Top 8 Reasons an “A” Player Will Work for You

Whether you are trying to hire for a new position, replacing a “B” or “C” player on your team, or just want to hang on to the stars you have now, here are the key reasons why top performing people will come to work for you or continue to work for you:

Inspiration: They are inspired by your vision and your leadership.
Impressed by Plans: They see you have a business plan, and they are impressed by it. They are also impressed by how you have translated the company’s plan into an individual plan with SMART objectives, for them.
Challenge: They see the challenges, and want to be part of your team to address the exciting opportunities.
Believe in Potential: They see the desired outcome, and believe the company can succeed.
Big Hit OR Security: If you have an emerging growth or start-up company, they can appreciate the chance for a big hit (equity play), or if you are a well-established company, they appreciate the stability and security you offer.
Ability to Make a Difference: You have spelled out the impact that each individual can have, and each person understands his/her contribution to your results.
Culture Feels Right: They fit in; they understand what the environment is about, and it works for them. This usually means open communication and no politics!
Compensation: This is last on the list, because if all the other factors are in place, it won’t be the primary motivator. Keep yourself market competitive, and provide incentives for good performance, and people will feel they are treated right.

Passion as a Predictor of Success

A business friend asked me today to comment on the idea that passion (for one’s business or vocation) could be the number one predictor of success. I disagreed. I have seen dozens of entrepreneurs present their businesses to investor groups ( I belong to TCA in OC). The investors get excited when the entrepreneurs are enthusiastic and demonstrate passion about their companies, products, potential, etc. There is a hitch though. Many of the most enthusiastic entrepreneurs, the ones that appear most passionate, have a couple of personality issues. In fact, I’d say that I’ve met many who have Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

There was a book written in the early nineties, (still available through Amazon), called The Productive Narcissist, which describes how these not-so-together people are incredibly charismatic, draw people to them, and often (but not always), succeed wildly, despite the negative traits that impact their relationships with others. See who the author gives as examples! So, my conclusion in this thesis about passion is that you must dig a little deeper to determine who the person really is, before you can judge a superficial pattern of passion as the best predictor of success.

Job Hunting Tips - #1 “What is Your Biggest Weakness?”

Since there are so many people looking right now, I’ve decided to start offering job hunting tips. Today’s blog is the first in what will be a periodic series. Subscribe to the blog to get the rest!

Employers often ask job candidates to cite a weakness, a shortcoming, or an area that needs improvement. Most interview books advise creating an artificial weakness, such as “I’ve been accused of being a workaholic”, or, “I can sometimes be too driven to succeed.” Those aren’t really weaknesses, and giving that kind of pat, prepared answer can seem a bit insincere.

I recommend finding a true weakness or shortcoming from your past, that you have worked to partly or completely overcome. Then describe what you discovered about yourself, what actions you took, and what the outcome has been. Here’s an example:

“I was told in a review that I could be stronger with my team in driving them toward results, so I took a closer look at what was preventing me from doing that, and found that I had some concern about being too much of a taskmaster. I then discovered that helping my people understand how their individual goals tied into the organization both empowered and encouraged them, and made them more productive. It was a paradigm shift for me that helped me to be better at getting results.”

This comes across as self-awareness, self-revelation, sound personal insight, growth, etc., and these will be perceived by the interviewer as strengths, even though you have discussed a genuine weakness.