history along with the education and certifications they hold. I would check their references. I would ask for examples of their already accomplished relevant work. I would also take their assessment of the first person they assess and run it by some other qualified professionals. I know the second person will want to do their own assessment, but it is worth an objective review by an objective person. If the second person refuses to interpret the first person’s work results, then I would not ask for any further help from the second person. I know my family doctor and podiatrist share their research and findings. So, other qualified professionals can do the same sharing of materials they are qualified to interpret.
I recommend you take time this week and consider how you desire to gain a deeper understanding of the personality and worldview of each applicant you are considering for each role you need to fill. The best means I have found to understand a person’s worldview is to ask them the following question: what is your worldview? I also recommend you select some third-party personality testing sources to use with your applicant after they pass their first interview with their potential boss.
So, I ask you: where do you want to go? I hope your answer is to develop the plans necessary to accomplish the strategy you know you need to achieve to arrive at your desired destination. If this is the case, then let’s get to work. If not, then I wish you the best of everything.
I hope we will see each other here next week. Email me if you need to talk before then.
Stephen Dawson is an executive consultant of technology and business strategy, serving significant international organizations by providing leadership consulting, strategic planning, and executive communications. He has more than thirty years of service and consulting experience in delivering successful international business development and program management outcomes in the US and SE Asia. His weekly column, “Where Do You Want To Go?,” appears on Thursdays.
Dr. Dawson has served in the technology, banking, and hospitality industries. He is a noted strategic planning visionary. His pursuit of music has been matched with his efforts to lead by service to followers. He holds the clear understanding a leader without followers is a person taking a long walk alone.
Stephen has lived his life in the eastern United States, visiting most of the United States and several countries. He is a graduate of the Regent University School of Business & Leadership. Contact him at service@shdawson.com.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
POSITION SYNOPSIS:
As a key member of the senior leadership team, the highly entrepreneurial Head of Marketing will drive the development and execution of a comprehensive marketing plan and growth strategy to align with the company’s objectives. The position oversees the organization’s branding, digital & traditional marketing, partnerships, event planning, public relations, community outreach programs, and customer experience group.
Key qualities for success include:
● Entrepreneurial
● Can get things done tactically while moving a business forward strategically.
● Has successfully built a team, in a phased approach.
○ Balancing readiness for the investment against spend for agencies.
● Understands and believes in holding consultants accountable via contracts with performance metrics.
● Understands that a budget is a guideline, everything must be evaluated as time and direction change.
● Is fanatical about the numbers — especially about CAC and conversion
● Ability to shift between tactical and the strategic
● Has managed an e-commerce DTC brand – either someone from food
delivery or someone who comes to the table with great ideas on how to
apply their experience to food/meal delivery.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
● Work collaboratively with other members of the leadership team to define objectives, KPIs, develop budgets, strategies, and achieve targets in line with founders’ vision and the company’s mission
● Lead development and execution of a differentiated, consumer insight-driven brand strategy.
● Diversify the mix of digital and analog acquisition channels to more effectively target prospective higher affinity customers, increase conversion and LTV, reduce CAC, and scale.
● Monitor and optimize the payback period of each cohort of users making the necessary adjustments in the quality of acquisition.
● Set up frameworks to create successful funnels. Design an acquisition mix that is truly user-centric and leads media buying to bring traffic that converts to new users that meet our growth targets.
● Design, develop and execute formal customer retention strategies and programs.
● Identify and engage key strategic partners to increase brand awareness and drive growth.
● Develop and manage the consumer-facing digital and offline experiences.
● Oversee the company’s customer experience group
● Develop value-add presentations to engage key internal stakeholders, investors, and partners.
● Drive company vision, messaging, and brand consistency; instill a growth-minded culture.
● Full P&L responsibility for the marketing department
● Recruit and lead talented internal and outsourced teams
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
● Minimum 10 years of marketing experience, and a successful track record formulating and leading marketing strategy, implementation, and team building for direct-to-consumer e-commerce companies.
● 5+ years of marketing experience driving customer acquisition across marketing channels (PPC, Display, Paid Search, Paid Social, Retargeting, etc) – startup experience preferred.
● 5+ years of marketing leadership experience
● Subscription experience is preferred
● Experience working with ad-serving platforms and digital monitoring tools, as well as offline marketing tools and strategies as well.
● Experience in leading and managing A/B testing, embedded media, and marketing program optimization
● Demonstrated data insights (KPI’s, traffic, revenue, conversions, ROI) to improve marketing efforts
● Demonstrated interest and/or experience working with or coaching a fast-growing company.
● Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate with and influence colleagues at all levels.
