3 months ago you hired a new candidate: well dressed, punctual, positive and upbeat with a ‘can do’ attitude. This same team member has just shuffled past, 20 minutes late again, grunting a response to your well-meaning “Good morning”. You can hear them whinging about the traffic, the weather, the workload and of course the ‘customers’ they have to deal with today. As they walk through your business their bad attitude affects other team members, somewhat like a bad odour.
In business I have had my share of bad employees. There are some choices I can honestly say to myself, I don’t know what I was thinking at the time I hired them. If I really thought through how this new recruit would fit into the workplace culture I would not have hired them.
The bottom line is if in doubt, throw them out, particularly if they are not up to speed during the probationary period.
Here are 8 challenges in recruiting a VIP team:
1. The challenge of recruiting a VIP team
Too often, companies engage in ‘warm body recruitment’; if you turn up at the front door, you are hired. Recruit with the end result in mind and never in desperation.
Behavioural profiling, group and individual interviews are all successful tools in recruiting frontline and management team members.
2. The challenge of assessing candidates
The first thing to look at in candidates is how they present themselves in terms of appearance. Are they clean, appropriately dressed and groomed for the position they are seeking?
The questions asked of candidates during job interviews is critical. Don’t forget that bad hires will often drive out good team members.
3. The challenge of selecting and inducting your VIP team
Smart management requires providing training and support to all team members. This should commence with a full introduction to the workplace and its culture. Introduce new hires to the team, and ensure they know the specific ways in which management expects them to fulfill their role. Encourage them to ask questions provide ongoing support throughout the training period.
4. The challenge of dealing with younger team members
The younger generation of team members may only stay for a couple of years before moving onto the next job. They expect quicker promotions, without working their way through the ranks, but they often bring great, fresh ideas with them, and can be great promoters for the new workplace culture you are creating.
5. The challenge of building a multicultural VIP team
Understanding of the various cultures within your team is critical for team harmony. It’s important that you avoid labeling people and stereotyping diverse groups, and ensure people communicate in a language that everyone can understand. Management has to agree on a policy that is acceptable to all team members.
6. The challenge of continuous improvement
Getting team members who are comfortable in their fixed routines to change can be a challenge. Consider creating a competition for your team members to encourage buy-in and engagement. Seek their ideas, create change champions and praise any improvement. Give feedback. What gets rewarded gets repeated.
7. The challenge of engaging your local community
A great way to engage your team with the local community is through socially responsible causes. It’s not easy to get all team members together outside the workplace, so try to do your team building within business hours as well as after hours.
This kind of group effort really makes an appreciable difference in how people relate to each other in the workplace.
8. The challenge of building a compassionate VIP team
It is important to reward individuals who show initiative, who go above and beyond in their thoughtfulness and customer experience. Great team members make the effort because they genuinely care.
Perseverance
Building a team with aligned values is not a quick fix; perseverance and persistence is required to get the best from your team.
No matter the industry you are in, the relationship between your customers and your frontline and management team determines your success. Take time and hire right.
