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