● Excellent eye for design and can understand and interpret design language (digital and analog), experience managing designers, developers, and agencies.
● Sense of urgency in assisting the brand to navigate the ever-changing landscape to commercialize opportunities.
● Strong leadership, talent mentoring, and talent development skills.
● Enthusiastic, can-do approach, with the ability to prioritize effectively in a rapid-paced environment.
● Self-motivated with critical attention to detail, deadlines, and reporting.
● Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business Administration, or related field of study. MBA Degree preferred.
Compensation and Benefits
● This position is an “at-will”, full-time, salaried, exempt position. The salary will depend upon the candidate’s relevant experience
● Competitive benefits are available – medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and 401k
Location
We work in the East Coast Time Zone. The majority of work is remote. Available for periodic meetings – after the pandemic in greater NYC. Relocation expenses are not available.
The Company is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, disability, and veteran status.
Ideal Candidate Profile
Who comes from a Tier 1 D2C Meals Company that has grown to become a market/sector leader:
HelloFresh
Freshly
Factor
Tier 1 D2C Consumer Brands:
Magic Spoon
Stitch Fix
Allbirds
Warby Parker
Away
Bonobos
Glossier
Casper
Harry’s Razors
Dollar Shave Club
Or Tier 1 Early Stage Branding Agency who has helped companies like the
above ideally early on that led to a growth inflection point: e.g. Red Antler.
It’s happened to nearly every business. A difficult employee creates problems for the workplace. At Flex HR, our HR professionals are witnessing more and more problematic behavioral types that are leading to major workplace issues. Some blame the rise of the #MeToo movement for these fluctuating attitudes of their staff. Organizations have definitely shifted their focus to inclusivity; however, this could absolutely be indicative of employee conflicts, harassment, and other workplace violent acts in the future.
Behavior that creates, or has the potential to create risk to the business or health and safety concerns of employees is simply inappropriate and unacceptable at any business and should be clearly outlined in the Company’s Handbook. These intolerable behaviors tend to spread like wildfire and lead to a plethora of issues such as decreases in performance, productivity, communication, employee commitment, and even a toxic work environment. Thus, causing an increase in turnover costs and even legal expenses. The various behavior concerns that business owners and managers need to be aware of, create written policies for and take preventive measures on are outlined below.
Conflicts
In the workplace conflict is inevitable. When you have a group of people that all have different personalities, work motivation, process, goals, and beliefs, a clashing of opinions is going to happen. Some typical conflicts tend to be gossip, communication problems, interpersonal, leadership-driven, task-based, unclear job expectations, or resistance to change.
Unresolved conflict issues continue to snowball into more serious problems. Developing effective conflict resolution solutions are an important component for building, trust, good company culture morale, and overall, employee retention. Conflicts can often lead to positive changes when resolved properly.
Harassment
Flex HR defines harassment as unwelcome or unreasonable behavior that demeans, intimidates, or humiliates people either as individuals or as a group.
Bullying
Workplace bullying is a form of harassment that is targeted, health-harming behavior toward one or more employees that is spiteful, offensive, hurtful, mocking, or intimidating. According to the Workplace Bullying Institute, more than 76 million workers in the United States are affected by bullying. There are 4 main types of bullying:
Verbal – slandering, ridiculing, or maligning a person or his or her family with persistent name-calling that is hurtful and humiliating.
Physical – pushing, shoving, kicking, poking, tripping, assault or threat of physical assault, damage to a person’s work area or property.
Gesture – nonverbal gestures that can convey threatening messages.
Exclusion – socially or physically excluding or disregarding a person in work-related activities.
Sexual Harassment – unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. There are actually different types of sexual harassment:
Quid Pro Quo, or something for something that typically those with supervisory authority hold over an employee.
Hostile Work Environment where there is intimidation or abuse that is unreasonable, usually repetitive (verbal or non-verbal), and can even be physical.
Sexual Favoritism, a form of hostile work environment by which favored treatment for submission and even unwelcomed sexual favors occurs.
A Third-Party is any person who observes someone being harassed or observes sexual conduct and is adversely affected may claim this sexual harassment.
Every manager, supervisor, or employee has an opportunity, or an obligation to report harassment. Any type of harassment must be reported immediately to management, who then reports the act to their HR professional. Jim Cichanski, Founder & CHRO for Flex HR says “the largest problem built into company cultures is the fear of employees going to HR or management to report a complaint. Many times, situations have gone untouched for 2 or 3 years before an employee lodges a concern”. We encourage companies to establish an Ethics Hotline where employees can state their concerns anonymously.
