| Hiring happy, optimistic job applicants | | | | problems - like a pessimist. |
| can increase your company's productivity | | | | For example, the interviewer could ask, |
| and lower turnover. Plus, optimistic, | | | | "Tell me about the two worst situations |
| confident employees are vastly more | | | | you got into in your last job." Then, |
| delightful to have on-board. | | | | the interviewer needs to observe if the |
| Methods to help companies have | | | | job applicant answers like an optimist |
| optimistic, positive employees include | | | | or a pessimist. |
| pre-employment tests, job interviews of | | | | LEADERS MUST BE ROLE MODELS OF |
| applicants, managing being role-models, | | | | OPTIMISTIC ACTIONS |
| and reinforcing smiles. | | | | Ralph Waldo Emerson wisely observed, |
| What are happy, optimistic employees? | | | | "What you do speaks so loudly that I |
| In a book I co-authored - "Spontaneous | | | | cannot hear what you say." This quote |
| OptimismÂ(R)" -- we explained | | | | illustrates why leaders, executives and |
| optimistic people focus on solutions and | | | | managers must be employees' role models |
| not on problems, have a "can-do" | | | | for optimistic and upbeat behavior. |
| mindset, and do what is needed to | | | | Every leader can be a fabulous role |
| achieve goals despite all odds. | | | | model simply by focusing non-stop on |
| In contrast, the opposite of optimism is | | | | 1. Goals - measurable goals with |
| pessimism. Pessimists focus on problems | | | | deadlines that help the company grow and |
| and not on solutions. Pessimistic | | | | prosper |
| people love to do three actions: | | | | 2. Solutions - every time a problem |
| Complain, blame, and whine.. | | | | arises, instantly focus on implementing |
| PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS HELP YOU HIRE HAPPY | | | | solutions |
| EMPLOYEES | | | | Also, the leader or manager must not |
| The quickest, easiest and cheapest way | | | | allow employees to act pessimistic by |
| to have happy employees is to hire human | | | | whining, moaning, and complaining. When |
| beings who are optimistic and upbeat. | | | | an employee complains or whines, the |
| The most objective and customizable | | | | optimistic leader simply needs to say, |
| method to assess job applicants is | | | | "I can tell that bothers you. Now, |
| pre-employment testing. When a company | | | | please tell me your possible solution to |
| tells me it wants to hire better | | | | overcome the problem." Insist the |
| employees, we start by customizing | | | | employee conjure up solutions, and not |
| pre-employment tests. How? We conduct | | | | wallow in moaning about problems. |
| a "benchmarking study" by testing | | | | LEADERS NEED TO REINFORCE SMILING |
| current employees in each job. From | | | | Eye-opening research revealed the more |
| this, we discover test scores of the | | | | an employee smiles, the happier the |
| company's high-achieving "superstars" - | | | | customer. Harvard Business Review (5 |
| that is, employees who are both highly | | | | 07, page 24, reported Patricia Barger |
| productive and low turnover. | | | | of Bowling Green State U. and Alicia |
| Valuable finding: Almost invariably, | | | | Grandey of Penn State U. studied |
| high-achievers score above-average or | | | | employees and customers in a coffee |
| high on two scales of the pre-employment | | | | shop. They found the more an employee |
| test: | | | | smiled, the more the employee's |
| 1. Optimism test scale | | | | customers felt happy with their coffee |
| 2. Reactions to Pressure test scale | | | | shop experience. |
| In contrast, underachievers in the same | | | | Leaders and managers can apply the same |
| jobs in the same companies usually score | | | | actions in any company. The leader |
| (a) low on Optimism (i.e., they score | | | | needs to smile, reinforce smiling by |
| pessimistic) and (b) low on Reaction to | | | | employees, and hire employees who |
| Pressure (i.e., they score like | | | | readily smile. This gels to create a |
| whiners). | | | | positive, happy corporate culture. |
| For example, one company recently did a | | | | 3 KEYS TO HIRE HAPPY EMPLOYEES |
| "benchmarking study" for hiring | | | | Managers and leaders are smart to create |
| employees into seven jobs. On the | | | | an optimistic, upbeat workplace. My |
| pre-employment test, "superstar" | | | | pre-employment testing research reveals |
| employees in all seven jobs scored high | | | | high-achieving "superstar" employees |
| on both (1) Optimism scale and (2) | | | | overwhelmingly are optimistic and poised |
| Reactions to Pressure scale. Note: | | | | under pressure. To create a workforce |
| Although these seven jobs covered a wide | | | | of happy, positive employees, leaders |
| range of skill-levels and abilities, | | | | and managers can do the following: |
| pre-employment test scores showed | | | | 1. Hire optimistic, upbeat job |
| high-achievers in all jobs exuded an | | | | applicants - predicted by pre-employment |
| optimistic, 'can-do' personality. | | | | tests and interviews |
| KEY JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ASSESS | | | | 2. Be a role model - always displaying |
| OPTIMISM | | | | optimists' actions |
| A second method to assess a job | | | | 3. Reinforce employees' optimistic |
| applicant is job interviews. | | | | actions - e.g., focusing on solutions |
| Unfortunately, interviews prove quite | | | | and smiling |
| subjective, and managers generally do | | | | By leaders using these three keys, the |
| lousy at predicting job success based on | | | | result is a company composed of |
| interviews. | | | | optimistic, 'can-do' employees who are |
| Question: What should managers do to | | | | A. Highly productive |
| assess a job applicant's optimism? | | | | B. Low turnover |
| Answer: Ask open-ended questions about | | | | C. A pleasure to work with |
| confronting problems. Then, notice if | | | | D. Highly profitable |
| the applicant (a) focuses on solutions - | | | | © Copyright 2007 Michael Mercer, |
| like an optimist or (b) wallows about | | | | Ph.D. |