Hiring employees who will "just do it"
- February 12, 2005

THE recent departure of Hewlett-Packard's CEO, chairman and president (no, it's not three people, just one individual hogging all the top job titles) highlights the danger of having the wrong employee for the wrong job.

Traditionally, companies hired people based on their academic qualification, experience and job competence. Candidates were considered suitable so long as they had the desired education (preferably an MBA), the number of years in a similar job and the know-how to do the job at hand. Yet, as the HP case illustrated, even when all three criteria fit, more often than not, the new employee turned out to be all wrong!

What was missing is the fourth, and I believe, the most important criterion: attitude.

Many HR executives are now coming around to the view that attitude matters in the hiring process. As long as the candidates have the requisite skills, you should concentrate on their attitude - towards the company, towards their colleagues, and towards executing the task set for them. The person with the desired attitude in these three areas is worth his or her weight in gold (or stock options!).

1. Attitude towards the company and its business

You don't have to demand that prospective employees love your company, but you should expect them to at least have a strong liking for it.

So, go ahead, look the various candidates in the eye and ask: Do you love my company, and the way we do business?

It doesn't sound very scientific, but then running a business isn't scientific. It's an art, and like all arts, it requires strong emotional commitment. Ask successful IT bosses like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates - they love their company, sincerely and unashamedly.

2. Attitude towards colleagues

Something is obviously wrong when you hire a CEO or senior manager and their first task of the day is to recommend sacking existing staff.

Running a business is, of course, different from running a charity. You are in it for profit. Nonetheless you can still be efficient and realistic (i.e. profit-driven), AND compassionate(especially to subordinates who can't protect themselves).

This may sound trite but if you show faith, commitment and respect towards your fellow workers, they will reciprocate by showing faith, commitment and respect towards you and your business. The reason is simple: people who know they have a future, a long-term future, with the company, want to help make the setup as viable as possible.

Consider these everyday thefts in any office: pinching stationery and inflating expense claims. If employees have a sincere concern and respect for their company, it is unlikely they would steal office supplies or cheat in their claims.

3. Attitude towards executing the task at hand

While it is straightforward to see whether junior staff actually perform the tasks set for them, it is quite difficult to do so for senior managers. The driver must deliver the goods twice a day. The production girl must assemble five laptops in an hour. But vice presidents, directors and CEO are all camouflaged with "vision", "strategy", "the big picture", "alliances", and other grand stuff. It is difficult to pin them down on how much and how well they are implementing and executing their day-to-day assignments.

In most cases, the actual execution of any task is not difficult. As one sports shoe company likes to tell customers: Just do it. The trouble with senior people is that they are too busy attending meetings, speaking at seminars, showing Powerpoints and being interviewed by the press. They don't have time, interest or attitude to just do it.

Just do it seems so mundane, so ordinary, so like washing dishes or moping the floor. For self-important people, it's more satisfying to "talk the talk and walk the talk", but not to execute the talk.

Well, I read that the HP board is now looking forward to "accelerating execution of the company's strategy". If you think you have the right attitude and can just do it (few can), you may be the candidate they're looking for!

-- Francis Chin

Hiring employees who will "just do it"
- February 12, 2005

THE recent departure of Hewlett-Packard's CEO, chairman and president (no, it's not three people, just one individual hogging all the top job titles) highlights the danger of having the wrong employee for the wrong job.

Traditionally, companies hired people based on their academic qualification, experience and job competence. Candidates were considered suitable so long as they had the desired education (preferably an MBA), the number of years in a similar job and the know-how to do the job at hand. Yet, as the HP case illustrated, even when all three criteria fit, more often than not, the new employee turned out to be all wrong!

What was missing is the fourth, and I believe, the most important criterion: attitude.

Many HR executives are now coming around to the view that attitude matters in the hiring process. As long as the candidates have the requisite skills, you should concentrate on their attitude - towards the company, towards their colleagues, and towards executing the task set for them. The person with the desired attitude in these three areas is worth his or her weight in gold (or stock options!).

1. Attitude towards the company and its business

You don't have to demand that prospective employees love your company, but you should expect them to at least have a strong liking for it.

So, go ahead, look the various candidates in the eye and ask: Do you love my company, and the way we do business?

It doesn't sound very scientific, but then running a business isn't scientific. It's an art, and like all arts, it requires strong emotional commitment. Ask successful IT bosses like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates - they love their company, sincerely and unashamedly.

2. Attitude towards colleagues

Something is obviously wrong when you hire a CEO or senior manager and their first task of the day is to recommend sacking existing staff.

Running a business is, of course, different from running a charity. You are in it for profit. Nonetheless you can still be efficient and realistic (i.e. profit-driven), AND compassionate(especially to subordinates who can't protect themselves).

This may sound trite but if you show faith, commitment and respect towards your fellow workers, they will reciprocate by showing faith, commitment and respect towards you and your business. The reason is simple: people who know they have a future, a long-term future, with the company, want to help make the setup as viable as possible.

Consider these everyday thefts in any office: pinching stationery and inflating expense claims. If employees have a sincere concern and respect for their company, it is unlikely they would steal office supplies or cheat in their claims.

3. Attitude towards executing the task at hand

While it is straightforward to see whether junior staff actually perform the tasks set for them, it is quite difficult to do so for senior managers. The driver must deliver the goods twice a day. The production girl must assemble five laptops in an hour. But vice presidents, directors and CEO are all camouflaged with "vision", "strategy", "the big picture", "alliances", and other grand stuff. It is difficult to pin them down on how much and how well they are implementing and executing their day-to-day assignments.

In most cases, the actual execution of any task is not difficult. As one sports shoe company likes to tell customers: Just do it. The trouble with senior people is that they are too busy attending meetings, speaking at seminars, showing Powerpoints and being interviewed by the press. They don't have time, interest or attitude to just do it.

Just do it seems so mundane, so ordinary, so like washing dishes or moping the floor. For self-important people, it's more satisfying to "talk the talk and walk the talk", but not to execute the talk.

Well, I read that the HP board is now looking forward to "accelerating execution of the company's strategy". If you think you have the right attitude and can just do it (few can), you may be the candidate they're looking for!

-- Francis Chin