Discrimination
Now more than ever, discrimination in the workplace has become one of the most talked-about HR-related issues. Laws are in place to protect the workforce of a company, but sadly not all organizations are free of hurtful behavior. Any discrimination issues, such as race, age, gender, disability, religion, and citizenship, should be reported and stopped immediately to minimize the damaging effects to the workplace.
Clearly written policies on not allowing discrimination should be included in the handbook that each employee receives upon getting hired and then signs an acknowledgment of receipt.
Violence
1 out of 7 people don’t feel safe at work, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has recently reported. Sadly, isn’t too surprising given the increasing number of violent work incidents over the past couple of years. It’s critical for companies to make their employees feel safe on the job. This starts with the responsibilities of HR to identify their staff starting with the proper candidate screenings, including background checks, and getting to know workers on a more personal level to see the warning signs.
Establishing a zero-tolerance policy is the first step in outlining a workplace violence protection program. The Safe Carry Protection Act of 2014 — more popularly called the “Guns Everywhere Bill” — clarified the rights of employers to ban guns on their property. Under the law, employers can prohibit the possession of firearms in company buildings and company-owned parking lots “as long as the employer is the property owner or has legal control of the property.” If owners want protection inside their facilities it’s highly recommended that a written policy authorizing an employee to carry a weapon be added upon the advanced written approval of the CEO or Owner.
Whether these rules are composed as a part of the company handbook or as its own separate policy, creating a prevention plan, identifying and defining workplace violence, recognizing warning signs, establishing an emergency response plan, and implementing a response team must be documented. For more information check out our previous article Preventing and Dealing With Violence In the Workplace.
HR’s Precautionary Role
Guidance and training managers are an integral role that HR professionals play to minimize the effects of difficult, and or disruptive employee behavior in the workplace. These challenging situations must be identified and acknowledged right away so that HR and upper management can strategize to formulate the best possible solution. Managers and supervisors must take all complaints of alleged behavioral concerns seriously no matter how minor or who is involved. Repeatedly, managers are very reluctant to ascertain the issues at hand and are unprepared to address the individuals involved. Organizations often decide to outsource these HR trepidations to a firm like Flex HR, which will provide superior HR representation to minimize the risk factors and carry out the proper protocol actions.
Communication and education must start from the top down, where management provides hands-on training and safety instruction to ensure all employees know the proper protocol given a harmful or dangerous emergency situation.
Preventative Measures:
Behavioral policies – ensure your HR expert has clearly outlined and written all these behavior concerns down and identified policies and procedures in the Employee Handbook.
Consistent training – ongoing, preventative training sessions will lay the foundation for company behavioral policies and expectations to be followed on a regular basis.
Check-in /Listen – to your staff and be aware of any unusual behavior that could lead to red flags of caution with an individual.
Encourage team & culture-building – activities between co-workers provide an opportunity to interact and recognize the various personalities and work styles of others.
Employee Appreciation – make employees feel important by recognizing their good behavior and hardworking efforts.
Keep a “paper trail” – document any, and all disciplinary actions and conversations so that there is evidence in an event of a legal investigation.
Employee hotline – establish a hotline for your staff to safely, and even anonymously, get the help they need.
Did you know that Flex HR can host a webinar, seminar, or Bootcamp on employee behavior issues? Send us an email at Info@FlexHR.com and mention you saw this article for more information. Flex HR provides Ethics Hotline Outsourcing. This makes employees comfortable that they are not talking to a workmate inside the office and perhaps feeling very uncomfortable doing so, but they can report a situation anonymously to seek the help they need.
About FlexHR
Jim Cichanski – CEO FlexHR
Flex HR is an Administrative Services Organization (ASO) that provides leadership to deliver customized, scalable, and cost-effective HR outsourcing solutions. Flex HR offers a highly collaborative approach to consulting and outsourcing by aligning core human resources competencies needed to achieve the value expected from your company’s most important assets: your people.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
Think back in your life to a moment when you felt so inspired that you were ready to run through a brick wall to get what you desired. What was it that inspired you? Was it a speech you heard? Was it a YouTube video? While speeches and videos can be motivating, my guess is that’s not what revved you up to the point of running through a brick wall.
For me, it has been those moments when I have received feedback from someone who was great at delivering it. I have been fortunate to know more than one of those people in my life and I am grateful not only for the feedback they freely gave, I am grateful for the way they gave that feedback because it inspired me to do better and be better. I am also grateful for the example they set which I have attempted to emulate.
