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Building Your Own Dream Team Part 1: The Perfect Candidate (How to clearly define the perfect candidate) and determine the best place to find them
/in Ideas to help you build a solid team/by Tom DoescherYou may think it’s obvious, but take a minute to ponder exactly who you’re looking for at all levels of your company. What background, skills, education and experience do you desire in new hires? You already have team members, and that’s good, but think about finding and developing your own long-term dream team. Over the years, I’ve observed that most successful and profitable companies develop their own players.
As an example, you may be looking for high school students who have shown an interest in making things, and maybe have participated in school-to-work or co-op programs, for your shop floor team. If that’s the case, have you developed relationships with your local high schools?
Several years ago, I heard the owner of a very successful auto supplier, presenting on this subject. He said something I will never forget. He said, “If we can convince a high school student to join our company instead of going directly to college, we have a chance of developing a great team member. As they progress at the company and show promise, we send them to college. However, if they go directly to college, we don’t even get a shot at them or they with us.” He went on to say, “As they continue to take on more responsibilities and grow, they make pretty good money, too.”
We have a technology client who has had some nice success at Kettering University (formerly known as GMI). They’re looking for smart, hard-working developers and have found that Kettering attracts those types of students.
Are you thinking about developing your own future team members? Do you know what you’re looking for? Do you know where to find them?
The “Building Your Own Dream Team” Series
/in Ideas to help you build a solid team/by Tom DoescherMost businesses are currently experiencing strong demand for their products or services. Very predictably, many of you say you’re short of people at all levels, and some of you have found yourself in a bidding war to hire someone. I often hear owners say, “Our people are our most important asset.”
So, it seems fitting, as we look forward to 2015, to spend some time discussing people. Over the next several months, I will present a series of posts entitled “Building Your Own Dream Team.” I believe the best companies take into consideration the following elements when putting their team together:
Our next blog will begin the “Build Your Own Dream Team” series.
Still relevant after all these years
/in Extraordinary Customer/Client Service, Ideas to help you build a solid team/by Tom DoescherAs many of you know, I am an avid reader of business books. After hearing about Dale Carnegie’s famous book, How To Win Friends & Influence People, for the 50th time, I decided I had to get my own copy of the book, which was first published in 1936.
Wow! Add me to the Carnegie Fan Club! How can a business book that is more than 75 years old still be relevant? Well, it is! It also nicely complements To Sell Is Human, by Daniel Pink (see our June 23, 2014, posting).
As you know, I am almost obsessed with getting leaders to provide actionable developmental feedback. Hopefully, I have encouraged you to be prepared, thoughtful, and careful with your word selection in your conversations and communications.
Along those lines, here are Carnegie’s WARNINGS:
So, everything I have written about still stands. My takeaway is that it is important to be very careful and cognizant of how you are communicating your message in conversations.