Punishing Jaywalkers or Stopping Traffic: What is your practice?

Punishing Jaywalkers or Stopping Traffic:

What is your practice?

I attended an educational course over the first part of this summer.  Due to the location of the building, it was nearly impossible to park nearby, so parking across the street was the only real option.  The street was not a traffic intersection, but still fairly busy and it usually took a while before the green man lit up so we could cross.  Most of the time, people would cross at the breaks in traffic, rather than wait for the signal.

After a couple of weeks of crossing this street to attend the course, a few of my friends began sharing that the police are in that area giving tickets for jaywalking.  At first, I thought they may have heard a rumor and decided to share it.  I didn’t think much of it, until I saw it for myself.  Two different times, I saw uniformed police officers at that location (by the tree straight ahead).  One time there was an officer standing behind the bush and difficult to see from across the street, and the other time there was an officer in a police cruiser around the same area.  A couple of days after I saw the officers, another one of my friends shared their story of someone getting a $90 ticket for jaywalking.  Ouch!

After seeing the officers, and hearing the story, I am very careful not to jaywalk in that area.

The officers in this case were watching, and waiting for someone to do something they weren’t supposed to do.  Then they would punish that person with a ticket.  I found myself wondering how long they would stand there each day to catch someone doing something wrong.  Why not offer to help the people to safely cross the street?  Now this story isn’t just about this officers, but more about how many people act in this same way.  The truth is that one doesn’t even need to be in a position of authority to act this way.  Have you ever worked with anyone who would report every mistake others made?  Have you ever worked with a boss that operated with a focus of watching and waiting for people to make mistakes?  Sometimes employees who notice that someone is watching and waiting can mess up from simply being nervous.  If you are waiting and expecting people to mess up, eventually they will.

How about you?  Are you waiting for your “I told you so” moment after someone does something wrong? 

The most important thing that we need to think about is the experience that we are creating in the workplace, not just for our subordinates or co-workers, but for our supervisors too.  The way you interact with others will have an impact on the success of your relationships in the workplace. 

What we can do when we notice something is identify what the obstacles or challenges are, and ask to help.  Offer that person the extra hand they need to complete the task, or share information that will help them in that situation.  Ask questions to get a better understanding of their perspective, which will give you an opportunity to see things from their eyes.

So when you notice something you’ve got a decision to make about whether you are going to create an obstacle, or help remove one.

Connect with me on Linkedin: Benjamin Patient

4 Tips to Rock Your Interview

Through my experience interviewing over 2,000 applicants I have realized that many people hear the question, but may not understand the intent.  It seems that many think these are trick questions, or just aren’t sure how to respond.  Here are the top 4 problem questions I have encountered, with some help on how to answer.

Why do you want to work here? – Please do not say “I need a job,” or anything that might resemble that.  Of course you need a job or are looking for one, otherwise you wouldn't have applied for the position.  Right?  What I’m looking for in a response are the things about that company attracted you.  So here’s what you can do when you know that you have an interview.  Look at the company’s website, and pick a nugget or two of information that you can share.  This shouldn’t be something too obvious, but something of interest to you.  When asked this question, you can also share how your Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities make you a good fit for the organization and position.

Can you share a time that your manager made a decision that you did not agree with? – I have noticed many people get stuck on this question.  It almost sounds like a trick question doesn’t it?  I have heard countless times “I always agree with my manager.”  I have also heard a good number of people say “I didn't agree, so I left.”  While these responses may be true, they don’t address the intent of the question.  The interviewer is looking for a time that you didn’t agree with the decision, and the actions you took to come up with ideas, or how you communicated with your manager.  It’s more about constructive problem solving, and how you are responding to situations that you don’t agree with.

Can you tell me about a time when you made a mistake? – This is a good one to think about in advance.  It’s another one that seems tricky.  I have heard countless "no's" to this question.  Many of us don’t like to think about our mistakes, so this can be a tough one.  This question is about accountability, and problem solving.  When you make a mistake, do you own up to it?  It also checks your ability to include the people who need to be involved.  We all make mistakes, so share how you handled yours.

Why do you think you are the best person for the job? – Often this question comes near the end of the interview.  When asked this question, please don’t respond with “I’m not the best,” or “I don’t know who else has applied that might be better.”  You applied for the job, so you must think you're qualified to do it, right?  This is your opportunity to recap the things you talked about at the beginning of the interview, and highlight your responses during the interview.  You also have a great opportunity to share your excitement for this position and company.  Take this opportunity to add in any other Knowledge, Skills or Abilities that you have that are relevant to the job.  For example, unless you are applying for an ice skater job, I don’t need to know that you are an ice skater.  

