This time of year is good for thinking about all that we have to be thankful for, and I'd like to share my short list with you. I am thankful for my family; they seem to love me in spite of my numerous quirks. I am thankful for my health -- still breathing in and breathing out on a regular basis. And I am thankful for my work - I love what I do, and I enjoy working with all of my customers.

Please accept our wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous new year!

A common question that I get from hiring managers who have been using the Performance Profile Report for some time goes something like this: "I've noticed that an applicant whose rating on [fill in any personality characteristic here] is "marginal" never seems to work out. Couldn't I just disqualify future applicants based on that one rating, alone?"

Ouch! A question like that makes me nervous because, as many of you know, one of my oft-repeated mantras is don't make hiring decisions based on only one factor. The real answer to the question of whether a "Marginal" rating is a disqualification is, "NOT NECESSARILY."

Let me remind you of what I usually know about an applicant and, more importantly, what I do not know.

Here's what I do know about them: I have a very good idea of what they are willing to tell me about their preferred work styles and their preferred interpersonal skills. I have a thorough understanding of the positions for which they are applying, and the different industries involved, so I know what kinds of demands will be made upon them. For those of my clients with whom I have worked for some time, I have a good idea of the mixture of personalities with whom they will work.

When a person completes the Performance Profile questionnaires at our web site, I know only what they have chosen to include in the personal background area, in addition to their answers to the questionnaires. Their background information is sometimes rather sketchy, and I have no way of verifying it. I haven't met these individuals, and I haven't seen their resumes or talked with previous employers.

Sometimes, when I look at all that I know about an applicant and all that I know about the company, the industry, and the position for which he or she is applying, what I come up with is questions. For example, the individual may appear to have performance preferences that might be liabilities, or he or she might not appear to have a strong background for the position applied for.

In those cases, I usually give the individual a "Marginal" rating (that is, a "4"). This rating should be understood as a "red flag" to call your attention to the fact that there are more questions than answers in my mind. For example, an applicant might have extensive experience, which did not show up in his or her answers to my personal background information form, doing exactly the kind of job for which you are evaluating him or her. Extensive successful experience, combined with motivation, can certainly offset the effect of a less strong personality match for a job.

What Should You Do?

Think of the "marginal" rating as a recommendation from me that you look again at why this individual made it this far in the selection process: does he or she have a particular skill, or a set of experiences, or contacts, that you want? Have you verified the experience or skills? Is it possible to hire this person on a conditional basis, subject to a performance review at the end of the probationary period? If you hire the person, have you clearly communicated your performance expectations?

Finally, give me a call. A few minutes' conversation may clear up your questions about the rating, or my questions about the individual's match with your job and company.

I've heard this question more than once: "Is this applicant 'motivated'?" I wish that I could point to just one characteristic and say, "There's the answer!" The fact is, however, that motivation is a simple sounding term for a pretty complicated attitude. Each of us has a pretty good idea of what we mean when we talk about motivation: we usually use that word to describe a person's attitude toward working hard, doing whatever it takes to get the job done, and taking initiative on the job. What complicates the issue - and, incidentally, creates an opportunity for employers - is that a person's motivation, more than many other personality characteristics, is affected by outside factors.

Let's take a closer look at this whole issue.

Intrinsic vs. External Motivation

Some people are hard-wired to be self-motivators; these are the people who don't let pesky little hurricanes keep them from getting to work on time, every time, or who just keep going and going and going until the job is done. My experience is that, unfortunately, not many people are self-motivators. Most people's level of motivation is more dependent on what they see as a reason to work extra hard. That's good news for managers, because it means that this is one performance characteristic that you can affect! You can create circumstances that will motivate employees.

Where Does Motivation Come From?

The short answer is that motivation comes from the interaction of a multitude of factors. A famous psychologist, Abraham Maslow, devoted a great deal of thought to this question, and he suggested that the things that motivate people can be thought of in terms of a pyramid or hierarchy. The basic things that people need must be taken care of, according to him, before needs that are higher in the hierarchy will have much of an effect on the person's behavior.

To begin with, Maslow said, people have basic survival needs for food, shelter, and clothing that must be met before other factors will motivate them. A person who feels deprived in terms of these basic needs will usually be motivated by a reward system that replenishes or fulfills those needs. They will not typically be motivated, however, by a reward system that meets other needs, such as recognition or status needs, if they feel deprived in terms of survival needs. Once these needs are essentially under control, the next rung in the hierarchy is the need for recognition for achievement and status.

Now let's throw a little complexity into the issue: each of us perceives the outside world through our own filter that is the result of our unique personality and the influence of all our experiences. This means that what meets one person's basic survival needs, for example, might not meet another person's. It all depends on how it looks to the person.

Translating Needs Into Motivators

It's not necessary to know what each person's unique outlook is, nor to understand which of his or her needs are being met in order to effectively motivate an employee. That's the good news. It helps, though, to understand that different kinds of motivators address different needs; employees will automatically pick the ones that work for them if enough variety are provided.

The most effective way to motivate employees is to provide a mixture of motivators. Let's look at three common kinds:

Money

Money works as a motivator as long as the person's need for money is strong. (Money provides the means for people to "buy" basic survival, security and safety, and status objects or activities.) For most people, however, once they have "enough," and that also varies significantly among people and even at different points in each person's life, then money's motivational power decreases.

Recognition

Recognition is a strong motivator, in some cases stronger than money, but once again the type of recognition varies from person to person. Recognition may take the form of being given an award or certificate, being the subject of a "roast," or being asked to mentor younger employees. What works for one person might not work for another.

Challenges and Opportunities

Challenges are motivating as long as they are seen as attainable. Challenges that are perceived as out of reach usually boomerang and become negative motivators. For example, monthly sales goals that are based on a reasonable improvement over past performance are more motivating than optimistic, but perhaps unrealistic, goals.

A Graduated Approach

The most effective way to help increase employees' motivation is to design a system of motivators (incentives and rewards) that allow everyone to win something. A three-tiered set of goals, with a mixture of motivators at each of the three levels, makes it possible for most employees to find something motivating about the goals and something to strive for. What works best for the people on your team?