Let me take a step back and talk a bit about what feedback is and is not. Simply put, feedback is information received in response to some action on our part. From the moment we are born, we begin giving and receiving feedback. When a baby cries in response to being born, that’s feedback. It tells everyone within earshot that the baby is breathing and alive. As we grow, we get a lot of feedback from our parents, siblings, and surroundings. That feedback teaches us valuable lessons and inspires us to do things that are productive. When we touch something hot, the pain we feel is feedback teaching us to not repeat that action. When we take our first steps, the hugs, kisses, and cheers inspire us to take more steps. As we grow older, feedback comes in more sophisticated forms. We begin discerning the relative value of it and accept or reject it based on our value judgment. It becomes not just about the feedback itself but the way in which it is delivered. If the information (feedback) is correct yet delivered in a way that offends our feelings, it is often rejected. We call that criticism.
That leads me on a slight tangent. If you are currently using or have ever used the term “constructive criticism”, please stop. There is nothing constructive about criticism because it is seldom or ever meant in a constructive way. It is called “constructive” criticism because it makes the person giving it feel better about knocking the other person with no real intention of helping them. Criticizing someone may cause someone to change to spite the criticizer but that in my opinion is not inspiring.
Now, while giving great feedback is critically important, it is not the same as being great at giving feedback. How you deliver feedback is possibly more important than the feedback itself. After all, the feedback we give is a representation of how we perceived the other person’s words or actions. While it is 100% accurate from our perspective, it may or may not be 100% factual in an objective sense. So here are some elements of giving great feedback.
Start with the good stuff. Be specific – Start by relating what the person is doing well or reviewing a recent positive result from their behavior. It must be something behavioral. It cannot be that they are a nice person or that they mean well. Everyone has things they do well. Pick at least two, tell them specifically what they are, how these actions benefit others, and be clear that you are encouraging him/her to keep doing those things.
Describe an opportunity for improvement – Rather than telling people what they are doing wrong, share opportunities for them to improve. It may sound like semantics but it is an important distinction. No one likes hearing what they are doing wrong. On the other hand, everyone has opportunities for improvement. Combining this with telling them what they do well first causes them to be more receptive to hearing their opportunities. Make it about their behavior. Keep personalities out of it. Also, keep it short. One opportunity at a time. More than that is overwhelming. The adage of one thing at a time applies.
Share feedback immediately – As Ken Blanchard always says don’t save it up for a holiday. Immediate feedback is more impactful because it is fresh in the person’s memory. Waiting makes them have to remember what happened and dilutes their focus on the opportunity.
Make time to discuss the how – Sharing opportunities to improve is less than 50% of inspiring improvement. Discussing how they can improve is where the inspiration takes root. Ask the person if they agree with the opportunity and then ask how they think they can realize the improvement. Human beings by nature are more committed to their own ideas. If all you offer is your own thoughts it will seem like you are telling them what to do and how to do it. Remember, feedback is not about you; it is about them. You want to show you are all about helping them. But a caution, be sincere about helping. They will see through insincerity in a heartbeat.
When you provide feedback in this way you will not only inspire improvement; you will inspire gratitude. Speaking from experience, I have had countless people not just thank me for the feedback they have asked me for more. When I have followed these four steps, I have always left people inspired to improve. I know that because when I see them next, they have greeted me with excitement, shared with me proof of their improvement, and asked for more feedback. As a mentor and coach, there is no better feeling. It shows me I am adding value to their life and after all, what’s better than that?
About Dave Roemer
David Roemer
Dave Roemer, Franchise Consultant with 30+ years in the industry will provide an overview of the franchise industry. Roemer will discuss a brief history of franchising along with the state of the industry today. He will give an honest assessment of the industry including the effort to increase regulation and why those efforts are growing. Finally, he will share why he believes franchising remains the best way for people to own a business and how interested parties can get help achieving their goal of business ownership
Today, Dave is an independent Franchise Consultant who helps people interested in purchasing a franchise determine which brands are the right fit and then helps them through the due diligence and discovery process. His services are free to the client as his fees are paid for by the various franchise brands with which he works.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
New Century Dynamics Announces the completion of Two Search Assignments!
Jim Weber – Managing Partner, ITB Partners
Jim Weber, President of New Century Dynamics Executive Search, and Managing Partner of ITB Partners has completed two searches for Restaurant Operations Managers.
These placements are for separate clients, both small but growing restaurant chains based in Northeastern Ohio.
During these Searches, Jim Weber vetted many outstanding candidates who may be suitable for your needs.
I work with many startups and emerging brands. They have become the core of my business. It gives me great satisfaction in helping them with their recruiting needs. When my colleagues and I created ITB Partners, our strategy was to focus on this sector. Companies in this phase of their life cycle face decisions that carry significant risk. One or two bad choices can sink an otherwise viable company, even if they have proof of concept. We believed we could help emerging companies achieve success by avoiding business-killing mistakes. Recruiting new employees is one of those high-risk activities.