Many of the behavioral interview questions (i.e. "Tell me about a time ___") are looking for STAR responses: Situation, Task, Action, and Result.  This style of question gives you the opportunity to share a story about a work situation.  So make the most of it.  

What was the Situation?  This is the background for your story.  So, paint the picture for the interviewer.  Remember they weren’t there, so add enough details so they know what was happening.

What Task were you doing?  Set the scene.  Were you working on something, and then asked to do something different?  Were you doing something that led to you making a mistake?  Were you unsure of how to do the task?

What Action did you take?  This is the high point of your story.  Share details about the people you involved and the steps you took to finish your task or solve the problem.

What was the Result?  This is the end of the story.  Was it happily ever after?  How did your actions impact you, your work area, and your company?

Although not generally part of the STAR responses, I think it is very valuable to add the things you learned from that situation.  If you would do something different given the chance to do it again, share that.  It shows that you can be reflective and seek ways to improve.

With some review and practice of these 4 problem questions and your STAR responses, you will be better prepared to shine in your interview.  Go get 'em!

What problem questions have you encountered?  Maybe I can help.

Dreadlocks, tattoos, and the EEOC

Does your company have appearance guidelines?  Many companies have instituted policies against dreadlocks and tattoos.  What is your practice in handling these issues?  Would it surprise you if I said that making hiring decisions on these bases could be considered a form of religious discrimination?  

In my experience, companies with policies against dreadlocks will ask applicants if they are willing to cut them.  If an applicant says it’s religious, a common follow up question is “what religion?”  In previous conversations that I have had, I have heard “Rastafarian is the only religion that has dreadlocks,” when, in fact, there are other religious practices that include dreadlocks.  What if they say it is just a personal or spiritual belief?

According to a poll from Fox News, 1 in 5 Americans have tattoos.  Many companies don’t want these tattoos visible in the workplace.  Visible tattoos are typically those on the hands, wrists, face, and neck.  Some companies do not allow any additional items like band-aids or makeup to cover the visible tattoos, which could eliminate someone with visible tattoos.  What if the tattoos have a religious basis?  You may think of asking “what religion has tattoos?”

Asking “what religion?” in the interview process could be putting the company at risk if the decision to hire is based on whether or not the interviewer believes the response is valid.  An important note is that the EEOC includes both theistic and non-theistic beliefs under title VII.  Theistic beliefs include the more common, familiar religions, while non-theistic beliefs include “moral or ethical beliefs as to what is right and wrong which are sincerely held with the strength of traditional religious views.”  So essentially, it doesn’t matter what religion they are.

Title VII of the EEOC requires companies to make a reasonable accommodation, as long as it would not cause an undue hardship on the employer.  Employers should engage in the interactive process to determine what accommodations can be made.

It is important to consider the purpose of the appearance guideline policies, and whether they are for a legitimate business purpose.  Does having tattoos or dreadlocks impact the business?  That is for you and your company's legal counsel to determine.

I think that companies should loosen up these policy restrictions.  This is a great way to encourage diversity in the workplace.  Companies should be flexible enough to allow dreadlocks to at least be held in a hat.  When it comes to tattoos, I think we should loosen up restrictions as long as there is not offensive/explicit content visible on the tattoo.

This is an opinion blog article exploring the possible impact of the EEOC, title VII rules on hiring practices.  I am not an attorney, and this is not intended to be legal advice.  I suggest consulting an attorney before making any decisions relevant to the content in this article.

Leverage Technology for a better ROI at your next job fair

When at a job fair, and your company uses an online application management system. It makes sense to tell job fair attendees to go online and apply. Right? It seems that this is where many are missing the mark.

Job fairs are a good way to maintain a presence and brand awareness in the community, but are they worth the investment? An employer's cost of attending a job fair ranges from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. There are also the costs for staffing the job fair booth and lost productivity from those out of the office. At job fairs, many companies no longer accept a paper application or resume. They simply redirect you to apply online.

I have been a company representative at job fairs, and have dealt with angry attendees wondering "What's the point of the job fair if I have to go online to apply?" These potential candidates have taken time out of their day in hopes of creating a meaningful interaction with a company, and we are missing an opportunity!

Think about what you are bringing to the table in the candidate experience besides a branded "tchotchke" item (pen, notepad, etc.), and some promotional flyers. Job seekers take home a lot of material, but when will they have time to get to it all? There is a lot of competition out there, so how are you standing out? Are you capturing the best candidates? How do you know?

With a QR code, you can maximize the candidate experience and track the benefit of attending the job fair with minimal costs. Many companies use applicant management systems (AMS), such as Kronos, or Taleo. These and many other vendors offer mobile-compatible online applications. Chances are your company is already paying for the AMS, so why not get the most from it?

Using a QR code allows you to maximize the impact of the job fair, your cost of attendance, and your candidates' experience. Some QR code generators are free, while others are available in a variety of budget ranges. QR code readers can be downloaded for free on smart devices from the app store.

These codes are usually about 1 square inch, and each one is unique. Some QR host sites allow customization of the square code, such as color selection, which you could use to match company colors. The QR code has a link that will take mobile users directly to your application site when it is scanned. Since you are already printing promotional flyers, why not include a QR code on the page? Some QR host sites allow you to monitor your QR usage statistics, which can be useful in identifying your immediate impact. There are increasingly more scan-to-site items that are allowing mobile users to quickly access websites. This is a great opportunity to catch the best candidates, before someone else does.

Using a QR code that sends candidates directly to your application website will allow them to apply online immediately. This reduces frustration for the applicant and generates a more impactful presence for the company. It also presents an opportunity to identify the immediate, and long-term tracking of ROI. This can help you identify whether or not those job fairs are working for you. The QR code is where you put it all together - neatly packaged in a box, ready to scan.

I'm guessing you have your QR scanner by now, so I'll make it easy for you!
Scan here for my Linkedin

3 Keys to annual reviews (update)

Let's talk about an antiquated practice that many companies and individuals have held on to since the Second World War: the annual performance review.
 
Whether you are an employee or supervisor, you are most likely familiar with the annual review process.  I can say from my personal experience that both supervisors and employees experience challenges when it comes to annual reviews. 
 
Quarterly financial reports are posted for stockholders to keep them informed on the company's recent performance in a relevant and timely way.  Why not perform quarterly evaluations of employees?  More frequent discussions about performance can improve employee motivation and engagement, resulting in a more productive and successful workforce.  I recommend incorporating a few concepts to a quarterly performance review.
 
1. The employee
An important, and often forgotten, piece of the review is the employee.  So, include them in the process.   Many supervisors have a clear understanding of business goals.  Why not ask your employees for their goals, and help guide their goals to align with business goals?   This serves the purpose of attending to the employees’ motivational needs, and increases the possibility of improved performance and engagement.  
 
2. Collaborative goal-setting
With an employee, set 3 main goals that the employee will accomplish.  It is important to guide the employee in setting these goals, because they should be challenging, specific, measurable, and have a time frame.  Main goals need to be set to align with company goals and values. Each of the main goals should have key objectives that will be accomplished, and should carry a specified weight of the overall score, dependent upon the importance and challenge of the goal.  The supervisor can utilize a percentage for work that is above and beyond, or not identified by the goals.  
 
3.  Purposeful design
The design of an effective quarterly review program is critical to achieving the desired results.  It is essential to eliminate as much ambiguity as possible.  For example, I once received a review that stated something to the effect of "you have demonstrated good communication with your peers and supervisor," then on the notes for improvement stated "continue keeping open communication with your peers, and supervisor," and I was given an evaluation score of "Average." This basically gave me no direction, and no reason why I didn't get a better review score. 
 
I suggest eliminating adjectives as a rating score from performance reviews, and using a numerical score of 0-100, with 100 being the best.  Where both the supervisor, and employee rate the employee's performance against goals.  When the time comes to evaluate achievement, keep the focus on achievement.  Make it a conversation with the employee about what success they have made on their goals, where they experienced challenges, what was unexpected and what score they feel they have achieved.  Each supervisor should evaluate, and assign a rating for the employee’s performance.  This gives the supervisor the opportunity to learn how the employee is evaluating their own performance, and how much, or little, the employees’ perspective is aligned with that of the supervisor.  After evaluating accomplishments and challenges, the supervisor and employee can together plan goals for the next quarter.
 
The great thing about implementing a quarterly performance review is that you get the opportunity to know your employees better.  Through this, employees can get the individual attention and development they need, and any concerns or issues can be addressed.  It's a win-win.